Last Long Run

Miles: 16 RPE: 7

Well, I'm definitely behind schedule. Or put another way, I'm on my own schedule. Though I should be winding my training runs down by now I had yet to run more than 12 miles and I really felt that my physical and mental preparation wouldn't be on if I didn't complete this run.

To be honest, I've tried to run this for at least three weeks but each time I had an excuse for not finishing it. Sometimes I just didn't run at all to avoid it. Monday I planned to run but couldn't get out of bed early enoough (partly because I had gone to bed late but mostly because I didn't want to do this run).

I was afraid.

"What if I can't do it? What if it takes me really long? How terrible is my marathon time going to be then?! What if I walk a lot?"

Monday I finished an 8-mile run. And I had a breakthrough. Yes, two weeks before I run 26.2 miles I'm still learning how to run, in my mind. I got to a part of the trail that's in an open field, no shade. The midday sun was more fierce than I anticipated. I started getting a headache. "Oh no! I'm getting dehydrated! What if I pass out?!"

And then it dawned on me, caution and fear are two different things. Caution is what compels me to hydrate before each run and bring Gatorade with me. Caution is what compels me to stretch after each training run, even my 4-mile jaunts. Fear, on the other hand, is what keeps me in bed, keeps me from running, keeps me from pushing myself. My loops Monday were 3 miles. The sun was hot, but not that hot. I wasn't going to pass out. It was going to uncomfortable, yes, but not dangerous.

I rested Tuesday and hit the trail today at 8:30am. It's a mile walk to the trail from my parent's house so I begin and end each long run with a walk. A good mental prep for what lies ahead. I ran 8 hard miles. I tried to convince myself my body and breathing were fluid, tried to focus on my 2-mile loop and not the many, many miles ahead of me.

On mile 9 I got a call to be interviewed for a job! The good news invigorated me, but only briefly. Soon it became a distraction and I thought to myself, "You've run 8 miles, you'll have gone 10 total miles once you get back. Preparing for this job interview is more important." I stopped at my bench to drink. I almost went home.

Then I turned on my iPod and kept running. I didn't want to tell my support circle (my parents, Stephen, Jordan and another running friend, Marc) that I didn't make it.

At about mile 14 my joints stopped cooperating, particularly my ankle and hip joints. My feet were swollen and hurt to run on. I walked the last mile and then that mile home.

And by walked of course I mean hobbled :)

These last few days leading up to September 26th I'll focus my mind during my runs on visualizing the marathon: when I'll start loosening up, when I'll have to toughen my focus and start my mantras, and when to use my iPod to will another step out of my battered legs.

No fear. Let's Running!

It's Another Day :)

As I expected, today was markedly better than yesterday!

I ran the scheduled 4 miles and my RPE was 4 again. My first mile was the toughest as my body was adjusting to running but my second mile was fantastic and felt like it was over in the blink of an eye (actually it was over in 12 minutes...). I got a late start again so I really pushed myself on my fourth mile in order to get home and ready for work. My average time was a little less than 13 minutes per mile with a couple minutes of walking in each.

My mind wandered a lot. I imagine conversations with people about my running, especially people I know who are runners. I definitely get a lot of motivation from other people and even the thought of a conversation really encouraged my running.

I have a new adaptation to the mantra "but it doesn't matter." After my awful run Tuesday and my bike ride to school in the rain, I sent a message to Stephen saying I was feeling anxious. He sent a message back listing all things that were probably making me anxious, adding "but that OK because" and ending with something that made it seem fine. For example, he wrote: "You're probably anxious because you didn't run as much as you wanted but that's OK because your training is going great." For this run I adopted that mantra. It gels with my disposition that's always looking to make lemonade out of lemons.

I'm really tired but that's OK because that means my body is getting stronger. It's getting really hot and humid but that's OK because I get to take cool, refreshing showers after my runs.

So, I guess, Let's Running.

We Went Running Update

I believe a brief update is in order.

When Jordan and I first planned to run a marathon we both worked 9-5 jobs more or less. We had time on our hands. We wanted something to test our limits. For me that hasn't changed. I'm doing the same thing I've been doing for the last year and then some. Jordan, however, is going places!

After several months as an intern for Roxanne Conlin she was offered a full-time job! She works to raise money for this amazing Senate hopeful and I am so proud of her. However, she's gone from 9-5 to about 6-midnight (on a good day). A campaign is demanding and Jordan is impressively meeting these demands. Conlin won the primary and is now facing career politician and incumbent by the name of Grassley. Jordan, like the rest of team Conlin, is giving it her all. She is certainly testing her limits!

So this time around it's just me marathon-ing. I considered switching to a different blog since the "we" seems out of place in light of the recent changes. But the more I thought about what it takes to run a marathon--confidence, support, dedication, focus--the more I realized how much of my ability to run this marathon is based on my friendship with Jordan. She is one amazing Homer. My college roommate for four years and best buddy for life, she's helped me keep going when I knew for sure I couldn't.

I wouldn't be here without Jordan and so in a very true sense, we still went running. Join us.

First Race: T-Minus About a Month

This summer when me and Homer decided we'd run a marathon I decided to talk to some friends about it, ya know, make the commitment real. And actually I have three other friends now in Japan who started running around that same time. While none of them have marathon aspirations (yet! I've almost converted one of them) it's nice to have the occasional running buddy when we get together once every couple of months. Company is good motivation.

So are goals.

Like a marathon. But to be honest, as I still struggle to regularly run for thirty minutes a couple times a week, 26.2 miles seems a bit impossible. I'm not focusing on that; I know I'm training one step at a time and I also know I'll run that damn marathon. But right now, almost a year and about 25.2 miles away from my goal, I'm finding that goal not enough to keep me going.

Training for a marathon is fun in a lot of ways. One way is how many times you have to re-invent yourself, your approach. How many times you just need to try again.

Already, even before the official marathon training begins, I've used a whole lot of things to motivate myself. Motivation not only to do the run but to keep going once I'm out there.

And the newest motivation: my first 5k! I'll be running it with my friends December 13th. Until then (if i keep on schedule) I have 15 more runs. That should put me in good condition to do the race.

Knowing I'm going to have to run 5k in about a month one way or another is helping to keep me on track.

keep on keeping on,
claire

(Go Bears! I hate Favre!)

It's All in Your Head

Although me and Homer are doing this together, we are an ocean apart. So throughout this experience, I've begun having conversations in my head.

Before I get too far let me say plainly: I would not be able to do this without my little buddy in Ames, Iowa. In fact, even today as I was attempting to convince myself to get out of my warm bed and run in the cold rain I got an email to my phone from Homer. Even though the email was about football woes (our teams didn't have a good showing this Sunday) it reminded me that she's getting out of bed to run and so can I. And I ran.

However, in the end, this marathon is our own. The 26.2 miles will be run by our legs alone. So how do we go about getting ourselves through this training?

The book me and Homer are working through for this process emphasizes the importance of positive self-talk in marathon training/running. Though directing our self-talk might sound creepy and a bit bunk, the reality is we say things to ourselves about ourselves and our lives all time, so why not fill yourself up with good things?

The book suggests we come up with a paragraph to repeat to ourselves over and over so that we think strong, positive thoughts about our training. Here's my paragraph and with it a glimpse of the things I've been struggling with so far:

I am a marathoner. I love getting up early to run. I love the first half of runs; I feel energized and fast. I love seeing students on my runs. I am not in perfect shape but I can run perfectly. I am a marathoner.

As cold is setting in I'm beginning to realize my need for motivation greatly increase, even if it's in the form of a creepily positive paragraph I repeat again and again in my own head.

(I hate Favre!)