I did this thing.
I signed up, and fully paid for, the Akron Race Series. I'd already planned on a few 5Ks throughout the year, but nothing like this to make a commitment-phobe start feeling a bit anxious. OK, a LOT anxious!
Luckily, I had been taking an aerobic fitness class throughout the late winter/early spring season, so my first run wasn't as atrocious as I'd expected.So Two relatively easy miles, but I didn't push myself or make any major strides here.
My second training run...I slogged and walked more than I wanted. I felt like crap.
My calves whined.
My shins yelled at me.
Eventually I shut all those voices out...you know, the ones that say things like "you can't do this anyway, so just quit now." The like. Somehow after the first 1 1/2 miles I managed to find my stride and those voices meant nothing. NOTHING. They told me this whole marathon thing was a mental game more than anything.
So...cross training. There's varying perspectives on this and honestly I just listened to what my body wanted and I wanted to move. But one days was shin-splint-y and another was a legit scheduled cross training day. Elliptical training was boooorrrrriiinnngggg. No wonder I thought I wasn't a runner! I'd owned an elliptical before and thought I just had a 40-min or less attention span, but no really, it kinda sucks (for me).
My bike ride? I am so lucky to have found a used, very nice bicycle and it was a bit daunting at first. I hadn't ridden a real bike since high school or maybe even middle school, but after a mile or so, there's a reason they say it's like riding a bike. It was so fun, despite the sprinkles and cloudy day! But then I knew the next day was my long run: 5.5 miles. That alone made me a bit anxious.
My mom told me she wasn't going to attend my college (late in life) graduation. I should not have been surprised by this, but it didn't hurt any less. I know it's just who she is and she can't help her mental illness, but I am her only daughter and I really wanted my mommy!
After crying my eyes out for who knows how long, I went to bed late, woke up late (missed the group run), and managed to get myself dressed for a long run. Honestly, I was so upset and had that morning-after-crying headache lingering so all I hoped for was to make it 5.5 miles, walking, crawling, honestly I didn't care how. All I knew is everyone had told me no matter what I do, I better not skip that long run!
I messaged a fellow runner saying my plan was to just get through and she said to channel my emotions to make the miles. I leave out my front door and despite my best efforts my socks are WET almost right away. I could go back, it's not a terrible detour to get dry socks. But what happens on race day if I can't turn around and get new socks???
So I get to the trail and start jogging at a slow pace. I can sort of sing along to my headphones, a test I used throughout my run to make sure I wasn't going too hard too fast. And I jog. And I jog.
Huh.
I haven't heard my split pace...did I miss it? Oh well, keep on jogging.
Wait a minute...I'm almost at the two mile mark from my bike ride yesterday. I dig my phone out and realize the app had frozen. Three minutes and sixteen seconds in!!!! ARRRGHHGGHGHGH!!!! I should have looked sooner!!! I'm still jogging by the way since I am being stubborn this day. But part of me totally wants to a full-on toddler style meltdown, complete with stomping feet and screaming. I reset my phone since I couldn't get the app to cooperate and then open a few backup apps and have them start tracking my mileage. But I still lost two whole miles (at least!)!!! And I'm still a bit misty-eyed with the frustration of my mom and the stupid app and my stupid phone and my stupid socks are wet from the stupid puddle and I forgot my stupid inhaler and a stupid dollar to stop at stupid Circle K on my way back.... But I keep jogging, because I honestly don't know what else to do and my legs seem to know to just keep going.
And I hit mile 4. What???!!! I haven't even walked yet. So I break down to a walk and grab a few sips, gulps really, of water. My legs felt weird so I went back into a jog. Now things are starting to hurt a little. I feel muscles that are starting to whimper a bit.
I keep jogging.
It's a bit tougher now. I shorten my stride, but I'm still moving. Allegedly my pace was improving, but I felt like my legs were going through molasses.
Jogging with even shorter strides now.
I just have to get to the railroad tracks and maybe I'll walk a little there. So I do, and I did to get another good gulp of water.
And then I see it.
Is that my road??? I think that's my road... Yep, that's definitely my road! Nothing like seeing how close you are to home to start dreaming about a nice hot bath and soaking to get you to pick up the pace!!! Well, I tried. It was a marginal improvement.
But I did it. I ran just a bit farther than I had in my life and I'm pretty sure at this point that I can do this whole marathon thing...
I signed up, and fully paid for, the Akron Race Series. I'd already planned on a few 5Ks throughout the year, but nothing like this to make a commitment-phobe start feeling a bit anxious. OK, a LOT anxious!
Luckily, I had been taking an aerobic fitness class throughout the late winter/early spring season, so my first run wasn't as atrocious as I'd expected.So Two relatively easy miles, but I didn't push myself or make any major strides here.
My second training run...I slogged and walked more than I wanted. I felt like crap.
My calves whined.
My shins yelled at me.
Eventually I shut all those voices out...you know, the ones that say things like "you can't do this anyway, so just quit now." The like. Somehow after the first 1 1/2 miles I managed to find my stride and those voices meant nothing. NOTHING. They told me this whole marathon thing was a mental game more than anything.
So...cross training. There's varying perspectives on this and honestly I just listened to what my body wanted and I wanted to move. But one days was shin-splint-y and another was a legit scheduled cross training day. Elliptical training was boooorrrrriiinnngggg. No wonder I thought I wasn't a runner! I'd owned an elliptical before and thought I just had a 40-min or less attention span, but no really, it kinda sucks (for me).
My bike ride? I am so lucky to have found a used, very nice bicycle and it was a bit daunting at first. I hadn't ridden a real bike since high school or maybe even middle school, but after a mile or so, there's a reason they say it's like riding a bike. It was so fun, despite the sprinkles and cloudy day! But then I knew the next day was my long run: 5.5 miles. That alone made me a bit anxious.
My mom told me she wasn't going to attend my college (late in life) graduation. I should not have been surprised by this, but it didn't hurt any less. I know it's just who she is and she can't help her mental illness, but I am her only daughter and I really wanted my mommy!
After crying my eyes out for who knows how long, I went to bed late, woke up late (missed the group run), and managed to get myself dressed for a long run. Honestly, I was so upset and had that morning-after-crying headache lingering so all I hoped for was to make it 5.5 miles, walking, crawling, honestly I didn't care how. All I knew is everyone had told me no matter what I do, I better not skip that long run!
I messaged a fellow runner saying my plan was to just get through and she said to channel my emotions to make the miles. I leave out my front door and despite my best efforts my socks are WET almost right away. I could go back, it's not a terrible detour to get dry socks. But what happens on race day if I can't turn around and get new socks???
So I get to the trail and start jogging at a slow pace. I can sort of sing along to my headphones, a test I used throughout my run to make sure I wasn't going too hard too fast. And I jog. And I jog.
Huh.
I haven't heard my split pace...did I miss it? Oh well, keep on jogging.
Wait a minute...I'm almost at the two mile mark from my bike ride yesterday. I dig my phone out and realize the app had frozen. Three minutes and sixteen seconds in!!!! ARRRGHHGGHGHGH!!!! I should have looked sooner!!! I'm still jogging by the way since I am being stubborn this day. But part of me totally wants to a full-on toddler style meltdown, complete with stomping feet and screaming. I reset my phone since I couldn't get the app to cooperate and then open a few backup apps and have them start tracking my mileage. But I still lost two whole miles (at least!)!!! And I'm still a bit misty-eyed with the frustration of my mom and the stupid app and my stupid phone and my stupid socks are wet from the stupid puddle and I forgot my stupid inhaler and a stupid dollar to stop at stupid Circle K on my way back.... But I keep jogging, because I honestly don't know what else to do and my legs seem to know to just keep going.
And I hit mile 4. What???!!! I haven't even walked yet. So I break down to a walk and grab a few sips, gulps really, of water. My legs felt weird so I went back into a jog. Now things are starting to hurt a little. I feel muscles that are starting to whimper a bit.
I keep jogging.
It's a bit tougher now. I shorten my stride, but I'm still moving. Allegedly my pace was improving, but I felt like my legs were going through molasses.
Jogging with even shorter strides now.
I just have to get to the railroad tracks and maybe I'll walk a little there. So I do, and I did to get another good gulp of water.
And then I see it.
Is that my road??? I think that's my road... Yep, that's definitely my road! Nothing like seeing how close you are to home to start dreaming about a nice hot bath and soaking to get you to pick up the pace!!! Well, I tried. It was a marginal improvement.
But I did it. I ran just a bit farther than I had in my life and I'm pretty sure at this point that I can do this whole marathon thing...
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