Well now that I'm all recovered and bored again, I need to find something to occupy my time while I wait for the Marine Corps Marathon to qualify for Boston. You know, other than train for a marathon, be a bridesmaid in 2 weddings, continue to excel in my job, plan imaginary trips to Europe, clean my house, and take Spanish and/or Italian lessons.
I HAVE FOUND IT!
THE RACE OF RACES!!!!!
BWAHAHAHH!
Ok, stay with me here. I know that it looks kinda crazy. But you have to a) acknowledge that I am crazy and b) understand that I have become quite capable of distinguishing between events that are fun just because they sound crazy and events that I actually want to do. I have been nonchalantly deleting all emails that come to me asking me to sign up for another triathlon, because God knows that I am NOT doing one of those again. Why does a 24 hour race appeal to me? Well...
1) I love to run. I would love to spend a day running! Just all day! No other time committments, no other activities that I will have to do. Just running, running, running.
2) It would actually help me to train for the Marine Corps Marathon and Boston.
3) It's in JULY and I LOVE to run in the heat!
4) SOFT. PRETZELS.
I think I'm talking myself into this...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Euphoria!
3:59:36!!!!
I feel like everyone should know that I finished a marathon in 3:59:36!! Without the best training, without jet packs on my back, without having to get an IV drip at the end (although I did have to visit the medical tent), I finished 26.2 miles in UNDER 4 hours. My joy peaked throughout the weekend as I celebrated my ability to walk (however slowly) without aid after running my personal best and the acknowledgement that Boston is perhaps actually within my reach. I feel like this is a life changing event and my life has been enhanced greatly. I looked at myself in the mirror on Saturday and thought to myself, “there is more to me than what used to be.”
And yet, nothing has REALLY changed. I got up this morning and went to work. There was no huge celebration for my victory. My boyfriend took me out on Saturday for a falafel dinner and then we went home and passed out. My parents were strangely absent, due to my insistence that this was not an important race and I was not going to do well and didn’t need everyone to be there. Today I am at work and beyond the inner circle of friends that I have made, no one knows that the reason why I am walking so slowly/like a cripple is because I pushed my body beyond normal limitations. My bank account is no larger, my goals in life have pretty much stayed the same. The race felt life-altering upon completion, but now all it serves to do is make my own life, as happy and busy as it is, seem mundane and dull by comparison. No one cheers me on as I complete my daily tasks at work. At the grocery store, no one is yelling at me, “don’t quit!!” I do not put on body glide to face the other commuters on the bus and I do not slurp any GU to help me make it up and down the stairs of my office.
In this race, I pushed myself harder than I had before. For the first 20 miles, I was looking at my watch and pushing myself to make each mile by a certain time. I was IN the race, rather than just participating. I didn’t expect to WIN, but once I passed 14 miles in 2 hours, I knew that I was going to PR. And I wanted it, badly. In this way, this race was better than any other I’ve ever done. After running a race like this, I know that I can never go back to just running a race. This race set the standard for any race that I may do in the future.
For a while I thought I might make the Boston qualifying (3:40). But I didn’t, and in a way, I didn’t want to. I wanted to save that moment. And in a way, I couldn’t. By mile 21, I was pretty much done. Thoughts of quitting flirted with me. The race took an ugly turn for the last 6 miles, through junkyards and over bridges in Anacostia. No one was cheering. I didn’t want to run anymore. I wanted to walk. I slowed down significantly, turning my sub-9 minute miles into over 10 minute miles. By the time I finally found my boyfriend at mile 26, I yelled to him “under 4 hours!!” because I was still barely under the 4 hour mark. He pushed me forward – if I hadn’t seen him, if he hadn’t given me that last burst of energy, I think I would’ve hit 4 hours. But I did. Running past the finish line, I thought that everyone should be amazed by my accomplishment.
After finishing and taking as many post-race goodies as I could fit in my arms (and getting the most BEAUTIFUL medal yet), I tottered around until I found my boyfriend. Then collapsed. My friend GutsyGeise came to show her undying support and I was cranky and unbelievable un-charming to her. After lying in the sun for about an hour, I declared, “I want to go home!” like a stubborn 5 year old and then limped slowly around in a circle before stating “I want to find the medical tent!” I was feeling incredibly nauseous and walking did not help. So my patient companions found the medical tent for me and waited outside while I was given an anti-nausea pill and sat for a few minutes in the shade (the weather, btw, was GORGEOUS and sunny and warm for the race. But almost hot upon completion). Some guy tried to chat with me about the hills of the course and I couldn’t understand why I had to be social while sitting in the medical tent. 3 people were sitting/lying down with IVs in their arms and a tiny part of me felt that they must have run harder than me.
And since then I have basically been sleeping, eating, and walking slowly and unsteadily around Washington, DC. In a small way, this is one of my proudest achievements. It is something that I did on my own that not many of my peers have done. It is an accomplishment that I am savoring, holding as my own. I humbly acknowledge that there are plenty of people out there who can do much better than me, but at the same time I am actually allowing myself to feel pride for this. I find that to be kind of hard to do, but at the same time, I really believe that I earned it. I’m not running around with my medal on (although I did wear it around my apartment after seeing that I placed 982 in the whole race), but I’m not going to just let this be another weekend. I want to work hard and do better and get this euphoric feeling back again. I want to earn it and not just have it be handed to me.
I am ready to qualify for Boston.
I feel like everyone should know that I finished a marathon in 3:59:36!! Without the best training, without jet packs on my back, without having to get an IV drip at the end (although I did have to visit the medical tent), I finished 26.2 miles in UNDER 4 hours. My joy peaked throughout the weekend as I celebrated my ability to walk (however slowly) without aid after running my personal best and the acknowledgement that Boston is perhaps actually within my reach. I feel like this is a life changing event and my life has been enhanced greatly. I looked at myself in the mirror on Saturday and thought to myself, “there is more to me than what used to be.”
And yet, nothing has REALLY changed. I got up this morning and went to work. There was no huge celebration for my victory. My boyfriend took me out on Saturday for a falafel dinner and then we went home and passed out. My parents were strangely absent, due to my insistence that this was not an important race and I was not going to do well and didn’t need everyone to be there. Today I am at work and beyond the inner circle of friends that I have made, no one knows that the reason why I am walking so slowly/like a cripple is because I pushed my body beyond normal limitations. My bank account is no larger, my goals in life have pretty much stayed the same. The race felt life-altering upon completion, but now all it serves to do is make my own life, as happy and busy as it is, seem mundane and dull by comparison. No one cheers me on as I complete my daily tasks at work. At the grocery store, no one is yelling at me, “don’t quit!!” I do not put on body glide to face the other commuters on the bus and I do not slurp any GU to help me make it up and down the stairs of my office.
In this race, I pushed myself harder than I had before. For the first 20 miles, I was looking at my watch and pushing myself to make each mile by a certain time. I was IN the race, rather than just participating. I didn’t expect to WIN, but once I passed 14 miles in 2 hours, I knew that I was going to PR. And I wanted it, badly. In this way, this race was better than any other I’ve ever done. After running a race like this, I know that I can never go back to just running a race. This race set the standard for any race that I may do in the future.
For a while I thought I might make the Boston qualifying (3:40). But I didn’t, and in a way, I didn’t want to. I wanted to save that moment. And in a way, I couldn’t. By mile 21, I was pretty much done. Thoughts of quitting flirted with me. The race took an ugly turn for the last 6 miles, through junkyards and over bridges in Anacostia. No one was cheering. I didn’t want to run anymore. I wanted to walk. I slowed down significantly, turning my sub-9 minute miles into over 10 minute miles. By the time I finally found my boyfriend at mile 26, I yelled to him “under 4 hours!!” because I was still barely under the 4 hour mark. He pushed me forward – if I hadn’t seen him, if he hadn’t given me that last burst of energy, I think I would’ve hit 4 hours. But I did. Running past the finish line, I thought that everyone should be amazed by my accomplishment.
After finishing and taking as many post-race goodies as I could fit in my arms (and getting the most BEAUTIFUL medal yet), I tottered around until I found my boyfriend. Then collapsed. My friend GutsyGeise came to show her undying support and I was cranky and unbelievable un-charming to her. After lying in the sun for about an hour, I declared, “I want to go home!” like a stubborn 5 year old and then limped slowly around in a circle before stating “I want to find the medical tent!” I was feeling incredibly nauseous and walking did not help. So my patient companions found the medical tent for me and waited outside while I was given an anti-nausea pill and sat for a few minutes in the shade (the weather, btw, was GORGEOUS and sunny and warm for the race. But almost hot upon completion). Some guy tried to chat with me about the hills of the course and I couldn’t understand why I had to be social while sitting in the medical tent. 3 people were sitting/lying down with IVs in their arms and a tiny part of me felt that they must have run harder than me.
And since then I have basically been sleeping, eating, and walking slowly and unsteadily around Washington, DC. In a small way, this is one of my proudest achievements. It is something that I did on my own that not many of my peers have done. It is an accomplishment that I am savoring, holding as my own. I humbly acknowledge that there are plenty of people out there who can do much better than me, but at the same time I am actually allowing myself to feel pride for this. I find that to be kind of hard to do, but at the same time, I really believe that I earned it. I’m not running around with my medal on (although I did wear it around my apartment after seeing that I placed 982 in the whole race), but I’m not going to just let this be another weekend. I want to work hard and do better and get this euphoric feeling back again. I want to earn it and not just have it be handed to me.
I am ready to qualify for Boston.
Friday, March 19, 2010
IGNORE-ance is bliss
Tomorrow is my marathon and last night I almost couldn’t sleep because my heart was pounding every time I thought about it (perhaps it was the earplugs I was wearing…they block outside noise but amplify anything going on in my body). Today I am going to pick up my packet and I’ve been looking at the map a little. The main goal is not to panic here, because that never helped anyone. And really, I am excited. Even though I’m starting to get a cold. And my legs are somehow tight even though I’ve done VERY little this week (I’m feeling quite sloth-like, a marathon is sounding like good fun).
I find that the best thing to do is not to think about the marathon tomorrow. I know some people are memorizing the map, analyzing the incline on Googlemaps…but I can’t do that. I can’t think about it too much because I will absolutely lose my mind! If I can just take my mind off it, then when someone haphazardly asks me, “hey you’re doing a marathon tomorrow?” I can reply with, “yeah, no big deal (nbg is what the kids are saying)” and people will think I am super cool.
Bwahah if only they knew!
I find that the best thing to do is not to think about the marathon tomorrow. I know some people are memorizing the map, analyzing the incline on Googlemaps…but I can’t do that. I can’t think about it too much because I will absolutely lose my mind! If I can just take my mind off it, then when someone haphazardly asks me, “hey you’re doing a marathon tomorrow?” I can reply with, “yeah, no big deal (nbg is what the kids are saying)” and people will think I am super cool.
Bwahah if only they knew!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Let's do a marathon?
On Saturday, I will run a marathon.
Why is this not bothering me more? My training has not extended beyond a 15 mile run. That’s still 11 more miles to go! The snow kept me inside on the treadmill which I hate, and left the experience of running outside as a hazy memory. And yet I’m nonchalantly mentioning this as if it’s not a big deal to run 26.2 miles.
Ha. Nonchalant. Last night I woke up and thought to myself, “I am insane.”
Luckily I KNOW that I am insane, so I’m pretty sure that I’ll make it through. Probably not very fast, although I did just realize that the last 5 or so miles are through Anacostia. If you don’t know where Anacostia, DC is, then look it up. I will potentially be running very fast for the last 5 miles.
I got a PaceTat, which is a temporary tattoo that I wear on my arm to help me finish in a certain amount of time. Right now, my goal is to finish in 4:20, which is close to my marine corps marathon time. I’m thinking it probably won’t happen…I’ll probably be slower. But it’s worth a try. I need to do another marathon this summer to use the 4 hour one and then I bought one that is for 3:40 in anticipation of qualifying for Boston at the MCM this year. Depending on how it goes, it could end up as one of my fabulous UNPAID ENDORSEMENTS!!!
I’m considering a running coach for the summer. I emailed him and everything. Then he told me that I probably just need to increase my endurance runs (ie do more of them), so I’m tempted to take his free information and um not pay him for a 3 month package. But who knows? Perhaps if I tank hard enough during this race I will bite the bullet and splurge?
I am BEYOND excited that this is a marathon and not a triathlon. I still have flashbacks of hyperventilation and terror when I even run close to the Potomac. *SHUDDER*
Why is this not bothering me more? My training has not extended beyond a 15 mile run. That’s still 11 more miles to go! The snow kept me inside on the treadmill which I hate, and left the experience of running outside as a hazy memory. And yet I’m nonchalantly mentioning this as if it’s not a big deal to run 26.2 miles.
Ha. Nonchalant. Last night I woke up and thought to myself, “I am insane.”
Luckily I KNOW that I am insane, so I’m pretty sure that I’ll make it through. Probably not very fast, although I did just realize that the last 5 or so miles are through Anacostia. If you don’t know where Anacostia, DC is, then look it up. I will potentially be running very fast for the last 5 miles.
I got a PaceTat, which is a temporary tattoo that I wear on my arm to help me finish in a certain amount of time. Right now, my goal is to finish in 4:20, which is close to my marine corps marathon time. I’m thinking it probably won’t happen…I’ll probably be slower. But it’s worth a try. I need to do another marathon this summer to use the 4 hour one and then I bought one that is for 3:40 in anticipation of qualifying for Boston at the MCM this year. Depending on how it goes, it could end up as one of my fabulous UNPAID ENDORSEMENTS!!!
I’m considering a running coach for the summer. I emailed him and everything. Then he told me that I probably just need to increase my endurance runs (ie do more of them), so I’m tempted to take his free information and um not pay him for a 3 month package. But who knows? Perhaps if I tank hard enough during this race I will bite the bullet and splurge?
I am BEYOND excited that this is a marathon and not a triathlon. I still have flashbacks of hyperventilation and terror when I even run close to the Potomac. *SHUDDER*
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