The Last Long Run

(OR Less than One Week to Go)

(OR What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!)

I really can’t believe the race is just five sleeps away.  Five!  I started my training program 19 weeks ago.  November 3rd seemed like a lifetime away.  And now it’s nearly here.  I keep alternating between feeling nervous but prepared, and scared out of my mind.  Other than a few off weeks early on, I stuck to my training program – speed work and all.  If something goes terribly awry on Saturday, it won’t be for lack of physical preparation.  No, my biggest fear is self-doubt, but there’s no sense in dwelling on that now.

After my 16 mile run last weekend, my foot felt fine.  By Tuesday, I had no pain or discomfort.  Doesn’t that sound like the perfect time to take a fall and scrape up your hands and knees?  No?  Well, that’s what happened Wednesday morning.  We were downtown running with our Back on My Feet team, and we were just a couple of blocks from the end of the run.  It was still dark out, and there is temporary fencing at almost every corner along Pennsylvania.  I didn’t see the base of the fencing covered in leaves.  My toe hit the metal, and I was on the ground before I even knew I was falling.  Aside from some pretty good scabs (the likes of which I haven’t had since I fell off my bike when I was 9 or 10), I really wasn’t hurt.  Just my pride (seriously, is there anything worse than falling flat on your face?  At least I was at the back of the group).

On Thursday I had a good, fast tempo run, despite a sore knee.  My schedule originally called for a last “long” run of 8 miles.  That just didn’t seem long enough, so I planned for 12 on Sunday.  I decided I would run part of the race course, including the stretch of Meridian from Kessler to 46th.  For the most part, I will agree with the description that the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is a flat course.  Comparatively speaking, it undoubtedly is.  But that’s not to say there aren’t some decent hills to tackle.  As we crossed Westfield on Sunday, and I looked up and saw what looked like a giant slide in front of me, I was glad I wasn’t seeing that view for the first time at mile 15 or so of the race.

When we started Sunday, it was pretty brisk even though we didn’t leave until 8:45 or so.  The cool temperatures made it easy to run quickly, and early on I settled into a 9 minute or faster pace.  Without much effort, I kept picking it up.  I was certain I would hit a wall, but let my legs go.  Soon, I was below 8:30, and I realized that I probably did not push myself hard enough during these last 19 weeks.  It’s too late now to do anything about that, so I can only focus on doing the best that I can.

Right now, my biggest concern is what to wear.  With the hurricane hitting the east coast, I know that a lot can change between now and Saturday.  I have 4 different outfits picked out, and I think it will ultimately be a morning-of call.

I need to sit down and work on my playlist.  (Do you have a favorite motivating race song? Leave me a comment with your suggestions!)  I haven’t been listening to music lately during training runs, but it’s a necessity when running by myself with only my thoughts for 4 (or less!) hours.  However, if something were to happen to my iPod, I feel confident that I would be able to get through it.  Now, if my Garmin died, that would be another story!  (I plan on taking a back up watch because I would NOT be able to run watch-less).

As I finish this, I feel surprisingly calm.  I keep picturing myself running the course, and crossing the finish line under my goal time.  I also sometimes envision what it would be like to cross the finish in 3:40 (the time I would need to qualify for Boston).  I know – it’s a long shot, but a girl can dream!

Here We Go

I can’t believe in less than twelve hours this will all be over.  All the training, the hard work, the preparation has led to right here.  And I have to say, I’m not where I thought I would be mentally, physically or emotionally.  Aside from the issues leading up to today, our A/C is broken at home.  It’s been hovering around 80 inside the house for the last two days, making sleep miserable.  This makes me worry about getting a good night’s sleep, which then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  A storm came through a bit ago and cooled things off a couple of degrees (actually three degrees – woohoo!).  Let’s hope Pete doesn’t decide to sleep ON me again tonight.

I don’t feel nervous, which I suppose is normal. The nerves usually start in the morning while eating breakfast, and then on the drive downtown.  I have all of my clothes set out for tomorrow.  It’s weird to not have an outer layer that I shed right before the race and then put on immediately after.  It’s also weird to set out sunscreen (don’t worry – I’m not using the 15 SPF.  The 50 is in the car.  This is just a reminder).  I’m proud to be running in a Back on My Feet shirt (and possibly hat if the thunderstorm forecast holds true).  I’m proud to be running with the names of everyone who donated on the back of my shirt.  I’m proud to have such awesome friends and family who helped me raise over $1,800.00 for BoMF.  (By the way, it’s not too late to donate – I’ll add you name in the morning!)  In that regard, this is already a PR.

I’m still worried about the heat and humidity.  Right now the forecast calls for temps of about 66 at the start and 76 by 10 am.  I ran at 5:45 this morning, and the humidity had already set in.  I’m also concerned about thunderstorms, not because I don’t want to run in the rain.  Well, I don’t REALLY want to run in the rain, but I don’t mind it.  In fact, I think it would be welcome tomorrow.  What I am concerned about is lightning.  I don’t want the race to be called!   I want to cross the finish and get my medal.

My pace is going to be dictated by the weather.  My hamstring is much improved, although not 100% yet.  During this morning’s (very) easy run, it hardly bothered me at all.  I hope that the same is true tomorrow.  I’ve got a pace band sitting in front of me, but I’m still not sure whether I’m going to use it.  I’m afraid if I put it on, I will push myself to try for that time – against better judgment.  I think it will be race-time decision.

I spent the evening working up my new playlist.  I’m pretty excited about it.  It’s taken me a few races to get the hang of proper music selection, and more importantly, proper music placement.  My first race, I loaded so many songs that I had four hours’ worth of music!  I know it was my first, but it did not take me that long.  By the time I finished loading the music, I was too tired to organize the songs.  The next race I was more careful.   I put the songs that help me kick it into gear at 15-20 minutes before I expected to finish.  It worked out beautifully.  Last year I ran without music.  That was a huge mistake, mainly because I learned that the music helps to pace me.  I can’t wait to put the headphones in and just run tomorrow.

Believe it or not, I’m glad that I got up at 5 this morning, because I’m starting to feel pretty tired.  I hope to sleep like Pete and Maggie tonight (ie, nuclear war may or may not wake them up).  Usually I toss and turn the night before, afraid that I will sleep through my alarm.

Good luck to everyone else running tomorrow.  Look for the race recap before the end of the weekend.  I’m off to dream of overcast skies and swift feet.

One Week

It’s hard to believe that fifteen weeks of a sixteen week training program are gone.  In just a week the race will be here.  I can envision the start line, the tens of thousands of people converging on downtown, the buzz in the air.  But, I’m having trouble pinpointing my feelings this time around.  I’m not nervous, but I’m not excited, either.  I know it’s because I’m not quite where I expected to be.

I ran yesterday and today, and while my hamstring definitely feels better, it’s not 100%.  It’s more of an ache than a pain, but a hindrance nonetheless.  Unlike prior pains, such as the shin splint, ibuprofen does not really help.  However, I’m not discouraged either.  I know I can finish the race, and a lot can happen before Saturday.

By this point, the nerves are usually manifesting themselves as weird dreams.  So far, I’ve only had one, and it was before all of the setbacks.  It was the typical scenario.  I was still at my house when I should have been getting ready to get into the corral, and despite getting up on time, I had not eaten breakfast.  Other typical dream scenarios include getting stuck in the bathroom and missing the start of the race, or getting to the start line and realizing I didn’t actually train.  I suppose I’ll take dreamless sleep over that.

In an attempt to get my head where it needs to be, I bought some new shorts.  New things always make me feel better.  Traditionally, I buy a new outfit for each race.  Weather always dictates what I actually wear the day of, but knowing I have new clothes to run in makes it easier to get out of bed at 5 am.  This time, I’m breaking my cardinal rule.  I always wear the new outfit one time – on a ten-mile run – to see what potential issues there may be.  I’ve had my Back on My Feet shirt for a month, so no concerns there.  For a while I wasn’t sure whether I really needed new shorts, hence the delay in shopping.

On top of that, I was being a little particular this time around.  I’m tired of running in shorts with no pockets (sorry, the little spot for a house key or a gel does not constitute a pocket).  I wanted a zippered pocket along the back of the waistband.  I also do not like running in short shorts.  Let’s be honest – no one wants to see that.

After doing a bit of research and asking my running buddy what she liked, I decided to check out lululemon.  Slightly more expensive than say, Nike or Saucony, but covering all requirements.  I tried on a couple of different styles and sizes, and was surprised by how comfortable they were.  With a four-inch inseam, two gel pockets and a zippered pocket, I was sold.  I’m hoping four miles will be a long enough distance to allow any potential problems to manifest themselves.

I hope that the taper also helps to put me where I need to be mentally.  Knowing that I get to start carbo-loading in a couple of days is helping as well.  There’s no sense in denying it – part of why I run long distance is to eat tons of pasta, pizza and potatoes.  Who am I to argue with science?  Up next on the task list is to put together a new playlist for the race.  Just like a new outfit, a new playlist does wonders for upping my excitement. (Any must-have song recommendations?  Leave them in the comments!)

Over the next few days, I need to focus on getting decent sleep and hydrating.  Even if things don’t go as originally hoped on Saturday, it will be OK.  I know I will run the best race that I can, and I know that there will always be another chance, another race, another opportunity for a PR.  After all, the next goal is to tackle 26.2.