Whoops, no I'm not dead or anything. Just feeling kind of impatient for this to be over. I started off this training cycle really well, but ever since I went on vacation/got sick in March, it's been a real struggle. So I'm excited to get it done and try something new. I feel pretty good about Newport. Not really nervous yet – I think it will hit Friday night. Even though my mileage has not been great I completed all my really long runs, so I know I'll get through it. I was just hoping to do more than "get through it." Actually I'm really looking forward to this weekend because we have a bunch of friends coming down to camp at Beverly Beach and cheer us on. Then I'll be joining them on Saturday night. We camp every year about this time, and it's always a blast – and this time I'll have an excuse to eat so much.
My longest run, 22.5 miles along the course in Newport, was HARD. HARD HARD HARD. There was a strong wind coming off the ocean (I know, duh) and coming back in was like running in a wind tunnel. (However, the day after our long run it was completely calm, even on the beach. We've all got our fingers crossed that the 30th will be the same.) I think because I was babying my calves I ended up overusing my quads – whatever the reason, the latter sputtered at about mile 16. The last two miles were absolute torture. My end point was the one-mile marker on the bay road, and I have never, ever wanted something to arrive so badly. Not even the finish line of my first marathon. I kept thinking it was around each corner and getting more and more frantic to finish before my legs fell off. And the next day I was walking like Lurch – again, it was worse than the day after Yakima. Weird. Looking back I'm still not sure what the deal was: I hydrated; I took some salt at the turnaround; I took gels and bloks pretty regularly. It wasn't cramps, they were just exhausted. I can only hope that race day shapes up better.
The calf thing is still hanging around. Since I was already screwed in regards to the plan I drafted up months ago I figured I might as well tweak my schedule to try and get rid of the calf pain as much as possible. It's not distance that makes them hurt, it's running multiple days in a row. So I've been combining runs, or skipping one and putting in the time on the stairmaster instead. It's been working for me so far. I was supposed to run 4 yesterday and 4 today – instead I ran 8 yesterday and will spend 45 minutes sweating my a** off at the gym. (Seriously, I sweat so much on the stairmaster, I'm plastered with it. Whereas I barely sweat at all when I run, even on the treadmill.) Yesterday's run was nice – it was partly sunny, not too warm, nice breeze. A little soreness in the first mile but then I shook it off and was fine. I kept trying to think positive thoughts, visualize good results, etc. I got to mile 6 though, and thought "gee, on race day I'll have 20.2 more to go…"
My longest run, 22.5 miles along the course in Newport, was HARD. HARD HARD HARD. There was a strong wind coming off the ocean (I know, duh) and coming back in was like running in a wind tunnel. (However, the day after our long run it was completely calm, even on the beach. We've all got our fingers crossed that the 30th will be the same.) I think because I was babying my calves I ended up overusing my quads – whatever the reason, the latter sputtered at about mile 16. The last two miles were absolute torture. My end point was the one-mile marker on the bay road, and I have never, ever wanted something to arrive so badly. Not even the finish line of my first marathon. I kept thinking it was around each corner and getting more and more frantic to finish before my legs fell off. And the next day I was walking like Lurch – again, it was worse than the day after Yakima. Weird. Looking back I'm still not sure what the deal was: I hydrated; I took some salt at the turnaround; I took gels and bloks pretty regularly. It wasn't cramps, they were just exhausted. I can only hope that race day shapes up better.
The calf thing is still hanging around. Since I was already screwed in regards to the plan I drafted up months ago I figured I might as well tweak my schedule to try and get rid of the calf pain as much as possible. It's not distance that makes them hurt, it's running multiple days in a row. So I've been combining runs, or skipping one and putting in the time on the stairmaster instead. It's been working for me so far. I was supposed to run 4 yesterday and 4 today – instead I ran 8 yesterday and will spend 45 minutes sweating my a** off at the gym. (Seriously, I sweat so much on the stairmaster, I'm plastered with it. Whereas I barely sweat at all when I run, even on the treadmill.) Yesterday's run was nice – it was partly sunny, not too warm, nice breeze. A little soreness in the first mile but then I shook it off and was fine. I kept trying to think positive thoughts, visualize good results, etc. I got to mile 6 though, and thought "gee, on race day I'll have 20.2 more to go…"
GODDAMIT BRAIN, WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS!
Sigh.
Sigh.
And for no good reason, a picture of us girls getting ready for 80s prom at the Kennedy School earlier this month:
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