Monday, October 08, 2007

Running update: Counting down w/ mouth full

Injuring myself and having to rest the last two weeks of my training rather than do the 12 mile long run I was supposed to is not all it's cracked up to be.

I mean, yes, sitting on my ass is really fun. I am not in pain, the TV is close by and I don't have to dodge traffic. What's not to love? And when Bubba is home to entertain me from my prone position on the couch - all the better.

But he was out of town until Saturday and I was no longer in pain, so I ran. A short little who-gives-a-crap six mile run. A run that should have been like, "Meh, so I'll go for a little run and it'll be no biggie because, boh, it's only six stupid miles."

I have such a big mind mouth.

The run itself was fine. I mean, no pain anywhere (the miraculousness of which kept me entertained for nearly a mile), no resurfacing of my former choking/gasping for air breathing techniques of yore, no toothy dogs or malfunctioning iPods.

But oh, the strange sensation in my limbs about two hours later. Why are my legs so tired? Why are my hips sort of sore? DO MY FEET HURT?

"OMG. I've fallen out of shape."

"All that time I was training - waste."

"I might as well just forget about those double digit mile runs - they're gone now!"

"I am going to die."

I thought all of these thoughts at that moment and have been thinking them noisily ever since and it's very hard to sleep with all this noise. Case in point - I was up at 2:30am batting around the idea of going for a test run.

Yes, in the middle of the night I was thinking about getting up, putting on my running shoes and going for a Test Half Marathon just so I'd know, come race day, that I could do it.

I think another side effect of resting injured parts is a case of mild and sneaky insanity.

That little part of my mind that makes me see things to believe them is getting bigger and bigger. It says rude things like, "Well, if you haven't SEEN yourself run 13 miles, how do you KNOW you can do it? You don't. Sucka."

See? Rude.

So I am spending this week Tapering (read: eating carbs and not running a lot - so basically getting fat just in time to put on my stretchy pants) and crossing my fingers and barely sleeping and stressing out about the possible shame I am about to bring upon myself.

Let's not even get into the "predicted finish time" I put down back when I had just run a fluke 10 minute mile pace. I'm nervous that my whole corral is going to look at me and go, "Um, don't you belong in the Not a Chance corral with the other slow ass losers?"

Seriously, I think the hardest part of this race might be the mental stress stewing in my head. Forget ice packs after the race, I'm going to need a counselor.

Meanwhile I made Hot Dog Dinner last night to distract me from my upcoming demise. Because, really, if you're going to be a shameful loser, you should eat for the part.

6 comments:

  1. Out of shape so soon? I won't believe it. Get better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah the mental games. They can really FREAK YOU OUT. But I'll be honest, reading your posts you sound like a hardcore runner... ie. Thinking of running double-digit miles in the middle of the night... thinking a six-mile run is "short"? You're badass.

    And on that note, I would like to declare it Apple Appreciation Week because here in the Northeast it is glorious Autumn (sorry, summer's really gone here). So, love an apple this week, take pictures, blog it out, stuff your face.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my gosh, such familiar thoughts!! I know it doesn't really help, but you CAN do it.

    I've done two half marathons and am currently training for my first full marathon and I am terrified.

    The mental side is so hard. Our training program only has us running ~15 miles regularly, with one 21 mile run, so how am I supposed to believe I can jump up and do 26???

    Anyway, just my long-winded (as usual) way of saying I totally get it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Holy moly. It is 9 am, I just ate breakfast and still if I could reach through the computer and inhale that hot dog(s) I would. YUM.

    Repeat after me:
    I have training sufficiently. I am a great runner. This 13 miles is nothing and I am not only going to rock this race, I'm going to look back afterward and laugh at this post. Why? Because I can do anything I damn well set my mind to. I'm the girl with pennies in the checking account who made it all work. I am super woman. Hear me roar!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Be encouraged. Personally I think running is nuts - I'm a walker - but kudos to you for preparing. The training is not wasted, it's lurking inside waiting to be magnificent.
    I walked a marathon a couple years ago and brought away this one recommendation - tape your big toenails down. One of mine loosened during the walk and I had to walk v-e-r-y carefully the last couple miles so I didn't rip it off - aaghck! Both of the big toenails did subsequently fall off, good for grossing out my nearest and dearest and perfect strangers, and they have grown back good as new.
    I love your blog.
    Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  6. All of your mental anguish is absolutely classic tapering - it happens to all of us. You'll be absolutely FINE for the race - you'll get out there and kick ass. Good luck and enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete

[2013 update: You can't comment as an anonymous person anymore. Too many douchebags were leaving bullshit SPAM comments and my inbox was getting flooded, but if you're here to comment in a real way like a real person, go to it.]

Look at you commenting, that's fun.

So, here's the thing with commenting, unless you have an email address associated with your own profile, your comment will still post, but I won't have an email address with which to reply to you personally.

Sucks, right?

Anyway, to remedy this, I usually come back to my posts and post replies in the comment field with you.

But, if you ever want to email me directly to talk about pumpkins or shoes or what it's like to spend a good part of your day Swiffering - shoot me an email to finnyknitsATgmailDOTcom.

Cheers.