It always seems impossible until it's done!

 

I remember when I was training for my first half.  I thought that 10 miles was a ridiculous distance and I had no earthly idea how I was going to go 3.1 miles further.  Then I did my first 10 mile run (just over 2 years ago...it was Thanksgiving weekend of 2012), I felt like a total rock star.  It was amazing.  I knew that I would be able to finish a half marathon.

Then I had the bright idea to run a full marathon and a new impossible was born.

To run 26.2 miles, you have to run farther than 13.1 miles.  In fact, you have to run 20 miles.  20 miles.  I mean, who does that?  Isn't that why the cavemen discovered the wheel?  Isn't that why Henry Ford made the Model T?  Why run when you can drive?  20 miles is a LONG way and I was scared to death of it.

So, I did what any normal person would do and I asked my friends for help.  I didn't care if they could only run 2 miles with me.  If 10 friends come and run 2 miles, that's 20.  It's all about who you ask....so I asked my MRTT friends.

My crazy friends met me at 6am at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on a cold Saturday morning.  One is running Dopey the same weekend I am running Goofy, so she needed the miles.  One is my BRF and has been right beside me for every single mile over 13.1.  Another one only needed 12 miles this morning, so she met us an hour later and joined us for the end.  Two started at the other end of the beach and passed us on the boardwalk to provide enthusiasm and encouragement.  I think is it important to note that every single one of these girls is 3-5 minutes per mile faster than me.  These girls can run SO fast and they spent their entire mornings with ploddy, slow me.

I ran 8 miles yesterday and the wheels started to fall off at about 10k (6.2 miles).  Everything started to hurt.  I went to bed and woke up a little nervous about what 20 would bring.  I got up, made my bagel, and started the trek to the Oceanfront.  I met the girls and we headed south on a big road for 2.5 (which was actually 2.75) miles.  There was not much to look at and it was still dark for most of it.  But we got the boring out of the way and ran past the cars when we still had some energy.  We picked up our 4th musketeer and headed to the Oceanfront.

Of course, we stopped for a little picture.  No run is complete without it.

We stopped for the bathroom too and I hope that I do NOT have to do that on race day.  Once you undo compression, it never goes back the same way.

The run itself was okay.  I really had nothing to worry about.  We took it very, very slow.  I was talking in complete sentences for the whole day.  We did 1/1 run/walk intervals.  I took fuel at 60 minutes and then every 45 after that, alternating between Motts fruit snacks and Salted Caramel Gu.  It worked and I had no tummy issues.  I had some electrolyte tabs to take at 13, but it was a Gu time and I was worried about overdosing on electrolytes, so I didn't do it.  It worked out.

At about mile 10, my knee started to ache.  It ached for about 5 miles and then it gave up because it realized that I wasn't stopping.  The only other part that hurt was the bottoms of my feet from the pounding.

I didn't listen to any music today because we were chatting.  Chatting makes the miles fly by, even at the slow pace.  I love long run conversation and I so appreciate all of the support that I have.  These girls pick me up when I am down and push me when I want to stop.  They celebrate my miles right along with me!  They make me a better person.

I stopped the intervals at mile 19.5 to give myself a 1/2 mile cool down before i got in the car and drive for 40 minutes to get home.  That 1/2 mile cool down ended up being 1 mile because I miscalculated the mileage back to the car.  Either way, I finished in 5 hours and 20 minutes.  That gives me 1 hour and 40 minutes for the last 10k of the marathon.  It's going to be cutting it close to the 7 hour time limit, but it's still under.  I know that I run faster on race day, when I run alone, and when I have my music.  I will probably make some friends at the end of the race to help get me through it, but I am going to need to bank some time on the front side.

I came home and immediately got into the ice bath.  (Nothing like freezing cold water after a freezing cold run...)

Now, I am a little tight, a little sore, a little hungry, and a LOT tired!  But, I know that I can finish a marathon.  It might not be pretty and it will not break any speed records, but I can do it.

Next up:  Mock Goofy weekend on Thursday and Friday and then the taper starts.  OMG....this thing is getting real.  My Magic Bands even came today!!  We are 4 weeks away from being done with this thing.

And then.....