May 2009 Archives

I run my first marathon in less than three days (Sunday, May 31, 7 a.m.).

Two years ago today, I had never run more than a mile. And the mile that I did run (as part of a P.E. class my senior year of college) took me about 14 minutes to finish, and left me wheezing and near tears.

I also started at Experience Life two years ago, a day after I graduated, and if you had asked me then if I would ever run a 5K (let alone a marathon), I would have thought you were crazy and laughed right at your crazy face.

A combination of self-loathing (or at least self-estrangement), positive peer pressure and slow-building momentum eventually changed that. The first time I ran a mile without stopping, I felt like I had conquered the world. My next goal was to run all the way around Lake of the Isles (about 2.8 miles on the bike path). When I made it around for the first time, in September 2007, I was smiling for the rest of the day.

It felt great to accomplish something and to see my body change and get stronger, so I kept setting goals for myself. I ran my first 5K in February 2008, my first 10K in July of the same year, then the TC 10 Mile and Monster Dash half marathon in October. Members of my running group then pointed out that a marathon training clinic was starting up, and hey, wouldn't that be fun?

I must've been drinking some strong Kool-Aid because I decided to sign up for the Minneapolis Marathon and a triathlon this summer. And while marathon training hasn't always been fun (exhaustion, weight gain, injury), I've learned just how far my body is capable of taking me -- and when I need to ease off and give myself a break.

Two years ago I was overweight, under-exercised and very unhappy. Today I'm healthier and happier than I've ever been, and I can run at least 20 miles. Consecutively. After Sunday I hope to say that I can run 26.2.

I've had lots of thoughts churning in the ol' brain box as marathon day approaches. In some ways, it's only a day, and only a race. It's a milestone, yes, but this is only the beginning of the healthy life I'm building. But, on the other hand, it represents a lot to me: the transformation that has occurred in the past two years, my ability to make lasting change in my life, and some things that I haven't even fully grasped yet. One of these things being that I must be crazy, because really. Who pays to run 26 miles?

More than anything, I find myself monumentally grateful for the support and encouragement you all have provided as I stumbled my way through training. Without my friends, family, virtual and real-life running partners, and coworkers I would never have made it this far. So a big Internet high five and sincere thank you to all of you.

(Photo by opacity)

Marathon training is never without drama, I'll say that much.

With 11 days before my first marathon, I'm nursing an unpleasant calf injury. It had been bugging me a little bit, but it was our second 20-miler that pushed it over the edge. (Lower, inside left calf, the pain is deep in there and radiates down to the ankle.)

I've drastically reduced my running (as in, I ran twice last week, and haven't run since Sunday). My running friends assure me that I could do nothing between now and the marathon and I would still be absolutely ready for the race. And I'm trying my best to believe them.

So for now, I'm resting, icing and trying not to stress. I might try to see a PT this week or early next week. Here's hoping!

(I tried to find a picture of a leg injury to accompany this post, but searching Flickr for "injury" turned up only very disturbing things. Blech!)

I'm signed up to run the TC 1 Mile this Thursday. It's a short, crowded and fun race that starts and finishes in downtown Minneapolis.

This year's course goes straight down Nicollet Mall:

When I ran the race last year, I ran it hard. This year, I've done FAR less speed work (I've become the running equivalent of a pack mule) and the marathon is only three weeks away. Now would be a really silly time to pull a hamstring just because I wanted to see if I could improve on last year's time (which isn't likely in the first place, see: pack mule).

My plan is to take the first half at my normal interval speed (about 7:30 to 8 pace), and then see how I feel. I know, logically, that it's better to play it safe. But there's something about running as fast as your little legs will take you that provides a hefty boost in motivation and inspiration.

Have any of you had experience running shorter races with a long race in the not-so-distant future? Do you temper your speed or go all out?