For some reason, the first two miles of any run are the hardest for me. My legs feel heavy, my breathing hasn't settled into its rhythm, every tweak and pain says "hello," and thoughts of quitting start to creep in..."No one will know...you can just quit now and turn around...no big deal." I find that I often have to talk myself through those first two miles. I am working on which mantras works best so I can be fierce when I hit the wall during the marathon. So far, I've got:
"You got this...no problem. It's all in you. You got this..."
"Would you quit if this was the last mile? NO! Keep going!"
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body."
"You are so strong!"
Sometimes, I make a "Monster Face," something I learned from the movie "The Shining Season: The John Baker Story." You make a monster face to scare away the pain. When all that fails, I focus on other things...pretty leaves, the color of the sky, flowers, houses...anything to distract myself. Soon enough, with the positive self talk, the monster faces and the distraction, I find my groove and settle in. But, MAN!, those first two miles are brutal...
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Switch
With my first official week of training under my belt, I realized something...I think I might be one of those people who needs a goal. I am a pretty self-motivated person, and will go out for a walk or a run just about every day, just to move my body. But, something happened last week...a switch got turned on. I went from "oh, maybe I'll go out for a quick run," to "I am in training now, I have to get my run in." Twenty degree weather? No matter, I must run. Would rather lay on the couch? No way, I'm in training. Not feeling super great? I'll feel better after a run. Icy roads? It'll be good training and the crisp air will feel good...I wonder how many other things in my life are like that...how much more focused I'd be if I set a concrete goal. For now, I'm focused on Big Sur. And, no thanks on that second glass of wine...I'm in training.
Monday, December 21, 2009
And so it begins...
Day one! Holy cow, I am actually doing this! The goal today was three miles. Get the legs warmed up and get back in the habit...
Big Sur is known to be a tough marathon...the course includes more than 20 hills. If I said this didn't scare the poo out of me, I would be lying. I try to calm myself by repeating that I am in training, that my training is just beginning - just because I can't do it today doesn't mean I won't be able to do it in 18 weeks. I tell myself that I just have to train for the hills.
So, I decided that I should include hills in as many runs as possible. I picked a pretty short hill for my first run...I wasn't sure whether to run it first when my legs were still fresh, or run it last when I was more tired to really challenge myself...In the end, it was a matter of available light. The sun was beginning to set, and the houses along that stretch of 6th Ave. tend to block out the sun. So, I decided to run the hill while it was still light enough for me to avoid the icy patches. I felt pretty strong during the hill and for the first two and a half miles, but had ran out of steam by the end of the three and a half miles.
The good news is that I didn't quit. But, I had to keep reminding myself that I was just beginning and that I was going to keep getting stronger...I have no choice but to begin where I am right now.
Right now, it's just the beginning!
Big Sur is known to be a tough marathon...the course includes more than 20 hills. If I said this didn't scare the poo out of me, I would be lying. I try to calm myself by repeating that I am in training, that my training is just beginning - just because I can't do it today doesn't mean I won't be able to do it in 18 weeks. I tell myself that I just have to train for the hills.
So, I decided that I should include hills in as many runs as possible. I picked a pretty short hill for my first run...I wasn't sure whether to run it first when my legs were still fresh, or run it last when I was more tired to really challenge myself...In the end, it was a matter of available light. The sun was beginning to set, and the houses along that stretch of 6th Ave. tend to block out the sun. So, I decided to run the hill while it was still light enough for me to avoid the icy patches. I felt pretty strong during the hill and for the first two and a half miles, but had ran out of steam by the end of the three and a half miles.
The good news is that I didn't quit. But, I had to keep reminding myself that I was just beginning and that I was going to keep getting stronger...I have no choice but to begin where I am right now.
Right now, it's just the beginning!
How it began...
Two years ago, I got a wild hair and decided to sign up for a half marathon. I recruited a couple of friends to run with me, downloaded a training program from the Internet and laced up my shoes. I had not a clue what I was in for. But, it turned out that I loved the whole training process...marking off the days, having a goal, feeling myself get stronger and stronger. I was focused and challenged. I remember a moment around mile six during the race where it really hit me that I was actually doing it...I was actually running a half marathon. I'd set a goal and I was achieving it! It was an emotional moment for me...I was not the same person who started the race anymore...I was somehow more. I was so incredibly proud of myself when I crossed the finish line, I felt like I could fly (if it weren't for the general exhaustion and sore muscles)!
I loved the whole process so much, I signed up for another half marathon with the same friends last year. Injuries and wedding planning kept my friends and I from training together for most of the 12 weeks. Unexpectedly, I found myself going it alone. But, I was determined to finsih what I'd started. I was determined to not only finish the half marathon, but to better my time. It was during those long solo runs that I really figured out what was inside me, what keeps me going, where to find my strength reserves. I developed lots of positive self-talk, found some fun new routes, and built in some speed training. I dropped nearly 20 minutes from my first half-marathon time! And, I felt stronger and less tired that my first race. Again, I defied my self-imposed limits and soared past them! It was an incredible feeling!
So, what's a Grubby Girl to do next? A full marathon!
In the afterglow of my half-marathon personal victory, I decided a full marathon was next. I figured I have at least one good marathon in me, so I looked around for a good marathon to do. If I was going to do one in my lifetime, I was going to go big! I finally narrowed it down to Big Sur or Napa...Napa had wine, but you couldn't use your iPod...so, Big Sur!
This blog will follow my progress as I train for and run my first (and likely only) marathon.
D-Day: April 25, 2010...three days before my 37th birthday! See you at the finish line!
http://www.bsim.org/site3.aspx
I loved the whole process so much, I signed up for another half marathon with the same friends last year. Injuries and wedding planning kept my friends and I from training together for most of the 12 weeks. Unexpectedly, I found myself going it alone. But, I was determined to finsih what I'd started. I was determined to not only finish the half marathon, but to better my time. It was during those long solo runs that I really figured out what was inside me, what keeps me going, where to find my strength reserves. I developed lots of positive self-talk, found some fun new routes, and built in some speed training. I dropped nearly 20 minutes from my first half-marathon time! And, I felt stronger and less tired that my first race. Again, I defied my self-imposed limits and soared past them! It was an incredible feeling!
So, what's a Grubby Girl to do next? A full marathon!
In the afterglow of my half-marathon personal victory, I decided a full marathon was next. I figured I have at least one good marathon in me, so I looked around for a good marathon to do. If I was going to do one in my lifetime, I was going to go big! I finally narrowed it down to Big Sur or Napa...Napa had wine, but you couldn't use your iPod...so, Big Sur!
This blog will follow my progress as I train for and run my first (and likely only) marathon.
D-Day: April 25, 2010...three days before my 37th birthday! See you at the finish line!
http://www.bsim.org/site3.aspx
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