I am 6 days and counting to the Disney Marathon, 2009!
I can’t believe it is almost here.
Funny thing is, this time around, just like last, I got sick within the last few weeks of training AND I started to panic.
I called my mom. She said, “Are we still going?” She’s going to be here for this finale-she was unablet oa ttend last year’s big marathon event because she had a stroke. I ran that race for her and cried most of the way through. This time, she will be there.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I told her. I was staring at my running shoes trying to crunch the 26.2 numbers together in my head. “I really don’t think I can.”
“Sure you can.” She said, “You told me this last time. You couldn’t do it. And you did.”
I sighed. “Maybe I’ll just do a half marathon instead.”
“That’s what you said last time.”
“I haven’t felt well this week.”
“You got sick last time, too. Look, Kathy, you’ve trained for it. You can do it.”
I know. I know i can. I ran 19 miles a few weeks ago. But 26? I’d still have 7 to go! That number just sounds all too consuming and crazy to me right now. I have to think of it in stages. I’ll do 10, and then a half marathon. That’s not so bad. I run 10-13 miles every single Satruday and have done so now for about six months.
Once I get to the half I just have to get to 20. 16-20 are the hardest miles for me. So, I have been downloading new music to the Ipod to get me through. I put on “500 Miles” by the proclaimers (Come on, who couldn’t run to, “I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more jus tot be the man who’d walk a thousand miles and fall down at your door DUH DUH DUH DUH!)
My family will be at the finish line this year. No one was last year, except for my cool neighbor Laura who showed up in the pouring rain. My youngest was only one and too young to be in the torrential downpour that was Surf City Marathon 2008. My husband was sick with the flu. So there was Laura, and she ran along with me for about a mile, that last mile, when I thought my legs might give.
This year, my family will be there, waiting!
So, as I sit around preparing for that big run I’m trying NOT to think about the actual mileage (26.2, holy shit, how did I think I could do that!) but instaed to focus on the fact that I did it once and, well, it will all fall into place next week.
In other news, I have really improved my running times during this training program. I shaved at least half a minute if not more off of every run, going from over 10 min. miles down to 9:23 (that’s about my average). Today I worked on cutting off another half minute. I don’t want to push myself this week but I did run at 9 minute miles and my goal is once the marathon is over I will continue to work on time.
I also have been resting a lot these past few weeks. I cut out my cup of afternoon coffee, and I am going to bed at 9 or 9:30 with my book (the entire town of where I am living is reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” so I am, too, and it is great!) and I’m asleep by 10. I figure I will get as much rest as I can get this last week since I won’t sleep before the race!
One downside-the race begins at 5:50 AM. Now, I am always out the door by 5:30 so thats no problem but you know how it is at races-long lines, long car lines, no parking, walk a mile to the start line. This means a wake time of before 4 so I can eat quickly (which I will do in the car) and drive into Disney and find parking, then walk to my starting corral.
This week I’m going to pick up a small disposable camera and take pictures along the race route. one blogger I love to follow does this, she captures shots in all races. She has a nice digital so her pictures are fantastic, but I hope that a small disposable will be fine. I’ll take shots of the characters and me and post some next week. I’ll show them to my daughters.
My four year old asked, “Why don’t I get to run with you? Why do I have to wait at the end?”
“It’s a really far way,” I told her. She is my hyper one, the one with boundless energy who sooo reminds me of me when I was her age. “You’ll run with me one day, ” I promised. We did that one kid run together. I told her for the next race I do (which may be a half in Jacksonville next month depending on how I feel after Sunday!) I will see if she can run, too. SHe enjoyed it that day.
Happy Running!