So…
Vegas. December. Marathon. 26.2 miles of suffering misery challenge and wonderfulness.
The training is just starting to pick up and become more hard work, sweat, aches and pains and less about the pure joy of running. And it’s not like I’m even doing the Really Long Runs yet – just the Itty Bitty Long Runs so far. This week, in fact, is the first time I even edge over the half marathon distance.
Things so far have been going pretty well, considering that I went from full training down to 50% mileage down to 0% mileage and then sky-rocketed to “Hello MARATHON TRAINING! Here I come, ready or not!”. I’m pretty pleased that my ankle hasn’t really caused me any trouble yet (though it’s a sneaky bastard, so I’m keeping an eye on it) and I haven’t managed to mangle any other body part yet.
This weekend scares me a little bit, though. I’ve been following Hal Higdon’s marathon training plan, and the hallmark of this training is the marathon-paced run on Saturday followed by a long run on Sunday. As a concept, this is pretty revolutionary to me: I’m a hard-core rest-before-rest-after the long runs kind of gal. So, to go out on Saturday and put down 7 miles of marathon-paced running before hitting the pavement for 14 more on Sunday makes me just a teensy bit nauseous.
But it’ll be good, right? Sure, my legs will be tired and all whiny when I go out Sunday. But that just means that when race day actually hits — and after I’ve taken the requisite rest days — my legs will feel like wings. Just like if I drank a Red Bull – I’ll have wings! (and no, I get no money or free product for that plug…heh…).
Until the wings grow in, though… if you see me on the side of the road, napping or otherwise not moving forward any longer, please call the numbers on my Road I.D. You’ll do that for me, right?