Top 10

I still have a week and a half, but it’s hard not to think about how it’s going to be once I’m done. I’m excited to be done!

 

Top 10 things I’m excited for in life post marathon:

10. Not worrying about completing a marathon and HAVING to run or else feeling like I’ll go to runner’s hell or the world will end or I won’t make it to the finish line if I miss a training day (I only skipped one running day in the last 4 months because I wasn’t feeling well- and more often than not I didn’t feel like running).

9. An at home pedicure to get rid of my calluses I’ve been too afraid to remove lest I get blisters where the calluses have formed.

8. Having my middle toenail heal on my right foot. Not sure if it will ever happen, but I’m going to do my best to get it back to normal once I’m done with long distance running. I finally lost the nail only to find another one underneath it and it’s thick, purple and ugly.

7. Exercise other than running.

6. Not having to go running for over an hour before starting my 12 hour shift at the hospital.

5. Not having to spend half my Monday running and the other half recovering from running. Also, not having to schedule my life around my running schedule. I’d like to fit exercise into my life, not my life into my exercise routine.

4. Eating dairy without regard to the day of the week or my training schedule.

3. Donating blood (really antsy to donate blood again).

2. Cutting my hair (super ready for a hair cut).

1. Being able to say I completed a marathon. Not that it’s something I want to brag about, but I look forward to being able to say it to myself. It’s been a challenge and a lot of time and effort went into this endeavor, and I know I complain a lot and think I’m a slow and not a great runner and I say I’m never doing more than 10K ever again after this, but when it’s all done, I can say I have completed a marathon and I will have proved to myself I did something I never thought I could. I am a crazy person.

Perhaps after my big day I’ll post a more positive top 10 things I’ve enjoyed in my marathon training…it might have to be a list of 5 though…or 3. J

Half mast

My mom called me tonight to ask if what happened in Boston yesterday made me more nervous for my upcoming marathon. I feel so sad about the bombing yesterday, especially when I think that the majority of those injured and killed were supportive friends and family there cheering on people they care about on a day that was supposed to be so positive and exciting. It makes me sick.

Countdown

My "inspirational" quote that has been on my mirror for the last 4 and a half months or so. I'm not sure if it's so much inspirational as it is a slap in the face. This was taken on Thursday before a 5.65 mile run I had to get in before going to work that night. Don't I look excited? May 4th is coming! 3 more weeks!

24 miles

More like 23.88. My original route was 24.13, but I got to one point and a road that should have been there wasn't- or maybe it was and couldn't find it, so I had to back track and lost a quarter of a mile. Oh well. This will be the longest distance before the actual marathon. No more new longest distances. Good thing. Running is so hard!

I took 2 liters of water on my back. Running with water is not my favorite. My shoulders are still tired...so are my feet and legs. I was happy to find a water fountain right on my route so I could save some of the water I brought. I drank from the fountain until I wasn't thirsty, and I still drank all the water I brought before I finished. I ate 5 energy gels. My time was not great. It took 5 and a half hours and my last 2 hours or so I had to walk more than I wish I did. I was ravenous when I finished. I had a bowl of cereal with almond milk and a piece of toast around 0800, I finished my run around 1630 and didn't eat until around 1700. My stomach was so angry and growling but I couldn't eat as much as I wanted to and felt sick for a while. I had to set my dinner aside and eat the rest of it later. I'm feeling better now 5 hours post run- my stomach isn't angrily growling and the feeling of grossness bordering on nausea is gone. The munchies are setting in.

I've decided that since I've already grown my hair out for about 13 months now, that to make it worth while I should donate it. The cut portion needs to be at least 10 inches in order to donate. If I go super super short, I've got about 8 inches I could get rid of now. My marathon is in one month. My hair has been growing about just over half an inch a month. That means I've got at least 4 more months of growing it out. I was really really looking forward to chopping my hair off as soon as my marathon was done...but if a few more months means it could be useful for somebody it almost seems like a waste of time to grow it out for 14 months to cut it off for nothing. Does that even make sense? I think I've decided to keep growing it for now so it can be for something.