a few more scattered thoughts on marathoning

I re-read the blog posts I wrote right before and right after my first marathon (2010) and I’m laughing/cringing over how overconfident I was given my sub-par training. I said I thought I could run 10:30s forever and ever. So like, my worst-case scenario was maybe having to run slower. I think I was trying to be positive, but I obviously had no clue what the last six miles would be like. In my defense, you can’t know until you’ve done it.

So while training has gone significantly better this time around, I understand that after mile 20 all bets are off and everything can always fall apart and I have next to no experience with this distance.

Also there is very little value in positive thinking.

Also I’m still sick and I just started my period.

I’m still mulling over my hydration plan. I usually filled up my water bottle once or even twice during my training runs, but since I won’t have that luxury, I’ve decided I’d rather make do with just one bottle than deal with the burden of a hydration pack or belt. I can use the bottle explicitly for chasing gels/shotbloks and supplement with aid station water at other times.

And without being unrealistically positive, I am trying to get in a good place mentally. The setback of my cough and cold has been rough on my confidence. A friend texted me this morning to wish me good luck and I almost cried. I’m trying to envision a good run with a strong finish. And of course I mean “strong” in a relative sense because there’s no way I’m going to finish STRONG strong. But with hope, I won’t be on a stretcher.

And of course I have been obsessively tracking the weather. It looks pretty ideal! Cold and sunny. The low tonight is 39 so it’ll be around that at the start and probably 50s at the finish, which means I’m definitely wearing shorts and arm sleeves rather than jacket and tights. I have cheap gloves and a fleece ear band that I don’t mind tossing when I’m done with them.

Oh hey, floor person.

Last, we’re all nearly recovered from our Family Plague. Codie only woke up twice last night (at 12 and 4) and Kenzie only had one coughing fit so I feel like we all got a pretty decent night’s sleep. (Husband worked all night but he’s sleeping right now.) But much like a “strong” marathon finish, I’ve had to dramatically lower my standards for what qualifies as “decent sleep.” The night before my last half marathon (back in 2013 before I got pregnant with Codie), I cried because I had to wake up one time to help Kenzie back to sleep. I was such an asshole back then.

Anyway, thanks to all four of you for reading this. See you on the other side?

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