Mental Accomplishment

The marathon is approaching quickly: in three weeks we'll participate in a twenty-six-point-two mile run with eight-thousand other runners.  It's been a lot mentally to know that we need to train to prepare for this long and grueling run. 

We've talked about how much we need to run in distance before the marathon; we've talked about how often we should run and how long those short and medium runs should be.  We've hoped we were running enough and that we'd be able to make it on the day of the marathon (and that that day isn't one of cold, heavy rain).

The most popular training plan has runners train to twenty miles and then back down for the two weeks prior to the marathon.  But we had also gotten advice that while you can make the additional six-point-two miles in distance for the marathon, it's not going to be fun.  We got advice to train up to and even possibly run the marathon distance before the day.   So we considered that.

I decided I'd feel better if I had run a twenty-four mile run before the marathon.  It was relatively easy to add two miles each week, so I thought that would be a good plan.  Then, today, after last week's failure due to my antibiotics-based blood pressure situation, we decided to try for the full twenty-six-point-two miles to just get it over with.

Like Uncle Jonathan, who had completed the marathon distance just a few weeks ago, it would be nice to know we'd at least made it.  And it would be a nice mental relief from the pressure of training.  Honestly, I'm over the training at this point.  I'd just like the marathon to happen so I can cheer and scream and dance and say, "woo, okay that was fun" and be done with it.   I suppose it's been a long time coming and I'd like it to hurry on up and arrive.

So today, I ran twenty-six-point-three miles.  Uncle Jonathan had the idea to run just a bit over a marathon because, hey, it's not much but it's cool to have run more than a marathon.  And I liked that idea.

Mentally, I feel like I accomplished something.  I accomplished it slowly, because I just run slowly, but I made it.  The pressure is off, the training is done.  No more long runs excepting the race itself.  It's a nice feeling.

The Big Boy Update:  I asked him how old he was and he said, "I'm three."  I told him he wasn't quite three yet that he was still two.  He said, "Yesterday you said I was three" and so I did, I was rounding up making casual conversation with someone in a store. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  She likes my son's teacher.  Today at our all-school park event she took her plate over to this teacher, sat down, tried to share her food and even borrowed the teacher's napkin to wipe her face.  My son's teacher, Elim, said this always happens to her.  I told her it was her burden to bear that her children loved her so.

Fitness Update:  26.3 -- First marathon distance.  Very proud.  Very tired.  Very happy.