My Great (Running) Experiment

This whole thing started out as an experiment of sorts. It had been ages since I had trained for or run a full marathon, and the memories of my last one weren't exactly pleasant. (A lost toenail, nearly debilitating plantar faciatis, and severe stress fractures do NOT make for good times.) But I'm determined to do a full Ironman next summer, so I had to see if my body could handle the distance. All it took was a few clicks of the mouse, a credit card number, and a smidgen of training, and here I am, about to run the Big Sur Marathon.

I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about upping my mileage as my training progressed. Every tweak, every twinge sent my mind racing with doubts and worries about possible injuries. I was scared that my body wouldn't cooperate; that it could retaliate if I ran too far. I feared it would stubbornly refuse to comply with the miles I needed to log. Because, let's face it, if I couldn't do this, an Ironman would be out of the question.

But something remarkable has happened as I've pushed through my training. Instead of feeling beat down and broken, I've become stronger, more confident. There are no signs of that limping, pained girl who struggled through the Chicago Marathon several years ago. I don't know if this a result of experience, cross-training, or that my body finally gave up the fight and realized resistance was futile. Truthfully, regardless of the reason, I'm just grateful to discover I CAN do this.

It's hard to believe the race is already this coming Sunday. The anticipation has me in a tizzy. I'm torn between nervousness and excitement. I know there's nothing more I can do; I've put in the time, now I must wait and see what happens on race day. I'm trying to put it all out of my mind for now, as I still have a couple of nights of work ahead and much to do before I will even lay eyes on the starting line. So, now is the time for me to sit back, carbo-load, and allow my muscles to recover. Sunday morning will come soon enough, and I will be ready to give it my all when the gun goes off.