Skip to main content

T'was the Eve Before My Last Long Run

Happy Friday!

So, a bit of rambling today. I have to admit that it feels weird not blogging as much or as consistently. I know this means fewer interactions with my blogging friends. That's probably what I'm missing the most with blogging less. And while I don't feel the pull to blog as frequently as I once did, I still want a place to share thoughts, share recipes or workouts and to converge with others over similar life happenings whether it be weight lifting or marathon training or just enjoying the heck out of time with family and friends.

I never thought I would run a full marathon. So, of course, I never thought I'd be blogging about my training. Blathering away about long runs, hitting the wall, feeling great or feeling pukey. I never thought I would feel so much gratitude towards someone helping me make it through all of this either.

Tomorrow marks my last truly long run - 20 miles (more only if I am feeling up to it). Then I begin my taper period. I'm both looking forward to it and sort of dreading it. Yeah, I am pretty sure at the onset of this crazy marathon journey I declared that I would embrace and enjoy taper. We can forget those words right?

Over the course of this journey, I have hit 14 miles three times now, I have hit pretty much hit every mile from 14 up to 20 actually (duh right, but I mean a 15 miler, 17 miler ... over explaining).

First 16-miler - super proud of myself but couldn't fathom any farther
First 18 miler - solo and it was kind of rough

First 20-miler - thank goodness for this lady

And along the way, I found new running friends as well. Oh, and scenery. I've taken historical routes, boring routes, out and backs, routes along the river. It's been sunny, it's been cloudy, windy, rainy, warm, cold ...


I feel like I've run through 4 seasons in just a few months too with our weather being up and down and all over the place, including a random snow morning. I've learned to take naps and drink lots of very large protein shakes (usually shakes then nap).

The surprising part to me is that I have enjoyed this journey more than I believed I would. I've heard about people dreading the long runs, dreading so many miles, or simply just getting very tired of it all.

Maybe because I had already been doing so many miles before, maybe it's been having a supportive running partner, but it's not felt like training so much as growing. Does that even make sense? I thought I might feel burnt out from running, and I really don't. I think that's where I'm going to dread the taper. My body, however, will be ecstatic of course.

Has training for something ever surprised you? Did you find that you enjoyed or maybe didn't enjoy the journey like you thought? Any taper advice?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Love in Photos

In honor of Valentine's Day - Love in Photos Husband Family and Furbabies Friends Even if you're not a fan of Valentine's Day - I hope you have a wonderful day and remember the loves in your life.

Hump Day and More Pineapples

Full-Body Workout  I'll readily admit that getting up this morning was quite painful and almost didn't happen. I forced myself out of bed though not exactly excited about tackling a full-body Pyramid workout. Sort of daunting at 5 am really. I did the warm up from Shock Cardio Cardio Core Circuit (cardio only premix) then hit the weights. It was a pyramid up only so I increased my starting weight. I topped it all off with the first 2 1/2 drills from the cardio workout. I ran short on time and was basically spent. Squats into Plie Squats Step Ups (seriously hate these especially at 5:30 am) Incline Chest Flyes into Chest Press Pullovers into DB Underhand Rows Step Ups (freaking again) Static Lunges Overhead DB Press into Lateral Raises Deadlifts Kickbacks into Overhead Extensions Hammer Curls into Alternating Curls Calf Raises I am so excited to report that my new cross-trainers and running shoes arrived today. Can't wait to test both of them out. I waited way way way too

Hitting the Gym and Lazy Means Creative Tex-Mex Creation

Sunday, Gym Day Why do vacations and min-vacations go by so quickly? Just doesn't seem quite right. Anyway, we left Branson around 9:30 am to head back home. It was a pretty uneventful drive back, which is usually a good thing. We got home and unpacked, then I headed up to the gym. I started with a 10-minute treadmill run to warm up before hitting the weights for back and light legs then abs. I went with a giant set for back then supersets for legs. GS - 4x8 Underhand barbell rows Pullovers Double-arm rows SS#1 Rear-leg elevated lunges (Bulgarian Split Squats) - 3x8 Calf raises - 3x20 SS#2 - 2x8 Walking lunges Plie squats with low-end pulse Single-leg deadlifts - 2x8 I did some ab exercises, stretched, and called it quits. Lazy = Crazy Dinner I may have made it to the gym and washed a few loads of laundry, but I never made it to the grocery store - lounging in the pool trumped grocery shopping. This meant getting creative with dinner. We had another package