It doesn't seem possible but the race is in 13 days! Holy crap! I am truly excited for the big day. Throughout the last month I've been getting sick of of all the training - to put it mildly! The better word would be HATING! I guess that's a pretty common thing to feel in the last month, at least according to Runners World magazine. Ever since we did our 20 mile run though, my spirits have really lifted. It's basically down to the wire now and I don't have any more long run weekends to worry about. Oh and even better, we're going to have a week in Disney World once all is said and done! I'm not sure if we'll be able to walk in the parks after the race since I heard the post race pain is pretty excruciating..I'm seeing those little motorized scooters in our future! Beep, Beep! Pain or not, I WILL be making my way through those parks, eating all the goodies I want! haha!
Speaking of pain, things on the recovery front have been going really well. After the 20-miler I had a good day or so of pain in my left knee and foot which really wasn't too bad. Rob, being the champion he always is, was like superman...no downtime at all for him! He recovered like a rockstar! Overall it left me feeling a little more confident that we won't be laid up the entire time we're in Florida. I'm still a little wary of my bad knee but plan on icing every day and night for the next 2 weeks.
I also got new running shoes this past weekend. (See the pic above) I know what some people will say about trying to run the race in new shoes but I'm not too worried about it. Throughout my training I've been wearing the Asics Gel Kayano 14 and they have been fabulous! I got the same kind this weekend, just the newest version (15). I'm going to try them out on the treadmill tonight to see how they feel. They say to replace shoes every 500 miles and I'm sure we've had at least that much since we started training in August. My clue that they were wearing out is that I now have 2 dead toenails...eww, gross I know! I haven't had that happen since I purchased the Asics, up until now. With my old Nike's that used to happen all the time. Turns out I was wearing the wrong size shoe back then. Well now that I'm in a monster size 9.5 I thought my little piggy's would have plenty of room. And they have. But after the last long run, I was a little scared when I saw the black toes pop up over this past week. I think my shoes are almost too big now. A little too stretched out. That's jut my theory but any excuse to buy new shoes I'll take! Plus they are super white which I love! I do feel a little like I'm betraying the stinky yet superb shoes that pulled me through my training. They'll never even see race day! How sad!! Hopefully my new shoes will treat me just as kind and I'll be well on my way to finishing a strong 26.2!
1 comment:
You WILL finish strong in your 26.2 adventure!!
Remember...NO PARKS before raceday. Prerace day should consist of keeping off feet--COMPLETELY. Mild stretching before bed--AT MOST. Seriously!!!
Take the beginning a bit slower than your marathon race pace. You will see people gunning it from the getgo because of all the adrenaline and moto flying around--but if you keep your cool, you'll be passing THEM on mile 20!
Coat your feet in vaseline, especially between the toes. Then socks. And if you want (I did this, and had no dead toenails, no blisters, nothin!) after the vaseline, slap on a pair of knee high pantyhose, THEN your socks. No blisters to be had with that method.
Butter yourself up ALOT with the chaffing stick!
Sunblock (ultrasport of course)
Alternate at water stations between the water, and gaterade..if you feel you need it. Just little swigs..don't feel pressure to finish the whole cup. And don't stop completely while drinking!
Above all-enjoy it.Look around, enjoy the sights. Laugh (if you can! haha) and remember you're doing something incredible. Don't get wrapped up in finishing time! Your first marathon is all about just finishing-no times. For real. I know it will cross your mind at least once or twice :).
Your awesome. Remember that. So is your husband. It will be one of the best week's of your life and I am jealous of your "post race high" mixed with pain/pleasure all at once that you will have. Sounds crazy now, but you'll understand soon enough. Good luck!! I'm sure I'll talk to you before then. I'm in north charleston now!
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