Marathon training 2022
I am 3 weeks out from Shamrock Marathon- my first marathon
since Big Sur in 2019 (which was my first back since Boston in 2013!) It’s been an interesting few months getting
back into marathon training. I posted
earlier about some challenging runs I have had.
I’ve also had some successful long runs and also important workouts to
support these long runs. It’s been a LOT
of up an down. 2 weeks ago, I got so
fatigued, I had 3 days in a row where I quit my runs. It was like I couldn’t even run anymore. I was tired, both physically and
mentally. After 3 days of trying, I took
OFF. OFF OFF OFF. I laid in bed for two days. I don’t even know if I was maybe sick? I sometimes think maybe I had covid and never
knew? But then again, I know this time
of year is ALWAYS FREEEAAAAKING HARD for me.
And this year has been BAD. NO
SUN. Freaking ridiculously cold
temperatures where it is just HARD to get outdoors into the air. So I am not sure if this was an energy drop
because of marathon training/high mileage, life fatigue both physically and
mentally, or allergies, or what, but HOPEFULLY I am back on a sustainable
energy path!
Today, I went out for what was to be my longest run. 23 miles. My previous long run was 21.5. That went WELL. (well means hard, was at the LIMIT LIMIT
LIMIT of physically being doable, but I did it which is “well” in marathon
training). I woke up today feeling
great. I had really prepped well this
week with a week of backing off/ regaining my energy, a decrease in miles,
focused and DID my hydration. (I did it GUYS!
I did it! Anything is possible, haha!)
I went to bed early last night, woke up feeling great. I began my 23 miles with a definite focus on
easing in for a few miles, and then just holding steady, balancing being
relaxed, mentally being a bit bored/ reminding myself to not think about time,
reminding myself to focus on form, smooth relaxed focus, etc. Everything was going along VERY WELL- I was
pleasantly surprised, up until 16 miles.
I began to feel my hip hurting.
Hmmm…. It was okay though. Kept
focus on form to make sure I wasn’t fatiguing and letting something go weird
with footstrike, posture, etc. Mile 18: HIP HURTS.
KINDA A LOT. Of course I always
ask on a scale from 1/10. AT this point,
I was like, it is pretty bad, like 8.4/10 I thought. I reminded myself that honestly, what would
be worse, this hip pain or having DIARRHEA?!!!
HA! I’d rather manage the hip
pain at that point. (honestly there is
just nothing worse than needing to go to the bathroom and having no place to
go). I carried on. Mile 19:
I’m at 9/10 pain. I said, OK,
muddle through 2 more miles as much as you can, when you get to 21, you can
walk 1 min, then jog the rest of the mile, and do the same thing once more to
the finish. So, I have 2 more miles in
my head, right? (to get to where I get
to walk a bit). I am head down,
muddling. Have ZERO CARES for how bad
this looks to anyone on the road passing me because I am not embarrassed, I am
just 1000% managing pain. Everything I
have is just to keep steady form, step by step.
Mile 21, I make it and walk 1 min.
OHHH GOSH THIS IS SO UGLY. I
barely can walk. I do knee to chest a
few steps to try to stretch out glutes (excuse me, it is actually more like
knee up 2 inches because that is all that I can manage). My minute is up, I go to jog again, and it is
NOT HAPPENING. I am completely limping
in my jog now. I cannot land fully on my
hip, it is a waddle/limp and I realize this is very bad for my back. Of course my hip is the most pain, but I know
the implications for future hip but also BACK and I know I am just doing
damage. I know I need to stop. I walk it out. I now cannot even walk. My walk limp may even be worse than my run
limp. And I have 1.5 miles left to get
home. I have no phone. I cannot even walk now, I’m standing on north
shore and cannot walk so I grab a speed limit sign post and lean to stretch
calves while I think. OK, maybe that
stopping fixed it? (I know this is not logical,
but how did I Just do all of that and now cannot walk, nothing makes
sense. This is also not my hamstring
that typically gives me trouble, but the outside of my hip). So, I try to walk. Again, I cannot even take steps. I am 1.5 miles still. I honestly think of HOPPING home. We do single leg hops and jumps in bootcamp,
but I realize this is not feasible and I cannot hop on one leg for over a
mile. (Not even considering how embarrassing
that would look). I keep trying to walk
and cannot do it. I am crying now,
thinking, PLEASE SOMEONE DRIVE BY THAT KNOWS ME and see that I am in huge need
of help. I kneel down. Have no idea what to do, but also I know I
cannot stand there all day, I have to pick up Forrest and his friend from
practice. I realize the back of the
townhouses off of north shore back up to baron Cameron and if I can cut through
somehow, that will at least take off some of the distance. I HOBBLE through and finally see baron Cameron. However, there is a big gully full of water
at the bottom before it rises back up to the road. (snakes??!!) I see a bit
down that it doesn’t go so low, so I head over there. Of course, there is no path to the road, it
is complete pricker bushes and brush. I
am stepping on some pricker bushes so I can try to get my body through, because
I. WILL. GET. TO. THE. ROAD. Meanwhile,
here I come out of the woods, stepping over the guardrail of Baron
Cameron. I’m wondering who will drive by
now and see me looking like a crazy person emerging from the woods. I hobble across in between traffic to the
other side, where again, all pricker bushes.
No path. I could care less, I
know I am .5 away from home. Needless to
say, I made it home, this was not my best look, and I cannot believe that
happened. I have zero idea why. I am praying it was a fluke and will be going
to chiropractor this week!
ALL THIS TO SAY: hey,
anyone wanna train for a marathon, haha?! Just joking, because I know this
doesn’t want seem to sound like it is motivating. It sounds horrid, and it was, but…..
At mile 13, I saw a friend on the trail who I am coaching
for same race! As we passed each other,
I told her to “HAVE FUN!” And then I
thought for about 30 seconds, OMG, that probably was so stupid to say, this is
so hard, and I acted like it was just easy and go have fun. But I realized right then, that: this really WAS FUN! I had seen so many beautiful things during my
time I was out yesterday- the amount of beautiful birds during these cold
winter months is just awesome. I love their chirps, they are like little
miracles, and some of the blue birds colors just AMAZE me! And I saw so many pretty TREES- some with
amazing white bark, and I went by a peaceful stream with rushing water. It was so quiet, peaceful and serene. And for so much of it, I felt actually okay-
which reminded me that all of my work for the past 2 months has really paid off
and gotten me stronger! Even though the
ending didn’t work out, I am stronger and more fit! And… now I have a lifetime memory of the
Saturday morning that I kneeled, crying, on the side of North Shore Drive in
Reston, emerging minutes later from the woods and over a guard rail to cross Baron
Cameron, nearly having to hop home in 32 degree weather.
I will end this now with one last bit of reminder to myself=
it is much colder to finish the last mile or a run in this temperature NOT
RUNNING! By the time I entered my
garage, I think my frozen fingers hurt just as much as my hip!
2nd reminder to self….. maybe I should consider
carrying a phone on long runs.
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