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| My husband, sons, and pooch showed up to cheer me on during my long run ❤️ |
This week was record-breaking for me on two fronts: both in distance of a single run (15 miles) and total weekly distance (31 miles). On top of that, I have now hit the half-way point in my marathon training and have surpassed 200 miles since the program began.
Gulp.
I was quite nervous to head out for my long run on Saturday morning. I chose a simple out-and-back course to avoid getting lost and had my playlist and some podcasts ready to go. As I continued to tick past the miles, I was pleasantly surprised at my lack of aches and pains. After battling pretty hard to get to this far after an injury, my efforts felt validated.
Despite having no significant pains to push through, the last few miles were pretty brutal. It was getting hot and I was tired. Look at that shaded bench on the side of the trail, my body begged. Wouldn't it feel amazing to sit down right there, have a cool drink and a snack?
It definitely would have felt amazing, I have no doubt. But only for a moment.
I have heard that running a marathon is at least as much mental as physical, and the farther I run, the more I understand why. As fitness guru Shaun T would say, I was digging deep for each of those final strides. It helped to know that my coach was waiting for me at the end of the run. I somehow managed to find a small burst of energy and finish strong.
I am proud of myself, but also even more terrified of running another 11.2 miles beyond that. What was I thinking, signing up for this?
My coach reminds me that I have a lot of training left, and I will be tapering (reducing miles) prior to the marathon so that I am well rested and in peak condition. As Shaun T is also fond of saying, I am doing my best to "trust and believe" in myself and in this process. In addition to the physical training, I need to continue my mental training as well. Onward and upward...
Mileage for week 10: 31 miles
Total mileage: 209.6 miles
Days until marathon: 67 days
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