A Mixed Bag

Of emotions, that is. That's how I'm feeling lately about this approaching half marathon. It's just 2.5 weeks away!

I spent some time reading old posts from before the half I did in 2011 and am experiencing a lot of the same feelings. Mostly...fear, worry, anxiety, excitement, anticipation.

I went to Marathon Sports yesterday and bought some new sneakers. The guy who helped me said it was possible that I was overcompensating with my old shoes, and that could be causing me pain. He didn't really seem to know (I mean, he's not a doctor), so I figured I might as well try running in a new pair and can always return them if I want. I ended up with Asics Gel Cumulus 16s. I've never worn Asics before but they felt good when I jogged in them at the store and during my strength class. We'll see how they feel tonight on a shorter run, and this weekend on a longer run.

At this point I feel like I'm going to run the half. Obviously if I have extreme pain in my foot at any point that will be a different story. When it comes to running I still consistently struggle with not only comparing myself to others, but comparing my current self to my old self. In terms of others, I made the mistake of looking at last year's results for the Run to Remember. Based on my last long run, my finish time would put me in the very near the end of the 6,300 finishers. That shouldn't matter to me, but it does. It's hard to feel proud of accomplishments if you also feel embarrassed. Plus, they've made it very clear that they want to open up the roads ASAP after the race (anyone who averages a 14 minute mile after 2 miles won't be allowed to finish). I'm not afraid of that happening, but the fact that they want this done quickly makes me feel like slower runner won't get decent support from the race organizers and volunteers. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

Even worse, I keep comparing my running self today to back in 2011. Back then, I was easily running 10 minute miles. These days I average 11-11:30 minute miles for shorter runs, and much more for longer runs. I stumbled upon Carla Birnberg's post "Dont compare you to..you" and it really resonated with me, particularly...

"I don’t compare myself to others. And yet I also studiously avoid comparing myself to myself. As crazy as it initially sounds comparing you to YOU can also be the thief of joy. My philosophy is a simple one. I do my best each day in everything from fitness to family. I go to bed. I get back up the next morning and give my best efforts again. Some days are amazing. Some are less so. Regardless, I focus on the fact our windshields are larger than our rear-view mirrors for a reason."

This is always something I'm working towards, but it's tough not to look backwards. For today, I will just try to accept where I am and use the next 2.5 weeks to prep myself as well as possible. I can't change where I am, so I might as well try to enjoy it and be proud of it.

Workouts wise, here's the plan for the next few weeks:

W 5/7: 3 mi run + yoga 

Th 5/8: Cross

F 5/9: Rest

Sa 5/10: Long run in St. Louis (8-10 miles...we'll see how I do in the 80 degree heat)

Su 5/11: Rest/stretch

M 5/12: Hot yoga

Tu 5/13: Total body strength

W 5/14: 3 mi run + yoga

Th 5/15: Cross

F 5/16: 2 mi run

Sa 5/17: Rest

Su 5/18: Harpoon 5 miler

M 5/19: Hot yoga

Tu 5/20: 3 mi run

W 5/21: Yoga

Th 5/22: 2 mi run

F 5/23: Rest

Sa 5/24: Rest

Su 5/25: Half marathon!! <- forced exclamation points. Get excited Julie!!!!

Other than that, I'm going to foam roll as much as possible, eat as healthy as possible, and try to practice drinking water/fueling a little during workouts. I had one sip of water during my 9 miler and I immediately cramped up. Not good!!

And for motivation...a reminder to myself of some helpful mantras:

Great accomplishments take time but are always worth the effort.

No matter how small, do not diminish, but take pride in your successes.

If you're reading and have any to add, leave a comment and let me know!