Marathon Madness Month(s)

Tomorrow or today (depending on when you are reading this) marks the beginning of marathon month!  Yes, you guessed it, we are now just weeks, days but not months away from Marine Corps Marathon otherwise known as MY FIRST MARATHON!  And as we went anxiously, nervously, whatever you want to call it, we have some other things to tackle

I will be running this NEXT WEEKEND and making it a 20-miler. I am pretty sad not to be doing it with my running buddy but I will have this lady and her dad at my side a.k.a when they finish an hour beforehand hopefully they will come find me crawling my way home!

The Running Buddy is running this for time but the cousin and I could not resist adding it in.  No bother that I am hosting a huge party the night before...

Yup somehow I managed to plug in two more races training runs prior to the big day!!!   But I have promised myself that I will not be racing in these other races and am just going to take it at training pace, whatever that may be, unless the Coach tells me otherwise because right now my major goal is to get to the starting line of my marathon healthy and finish with a smile!!

Oh and by the way, I am also planning on spectating at this race...

And spectating and pacing/racing with some ladies at this race...

And I may or may not have signed up for a Turkey Trot, the Vegas Half, and yes, I do have my eye on a  December 5k...uhhh who is this crazy lady?! Last year at least time I was not even running let alone racing! What a difference a year makes...

If you have not noticed lately, I have decided to tip my toe into taper crazies or as we like to call them pre-taper crazies, if there ever was such a thing.  This week many fine women have had to talk me down off the ledge, forget what my poor husband has had to deal with.  PT on Wednesday went something like this

Me to PT:  Is my IT Band, hip, glute ok?
PT commence examination = moving leg around in all weird directions and telling me to resist at different points.
PT: Everything is fine. No reason to worry yet. We will keep an eye on it. You will keep your schedule this week, go do your weights, 3 tomorrow and 15 on Saturday.  *Side note that 3 got me to 101 my first month of 100 miles ever, up from August's 60
Me:  YAY :) :), so just general aches and pains right now?
PT: Yes
....
two minutes later
Me to Aaron: Did he say I was ok? Do I need to ask him again?!?
Aaron: YOU ARE OK 


Yup, that's me Miss Neurotic.  This kind of syndrome continued for the rest of the week with my shoes, my bandaides, my pace, and on we go.  At one point, this wise lady had to again pull me off the edge with a nice slap in the face, although she promises it was some tough love.  Whatever you call it was absolutely necessary!!

I need to calm down and as she told me TRUST MY BODY!!!  What a concept!  It took me a very long time to love my body and appreciate it for everything it does for me.  But do I trust it? In some ways I do but not in others, and that "other" category collides right with running - of course, what does not revolve around running, seriously people?!  Since I have had a history of nagging injuries that continually sideline me from getting to the starting line every single ache and pain makes me freak it.  So this week, where I have felt some pain or soreness or whatever it, I have uh..freaked.  Even with the all clear from my PT, I am still extremely nervous about tomorrow's run.   And I know it is reflected in this blog and I am sorry - I owe you all some basic Top 10 or fun blog posts, are you sick of my inner turmoil yet?  I promise, next week we will give you some fun stuff!

But anyway, for now, I have to take some advice that was given to me.  I have to TRUST MY BODY.  I know that we have not always seen eye to eye.  But I just need to go for it.  To stop whining and to get out there and see how it goes.  I have done everything right and hopefully by honoring my body, it will honor me.  And if not, it will be back to the drawing board....So here is to marathon madness...I can't wait :) :)

Is this marathon madness month? Anyone running any of the above races? Anyone need some company while running NYCM or Philly - I will be out there for you.  Let me know so I can scream my head off for you and make awesome signs!