Quinnysmom - last chance, you won the nuun giveaway. I will pick someone new tomorrow if I can't find you. I am sorry!
So am I still on top of the world one week later? Sort of. I wear my jacket with pride, smile when someone asks me how the race was, and chuckle a bit when they ask me how long the race was. Am I sad it is over? Yes. Am I jealous of the NYCM? You bet ya. But it is not a let down in any way shape or form. Maybe because there are so many other things going on in my life right now, maybe because I have so many more fun runs coming up, or maybe because I know I will be back at 26.2 one day soon....
What is hard? The actual running. Today, the running buddy and I set out on my first run back since completing 26.2 and while she warned me it was not going to be easy, I was still mystified by how HARD it was to run a mere 6 miles when last Sunday I was flying high at Mile 18. I get it. I know what you are thinking. Come on Steph, give it a break, you ran 26.2 miles last weekend. Your body is going to need time to recover. I know and I DO get it. But it is still not so easy to sit with. I don't know how to explain it, but I know you all get what I am talking about as fellow runners. You know, those times where you see the rational side of things, you see the facts and you understand them, but that little voice in your head still rears its ugly head and says but this SHOULD be easier. Others are out there running miles in no time post marathon, so you SHOULD be able to do that too. Or that voice saying Coach/PT said not slow but not race pace, so you SHOULD hit that. But in the end, you could only average a 9:13 average pace for 6 miles (slow for me)...so you say REALLY? Come on body...lets get a move on!
I guess what upsets me the most is I am still getting side stitches and ankle pain. I still can't figure out the side stitches for the life of me. The ankle pain, well that was there before the marathon. I just consider myself lucky that I got through the marathon in one piece.
So while it is not always easy, I know I need to leave these thoughts behind. Rather, I need to BE GENTLE with myself. Honor my body and thank it. I put myself through Hell (a good kind though) and back getting to 26.2 and now it is my body's turn. It wants to go slow - ok. It wants to hurt - I get it. It wants to have no aerobic ability whatsoever - alright, I guess so. Because ultimately, my body is kicking ass and the only way it will continue to do so is if I treat it right. So instead of whining, I am going to quiet those voices, put a smile on my face, and say thanks body and thanks legs for giving me the most amazing experience ever and now I will let you rest because you need it and because body, I am sorry to tell you this, but we have some pretty big races and dreams to complete and they are coming up fast!!
Do you ever thank your body and let yourself rest? Do you get angry when your mind says and thinks one thing and your body and legs say something else?
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