Running: Training for a Marathon Week 9

I didn’t even realize it until yesterday, but I’m at the halfway point.  Nine more weeks until my feet hit the pavement running from Staten Island through all five of NYC’s boroughs.  *chills*  I don’t use this word often, but, that is going to be epic.

The past week and a half has been brutal on my body.  I’ve been so, so tired.  My knees have the feeling there is something loose and they’ll fall apart at any given moment.  No bueno.  I went for my shorter training runs and was babying my knees the whole time.  It’s not enjoyable to run like you’re afraid your joints are going to come loose with each stride.  :/  I told my team leader that my knees feel like they’ve been used a LOT.  He agreed and reassured me that it’s par for the course.  As long as I’m not in pain and I’m taking care, I should be fine.

Not only have these past couple of weeks been a doosey physically, but mentally as well.  My training runs were not bringing me a sense of eager anticipation, but more like sense of duty, like, an unfortunate chore.  Eep!!  That scared me.  I was worried that running would lose its luster for me because of how tired I felt all the time and my knees weren’t feeling the greatest.

They say marathon training is extremely tasking.  It is.

So, Saturday at 6:30am I got out of bed, made myself an egg over easy on a piece of toast and set out for my long run of 10 miles. 

It was a slow run, but one that I enjoyed because it was early.  Morning runs are always the best.  The air is the freshest and there is a stillness that I have come to love.

Nothing spectacular on this run, just the hills.  There were so many hills on this run.  Like I mentioned before, I now run in different areas so I’m up for surprises all around on these runs.  Hills like nobody’s business on this 10 miler.  My knees proved to be up for the task although still feeling slightly overused.  And I noticed that I’m becoming less and less fond of my Amphipod.  Either I need to grow a belly, or they need to make one for small folk because this sucker bounces all around and I find myself holding it so it won’t bother me.  Who wants to run with one hand around their waist so their water bottle belt stays put??  Not cool.  I’m looking for something else.  Stat.

The 10 miles flew by as I listened to my book on tape, the last mile I slipped some music on and picked up the pace.  Listening to a story definitely slows me down.

All in all this marathon training has its ups and downs.  I’ve been sick of running, tired of running, sore of running, irritated of running, love running, eager about running — all of it.

I’ve even doubted myself.

But guess what?  I’m still here!  Let’s do this.  Next weekend it’s my 15 miler (I mistakenly thought it was this weekend).

Who’s with me!?