Having Doubts

So I follow a Facebook page that's written by the authors of a book called Run Like A Mother. It's filled with real-life experiences of a bunch of women and most days it's quite inspiring.  One day last week there was a post from someone wondering what she should yell out to her friend as she cheered her on at her first marathon.  People responded with some great ideas of things to say like, "Your Feet Hurt Because You're Kicking So Much Butt!" and some reminders about what is strictly forbidden like, "You're almost there!" when you're not even close to the finish.  Anyway, one of them struck me as something that I need to remember right now.

"There will be days you don't think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have."

That first line... that's me.  At this point in my training, there is no way that I am able to envision myself actually finishing a 26.2 mile run.  It just doesn't seem possible.  26.2 miles is a really long distance.  (In case you didn't already know that, now you do.)  I've run 13.1 miles before.  So I can see that.  I can see myself at about 15 miles.  But anything past that, nope, not happening.   


As the weeks go by, I'm really, really hoping that the mental block on I have on achieving that 26.2 miles will just fade away.  Because I know that running is not just a physical thing.  There is a whole lot of mental stuff involved in it.  I need to mentally get myself through that 26.2 miles.  Maybe I need to make one of those nerdy storyboards or something and photoshop me into Grandma's Marathon finishing shots.  Hmmm... maybe not a bad idea.  I'll think about it.  (I'm guessing that "thinking about it" is as far as that one will go.)


But hey, the good news is, I never had any doubts that I could get through my 3 mile run this morning.  I guess I have to start somewhere, right?

Wishful Thinking

I won't lie.

I have a secondary goal that goes along with this marathon training.  My primary goal is to not die while finishing Grandma's Marathon.  But I'm really, really hoping that during the 18 (!!) weeks of training, I'll be able to drop a few pounds as well.

Sad to admit, but since I have finished (well, the downfall started before the actual finish of the research study) the Jenny Craig study, I've gained a little weight back.  It's not a huge amount, but it's not an amount that I want to keep with me forever.  (You can read more about the Jenny Craig Research Study here: FAB Study)  I know that losing weight is more about what you eat than what activity you do, but I'm hoping to re-connect that mind/body thing.  I want to see that I'm exercising and then know that I want to eat foods that are good for my body.  So... here's to my 18 weeks of eating well.

As far as how that 18 weeks of training is going?  Well, yesterday was the first "official" run of training.  And guess what?  I didn't do it.  I know, I know... I feel very guilty.  But I'm counting my run on Sunday as my 3 miles for yesterday.  Does that work?  Anyway, I'm off to a good start today and have finished today's run already. 

If anyone is interested in running with me ever, just let me know.  I'm always open to running with friends.  Or strangers.  Or anyone, really.  As long as they don't make me go too fast.  Too slow is just fine with me.  Or I'll also take volunteers who will drag me to an exercise class on one of my cross training days.  Whatever.  I need all the help I can get.

Just don't try to get me to eat any chocolate malts, european truffle pie, perkins pancakes, or chips and salsa.  Because those things are all bad.  Very, very bad.  And I'm only eating good food.

Well, that part might be a lie...

Wet Feet and Valentine Time

We were given a special treat today.  The sun came out and the temperature was in the upper 40s!  But you probably already know that.  It was a beautiful day!  The first warm days of winter are always great, but they're especially great for those of us who are runners.  I can't begin to explain how much extra motivation I need to get out and run when it's cold outside.  So today was a gift!  Adding to the gift was that my sister came by and I roped her into staying for a half hour so Gary and I could go out for a run together.  AWESOME!  (I work tomorrow evening so our 3 mile run also doubled as our valentine date.)

I started out in capris, but then chickened out and put my full length tights on before we left.  (Glad I did!)  The wind was out and it was a bit chilly.  We planned on just going around the lake in our development, it's about 3 miles.  Seemed pretty easy. 

And once we started running, I remembered that I haven't been running a ton lately and that my "treadmill legs" aren't the same as my "outside legs"... it was rough!  And then we got to the parts of the path when the snow plow decided to just stop clearing the snow.  There were some sections where we were just running right through snow piles.  I also really loved running through the slushy puddles.  Nothing feels better than super cold and wet feet!  (I'm joking!) 

But as Gary said while were were trudging through one of the unplowed areas, "I'll take this anyday over a treadmill run."  I agree, Gary, I agree.  Thanks for running with me today.  Every run is nicer with a friend!

One Dreadmill Benefit

Yes folks, I have come up with one reason why running on the dreadmill in my boring, cold, dark basement is better than running outside or on a treadmill at the Y.  It's taken me a while, but after running at the Y yesterday, I figured it out.

When you run at home, you can pause your run and go to the bathroom.

It's great!

And as any runner knows, sometimes you really need to go to the bathroom in the middle of a run.  I'll leave it at that.

So that, my friends, is the one single reason why I will continue to run on the dreadmill in my basement until the temperature outside is at least 20 degrees and the windchill is not below zero.

Now if we could just get that basement bathroom finished so I didn't have to run upstairs...

This Is Why I Run

Runners are a special group of people.  Some people call us strange.  Crazy.  Selfish.  And there are times that I agree with all of those descriptions.  It's strange to run for fun. (It's hard work!  Why is that fun?)  It's crazy to be outside running when it's freezing cold outside.  (My hair freezes and I have frost in my eyebrows.)  It's selfish to think that I should be allowed lots of time away from my family when I'm training for a big race.  (How long do you think it's going to take me to run 20 miles when I'm training?  It's a LONG time.)

It's not all for me.  Yes, I get health benefits from running.  I'm in a better mood.  I exercise my joints and muscles.  I burn calories.  But I know that my running is benefitting more than just me.

I know (because you've told me) that I have inspired others to get more active.  I love that I can help motivate someone else.

I also know that I'm having a huge, positive impact on my kids.  How do I know?  I saw them this morning and I was so proud.  My heart was smiling as they were running.  And my eyes were teary.  (Never a big surprise.)  I know that I'm showing them a good example by getting out and moving. 

Yes, runners are a strange breed.  We take up a lot of time while trying to run faster and longer.  But I can't help but think about the long term impact that it has on people around me and it inspires me to keep working and keep running.

Because I love them.

Music or Podcast??

Yay me for getting up at 6am to run this morning!

It's pathetic, but I feel like I need to congratulate myself for dragging myself down to the treadmill this morning.  It's cold down there.  And boring.  I don't have anything good to listen to.  And it's a lot earlier than I like to get out of bed.  So yeah, good job, Deby!

So the big question of the day is, do I start to incorporate a podcast into my routine?  I'm getting bored with the same music over and over again.  I can only "Get Jiggy Wit It" so many times before I start to get bored.  I haven't updated my playlist for quite some time, but I just can't find many songs that I think I'd like to run to.  So I started thinking about podcasts.  I listen to talk radio when I'm in the car, I hardly ever listen to music.  So maybe I just need to find a good podcast to download and listen to.

Any suggestions?

Where did Deby go?

Ack!  No new posts for over a week.  Where did I disappear to??  Who knows.  I told myself that I was only going to write about running on this blog and I seem to have taken a little running vacation over the last week or so.  Therefore, no posts!  But today I forced myself back on the treadmill.  It was a very short run at the Y before I went to BodyFlow class, but hey, at least I ran.  The motivation has been seriously lacking so I haven't been running.

As we were gearing up (and trying to motivate myself to get there early so I could run before class) to leave for the Y, I said to Oliver, "Ugh, I really don't want to run, but I know I should."  Oliver will be no help to me in this training if he continues this attitude.  He said, "It's ok, Mom.  You don't have to run."  But I forged on ahead and pushed us out the door, hoping I could salvage a little time before my 10:40 class. 

I normally go to BodyFlow only on Tuesdays because I love the teacher.  But I've been busy for the last few weeks so I've skipped it.  So glad that I went today!  (I don't think my abs are thanking me, though.)  It's a nice way to relax and work my muscles in a way that don't get worked when I run.  I know that I definitely need to keep it in my regimen as I do this whole marathon training stuff. 

So anyway, this hodge podge of a blog post is my attempt to get myself back on track.  We'll see how long it lasts.  I'm counting down the days.  Only 13 days left until the real training begins.  What fun!