Running time cancelled out blogging time.

As I'm sure you've noticed by now, my whole "blog through every day of training" plan really just didn't happen for this race.  It was a nice thought, and there are days when I think back and really wish I'd briefly jotted down how bad a particular run was or fabulous I felt on my last long run or about the day that I pushed through The Wall and finished my worst training run to date... but I didn't.  And honestly, I'm okay with that.  Because as if I'm not already a little nuts for running this marathon, I've already decided that more are in my future.  Considering I truly am the girl who would previously walk through traffic rather than run, this decision surprises no one more so than myself.

I'm hooked on this stuff.  I've got a fever and the only prescription... is more racing.  Considering that this is my first marathon, I am pretty darn proud for what I've accomplished and how far I've come.  Don't get me wrong- I've definitely made mistakes along the way and wished that I had done some things differently, but I've also ultimately grown as a runner and as a person and wouldn't trade this learning experience for anything in the world.

I did miss workouts on occasion, but only the very occasional cross training day or midweek run, and only if I'd hit a point where I truly just needed a rest day that week.  The only two long runs that I've missed were when either my sports medicine doctor (for the horrendous pains in the arches of my feet) or my coach (for the worst chest cold I've had in years) told me that I had to sit it out.  You would think that being told that I didn't have to run double digit miles would be a sweet relief-- oh, no SIR.  I knew I'd crossed over to the dark side when they told me this and I cried instead of doing a happy dance.  Cried!

"What do you MEAN I can't run my long run?!  I've been training!  I have to hit my miles this week!  I have so far left to go with my runs-- I can't miss this!"

Well, I did and (go figure) the sports medicine doctor knew what she was talking about.  While sitting out a week did help the pains in my arches, I've continued to struggle with feet issues through the rest of my training and they're my biggest concern heading into the race.  I know that I've done everything that I can to prepare and that I've taken care of my body the best way possible to be ready for race day.  I suppose your feet have a right to protest every now and then when you're pounding them against asphalt for hours at a time, I just hope they don't rebel against me on November 4th.

Last week sidelined me with a beyond awful chest cold.  I was on the couch in my pajamas and tucked under blankets the entire week, and while I pumped my body full of Mucinex and Robitussin the last thing that I was physically able to do was put my body in any sort of forward motion that would be considered exercise.  Luckily I was so sick I didn't even think about running... until Friday.  Friday would be the Eve of the 20 Miler, the longest run on my training schedule, which would then put me into tapering for the last three weeks.  I emailed the team's coach, explained what had been going on and how sick I'd been, and he immediately responded with strict instructions to sit the 20 miler out and make it up the following week (this Saturday).  Even though I had been assuming that that was going to be the verdict, I was DEVASTATED.  Everything had been going so well so to be hit in the face with sitting out my longest run... it stressed me out.

I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family because everyone rallied around me and convinced me that the worst thing I could do is try to exercise through being sick when I'm this close to the race and risk running my body down even more.  Brian was a champ (he deserves a shout out if only because he claims that I'm the worst sick person in the world.  Ironically enough, he's never been in MY shoes when HE'S sick) and I'm now feeling 150% better.  I've done cross training twice this week, have a short run tomorrow (5 miles) and am facing The Big One on Saturday morning.  

Everyone says to treat your longest run pre-race as a dress rehearsal, so I'm pretty pumped to basically tell myself all morning that I'm running a mini marathon.  It'll also be nice to go into the run knowing that I won't have to run that long again until the race!

Highlight of my week so far?  This little lovely came in the mail yesterday:

As I sat on the couch and read through it last night, I went through the following sequence:
  *Teared up.
  *Couldn't wipe a ridiculously huge smile off of my face.
  *Had chills.
  *Almost threw up.
  *Couldn't wipe a ridiculously huge smile off of my face.

And it's just carried over to today!  My lists to get ready for Marathon Day is slowly being cleared (y'all know my lists are serious business).  Also exciting-- information was emailed out this morning for runners to send out to family and friends to track their runner!  I'll be updating with this info as the race day gets closer, so if anyone's interested in either following my progress online or getting texts as I cross significant points of the race, stay tuned!