Saturday, November 19, 2011

Triathlete/Runner Amnesia

This time last week I was carbo-loading at Lillo's, an Italian restaurant in Pensacola Beach and wondering why the heck I had ever signed up for the Pensacola marathon that was the next day.  Why do I put myself under this kind of stress when I don't have too?  Why did I ever think I wanted to run a marathon in every state?  What's wrong with me?

When the alarm went off at 4:30 marathon morning, the first thing I think of is do I really want to do this?  Can I just stay in bed?  I was wide awake so I got up, got ready, ate a power bar and a banana and went to the bathroom.  I just thought, ok, let's just get this thing over with so I can come home and eat lunch with Boy and sit around wrapped in my snuggie for the rest of the day being extra nice to the Murph for putting up with me.

There were several times during the race when I really, really wished I had only signed up to do the half marathon instead of the whole thing.  I wondered now why did I want to run a marathon in every state.  Why did I want to run THIS marathon?  Did I ever want to run another marathon at all?  Maybe I would just pick the marathons that I wanted to do, which only involve about 4 or 5 states and just forget all the other states.

By mile 20 I was thinking maybe this would be it for me.  No more marathons.  Why even run at all?  Is it really that good for you?  I wasn't feeling that good.

After the race I could barely walk.  My calves have been extremely sore all week.  I tried to run for the first time today and my calves felt tight and still hurt.  I felt like somebody punched them with their fist.  I told the Murph that I thought it was not a good idea for me to run the Ruben Studdard half marathon that the Running Nazi wanted me to do with her tomorrow.

He said "I thought you had already decided you weren't going to do that. "

"Well I was only 99% sure I wasn't doing it, but now I am 100%."  He just shook his head.  He doesn't understand crazy, but being around me he's getting use to it.

It's funny how you forget the stress and pain of running marathons and other long, endurance type events (such as the Ironman).  You forget how the training takes up most of your free time and rules your entire life and everything you do and eat and sleep revolves around the training for these events.  You forget the anxiety before race day and the worries.  Do I have everything?   Did I train enough?  It's gonna hurt!

I'm not much fun to be around the days before the race and especially not race morning.  I don't handle stress very well.   Ask the Murph.

So anyway, today I've been thinking about which marathon in which state I am going to tackle next.  Maybe I should even sign up for at least one 1/2 Ironman too.  No full Ironman triathlons next year though.  Definitely not, no, well, probably not, at least not next year.

Triathlete/Runner amnesia, crazy or just plain dumb?

6 comments:

  1. i always wondered if all that running is really beneficial...i guess i'm more of an "everything in moderation" person. well, most everything. i do think if we're ever going to accomplish anything, we have to challenge ourselves beyond comfort levels.
    however- i am also of the mindset "listen to your body." this is a big reason i love yoga- it makes you aware.

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  2. I hurt my toe doing yoga. I don't think it is as safe as running if you want to avoid injuries. lol

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  3. barbie....stop making excuses, yoga is not even close to being brutal on your body like running is! it's beyond me how someone hurts their toe doing, of all things, yoga. ;)
    xo

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  4. I really did hurt my toe during yoga. I think I stretched it too much. lol

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  5. And "yes" running is beneficial, especially if someone is chasing you.

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  6. you shouldn't need to stretch your toes in yoga...not enough to cause injury!
    you have a point about running. it could come in handy.

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