Week Fourteen - Countdown

Mileage (miles per workout): 5 - 8 - 5 - 9

The beginning of this week didn’t feel any different than before.  So all I was looking forward to during the taper weeks didn’t materialize until the last run of the week.  It took so much less time I didn’t realize I was almost done until I thought about my route.

While I had this sense of relief knowing I was only running nine miles and I was confident I could do it without too much of an effort, I missed the feeling of breaking a personal record when seeing the stop sign on the corner near my apartment.  That stop sign talked to me.  “You can stop now.  You’ve done well.”

So I stopped and there was an immediate rush of accomplishment that continued throughout the day.  “How far today?”  “Well...I ran 18 miles this morning.”  “Wow.”

The taper had changed my routine slightly.  I got to plan my running around my life instead of my life around my running.  Life has definitely revolved around my training these last couple of months.  The voice inside my head talked to me constantly.  If you eat that how will it make you feel later?  Those shoes are cute but how does your knee feel?

It was as if I was playing a “good cause and effect” game with my self-conscious.  There is a story behind that phrase.  Here it goes.  I was wished good cause and effect before a sociology test a few years back.  The well-wisher was convinced there was no such thing as luck and to wish someone good luck on anything wasn’t accurate.  It wasn’t luck but the byproduct of cause and effect that could predict the future.  For example, studying well meant a good outcome on the test while no or poor studying meant a lower test score.  So he always wished anyone good cause and effect.  By doing so he only had to say one thing to make it appropriate for everyone.

That principle directly applied to me.  The things I currently do and have done leading to the marathon directly impact my performance.  I was more than happy to do them to complete this adventure.  It made me more confident.  I will cross a thing off the life list and beat myself.

Things I learned this week:

First: As I expend less energy by decreasing the mileage I’ve had to find ways besides running to calm my nervous energy.  Writing does it for me.

Last: Friends are great resources.

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Continue reading - Weeks Fifteen & Sixteen