Posts Tagged by marine corps marathon
How to Take Great Race Photos
| November 10, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
We all know that when we sign up for a race, we’re also basically signing up for a professional photography session. And as a blogger or reader of blogs, I’m sure you’ve read guides filled with tips and tricks on how to improve your race photos – wear makeup, smile, pose next to landmarks, etc etc etc. You may have even implemented some of these tricks at your races. Because like I always say, a shiny new PR is only as good as the race photos you have to remember it by.
Okay, so I never say that. But I also can’t pretend that I’ve never stood up straighter as I passed a race photographer, or flashed him or her a smile as I ran by. And yes, I will admit that I like finding pictures where I look as strong as I actually feel inside.
But most of the time that doesn’t happen. Because most of the time, my focus is on something else altogether. A posed race photo might look good aesthetically. But do you know what makes race photos great? Actually running.
So without further ado, I present to you the very official {ontherun} Guide to Great Race Photos. Complete with examples of some of my very best race photos of all time (you’re welcome).
The {ontherun} Guide to GREAT Race Photos
Step 1: Sign up for the race of your choosing.
Step 1b: Spend some time training for that race. Chances are, it’s really gonna suck if you don’t.
Step 2: Pick out the outfit that you look cutest in is most comfortable and helps you run your fastest.
Step 3: When the gun goes off, start running. Worry about one thing and one thing only – the clock.
Seriously. Don’t stop – not even to take pictures of mile signs and scenery. Don’t pose for spectators or fellow runners to take your photograph. In fact, why do you even have your camera on you? This is a race.
Look at this face. And that form! Every photographer’s dream.
Step 4: When the finish line comes into view, dig down deep with everything you’ve got and sprint, crawl, or shuffle your way across that thing as fast as you possibly can.
Step 4b: Don’t forget – there will be a money shot of you actually crossing the line. And contrary to what you may have been told, you only get one chance to run across that finish. So make it count.
Bonus points if you lose your breakfast as you cross.
Photo of the beautiful Lizzy of Food to Run For
Now go out there and put these steps to good use!
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Have any particularly GREAT race photographs that you want to share? Let’s see ‘em!
2011 Marine Corps Marathon Race Recap
| November 3, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
It’s a little scary to me that when I think back on the Marine Corps Marathon, the race is already becoming a bit of a blur. For whatever reason, that post-marathon amnesia has kicked in earlier than ever this time. If it weren’t for the intense pain in my quads that’s still making it difficult to go down stairs, I would be convinced that this race is one that I had run in the distant past.
I can’t really figure out why my brain has decided to start blocking out parts of this marathon already. Sure, it was painful – but not moreso than other marathons that I’ve run. And I ran hard, but again, not really all that much faster than I ran in the spring. I’d like to pretend it’s because I was just so darn focused for all 26.2 miles. But I think it might be because maybe (just maybe) after 6 marathons and countless other races, my body is finally starting to realize that it can survive the assault.
Anyway, I am going to try to do this race justice, and I’m sure despite my faulty memory, this recap will be wordy (just par for the course, right?) So settle in, my friends. And I’ll tell you how my second marathon in Washington D.C. this year went down.
The Start
Funny story: before the National Marathon last March, I got “introduced” to Dorothy on Twitter because we were both trying to break 3:20 at the same race. Even though we had never met, we made plans (online) to try to race together, figuring we could push each other to PR. But the craziness of marathon morning combined with the small fact that I wasn’t exactly sure what Dorothy even looked like meant that we never met up. And it wasn’t until Hood to Coast that I finally met this girl whose blog I had been reading with awe for some time.
Marine Corps was the “take two” of our plan. Luckily, this time, things went flawlessly. Dorothy picked EC and I up from my sister’s house at 5:40 Sunday morning to drive to the start. Or, I should more accurately say – the finish. In order to beat the crowds, we decided to go to Rosslyn, where there are plenty of free parking spaces and the starting line is an easy walk away. After a few slightly stressful moments due to roads being unexpectedly closed, we made it to Rosslyn in good time. I was nervous, but not incredibly so. Normally I’m so anxious about the marathon that I have a hard time forcing down a pre-race breakfast. But on Sunday, I ate my entire bagel without complaint. A weird sort of excited calm had washed over me. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t put any real pressure on the race, or maybe it was just knowing Dorothy and I were in this together.
We hung out in the garage for awhile, then started to make our way down to the start. It was dark and quiet – most of the crowds had been directed to Cyrstal City and the Pentagon.
As we walked down the finishing hill from the Iwo Jima monument, I tried to think about what it would feel like to race back up that thing in a few hours. But as the steep incline forced my legs into a run down the hill, I tried to push all those thoughts out of my mind. How bad could it really be?
The walk to the start helped me keep my feeling of excited calm. I felt a burst of excitement as soon as I heard the music blaring and saw the arches that marked the starting line. And again when they started the pre-race ceremonies around 7:30. Two teams of tandem jumpers (including a Marine who was injured in Afghanistan over the summer) jumped out of a plane and carried the US flag.
A firing salute, the National Anthem, and aircraft flying overhead just as the sun was rising? Pretty amazing stuff. And as cheesy as it sounds, at that moment, I was so excited and so incredibly inspired to be taking part in this marathon. It is unlike any other I have ever run.
In the last few minutes leading up to the race, I made the final pre-race preperations as EC continued to snap pictures and fawn over celebrities.
Let’s play guess the celeb! Bonus points to anyone who correcty identifies both. In case you need a little help:
Finally, it was time to line up. As I mentioned in my last post, there aren’t any assigned corrals in MCM – you just line up based on your predicted finish time. Knowing how many people were running that day, Dorothy and I lined up near the front. It was freezing cold – all I could do was hope that the I’d feel good once I started moving.
At 8:00, the gun went off and I let out an excited yell (yes, I really did this. No, I didn’t exactly plan to. I guess I was that excited to run.) The 36th MCM had begun!
The Hilly Beginning
The beginning of the race is known for being hilly, particularly in the first two miles. Because of that, I’ve heard people say that you should look at MCM as an 8 mile warm-up and a 18 mile race. As thousands of runners streamed out onto the MCM course, Dorothy and I purposely held ourselves back. The plan was to go out relaxed and easy, and then negative split the heck out of that course.
We fell into pace easily, chatting a little and reveling in the excitement of running. We had agreed not to waste energy weaving around people at the beginning, which meant that sometimes we ran side by side, and other times one of us was slightly in front. But Dorothy’s pink hat was always in sight, and knowing that she was there, prepared to run this race with me made me more excited than I could even describe. We cruised through the first mile right around 8 minutes; the second just under. I felt relaxed and excited – inspired by all the service men and women and wheelchair participants racing around me.
After the second mile, there was unspoken agreement to pick up the pace. We cruised along for the next couple of miles, not talking much except to point out random things – or Dorothy telling me what to expect coming up on the course. I knew we might be seeing EC around mile 5, so as we headed into Georgetown, I started scanning the crowd searching for a familiar face. When I didn’t find him, I settled back in again, knowing that I wouldn’t get another chance until mile 8 or 9.
Our pace had dropped below 7:30 but I was still feeling pretty relaxed. The only problem was – my legs weren’t feeling fresh. I didn’t feel like I was on the verge of falling apart, but my legs felt sore and a little bit heavy, as though I had run an intense hill workout the day before instead of just sitting around on my butt. But when you’re only a few miles into a marathon, the only choice you have is to ignore the pain – so I pressed on.
We hit another steep hill in the 7th mile, and then headed into Georgetown. People were everywhere. And because I had ironed my name onto my shirt (first time ever doing this!) so many of them were shouting my name. It felt pretty amazing.
And then, suddenly in the midst of all this, I felt an intense pain in my right quad. It was as if the entire muscle had seized up in protest of what I was doing to it. I had a quick panic attack, wondering what the heck was going on. But I didn’t stop. I just kept running, took a Gu, and prayed that I’d be able to just run the pain out. Fortunately, after what seemed like forever but must’ve only been a few tenths of a mile, the pain loosened up. Unfortunately, after that my quads didn’t feel quite the same.
Soon after the quad episode, EC came sprinting towards us out of the crowd. I was so incredibly excited to see him. It gave me a huge boost, and in that moment I convinced myself that everything was going to be alright.
Hello, good to see you, now give me my things!
He ran next to me chatting for a bit, snapped a few glamour shots, and then we were on our way. It was then and there that I admitted something to myself that I had really known all along. I wasn’t just going out there to “see” how I could do. I wasn’t just enjoying the sights and sounds of MCM with the plan to stroll leisurely to the finish. No matter what my training had been like over the past few months, today I was there for one reason only – to race.
I was going to run until my legs fell off.
The “Flying High” Miles
The next several miles passed by in a bit of a blur. We had picked up the pace a lot and that fact had made me strangely giddy with excitement. Normally in marathons I get anxious about going out too fast and blowing up later. But not on Sunday. We were racing. And it felt.so.good. We passed the 3:15 pace group right at mile 10, and I told Dorothy that was the first time in any race that I had done so. That next mile was my favorite of the whole entire marathon. People were lining both sides of the course, holding awesome signs and cheering so loudly for us – as though #teamwatermelon were famous celebrities. I was never more in love with marathoning as I was at that minute.
I hadn’t really looked at my watch at all over the past couple of miles. My only thought was to keep running with Dorothy. I didn’t care what my pace was, I felt like I could run forever. So imagine my surprise later when I looked through my splits and saw that I ran mile 11 in 6:59 – my fastest mile of any marathon ever. In hindsight, this may not have been the smartest racing plan, but I’m glad that I at least didn’t see the split and give myself a chance to freak out about it.
And then, because a marathon is a roller coaster ride, everything suddenly started changing. The high I was feeling during Mile 11 began to slip away and I found myself starting to struggle in Mile 12. My legs didn’t feel right, and I was having trouble focusing. So I put in one headphone, turned on the music, and told myself to stay with Dorothy until the Half.
Half Marathon Split: 1:36:55 (7:23/mile)
It’s All Downhill From Here
As bad as I felt to be ignoring Dorothy, the music helped with my focus. The next several miles were a bit lonely as we ran through Haines Point and around the Tidal Basin. I willed my legs to continue carrying me forward. I knew I would see EC again around Mile 15 or 16, so my new goal became to stick with Dorothy until I saw him. I didn’t let any negative thoughts about how far I had left to go enter my head. Instead, the race became solely about those next couple of miles. Finally, just before I saw EC again at Mile 16 I told Dorothy that I was going to have to drop back. I was struggling with a strange pain in my quads that felt like ripples of tiny cramps. And my legs just did not want to move. She told me to hang in there, that I would feel good again, and pressed on.
When I saw EC again, I tried my best not to fall apart. I told him that my legs were hurting and that I could feel my pace crumbling. He told me to hang in there, and that he would see me again at Mile 20. I turned up the music, and focused on just making it to Mile 20. If I could get there, I could finish.
Can we just take a minute and reflect on what is going on with my stride here? Apparently “tip-toeing” through the course helps you feel better when your legs are hurting.
Those next few miles were the lowest point in the race for me. I felt like I was literally watching my time slip away, and I was powerless to stop it. It’s one of the most frustrating feelings you can experience in a marathon – wanting so badly in your head to keep moving fast, yet feeling helpless to actually move your legs. The only saving grace for this part of the marathon is that you run through the National Mall. I tried to focus on the beauty of the course, but I was in my own little world.
Eyes closed = Lauren is in pain
Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was at Mile 20 and seeing EC again. He was standing with his cousin, who had come into D.C. just to cheer for me. Both of them were screaming and yelling my name – and I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t really give them the warmest welcome. At this point in the race, I was just mad. I knew I had no business thinking I could PR, but I had tasted it. I had seen what it felt like to run sub-3:15 pace and I wanted it. And now that my legs weren’t doing what my head told them to do, I just got pissed.
This is the first and last picture Evan tried to take of me around Mile 20. See that face? It’s not one that welcomes cameras.
Despite my anger, EC did his best to cheer me up. He ran with me for a little while, and I tried to regain some of the positive attitude that I’d had earlier. I passed off my water bottle and arm warmers, and prepared to grit it out for the last 10K.
The Final Push
Somewhere after Mile 20, the 3:15 group passed me again. I tried to hang with them for a few minutes, but it just wasn’t happening. I remember looking off into the distance, seeing Dorothy’s pink hat bobbing among the crowd, and willing her to keep that group away.
As the course ran along the never-ending 14th Street Bridge, I started calculating how much time I had left for the last 10K. All I could think about was the 3:20 pace group. I could not let them pass me too. I realized that if I managed to keep my pace under 8:00 minutes/mile, I just might PR – or at least tie my time from National. From that point on, that became my sole goal. And when I reached Mile 21, something came over me. My legs still felt heavy, and I was still so tired, but I was suddenly hit with a new resolve. I picked up the pace (sort of) and knew with all my heart: I was going to run a sub-3:20 today.
We finally got off the bridge and ran through Crystal City. I saw runners coming at me in the other direction, and just focused on making it to the turn-around. I don’t remember much about this part of the course at all. I remember there were crowds of people, and I remember that at some point, I realized I was catching back up to Dorothy. I focused on her back and kept running. When I finally caught up, I asked her how she was doing and felt awful to hear that she too was struggling. I tried encouraging her, but at that moment, I really had nothing left. I kept running, half expecting that she would stay with me. Dorothy – I’m really sorry that I left you there. My head wasn’t thinking straight.
Miles 25 – 26 seemed to stretch on forever. I knew I was going to be so close to my time at National and kept trying (and failing) to will my legs faster, all the while dreading the hill that was coming before the finish. My watch finally ticked off 26 miles, but the finish was still nowhere in sight. I didn’t know how much further I could go.
Suddenly, we turned the corner and there it was - the wall. I felt like I had been hit with a ton of bricks. If I hadn’t been in so much pain already, the situation would have been almost funny. Scaling a mountain on trashed legs? I can only imagine what I looked like running up that thing. I gritted my teeth and tried to focus on taking one step at a time, but I knew my pace had slowed down to a crawl. I was afraid to look down at my watch, convinced that my hope of PR’ing had just completely disappeared. Somehow, I finally reached the top of the hill, but it didn’t matter. There would be no glorious sprint to the finish – my legs were shot. I saw the finish line and it was all I could do to waddle toward it. Apparently there were crowds of people (including EC and his cousin) cheering us toward the line, but I saw none of that. All I saw was that line, and a PR time that had gone out the window.
Finally, after an eternity, I crossed that finish. And I looked down at my watch and immediately burst into tears. I was shocked to discover that I had done it – I had PR’d by the skin of my teeth.
Dear Marathonfoto – I’m sorry for stealing your pictures.
Final Time: 3:18:09*
Pace: 7:34/mile
Overall Place: 578; Gender Place: 76/8,530; Division Place: 20
(*This originally said 3:18:08 when I crossed which meant that I PR’d by 10 seconds. The site now has me listed as 3:18:09. I know I shouldn’t really care about one little second, but I can’t help but wish I had moved just a teeny bit faster. Oh well. Next time I will crush that PR by more than mere seconds.)
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If you’ve read this far, thank you! Going into MCM, I did not expect to PR. But apparently 2011 was the year of the 3:18 marathon. I have so many thoughts about my training and what this means for the future, but I won’t bore you with them now. What I will say, though, is thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your encouragement and support throughout the weekend. Every time I crossed a mat on the course, I knew you would be seeing my times – which gave me strength and helped me keep going even when things started looking rough.
Marathon #7 – I am ready for you.
MCM in Review: by the numbers
| November 1, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
FIVE THINGS I loved about the 36th Marine Corps Marathon:
1.) The organization
21,250 runners crossed the starting line of the 36th MCM on that chilly Sunday morning. There was no wave start, no assigned corrals, yet the starting line was anything but chaotic. Runners lined up according to their expected finish time and started on two separate sides of the street.
The entire race had the same amount of expert organization. Water stops were on both sides of the street and had plenty of water/gatorade, mile markers were clearly marked, and the Marine volunteers were nothing short of amazing.
2.) The course
Maybe it’s because I went into the race with low expectations – seeing as the last marathon I ran was also in D.C., and that course was nothing to write home about. It may not surprise anyone to hear that the MCM course blew National out of the water. Yes, there were lonely times and yes, there were parts that were not so great (please refer to the next section) but overall the course was well planned out. We saw so much of Washington D.C.’s history and beauty. The only thing I regret is how much of this race passed in a blur for me.
3.) The finisher’s medal
Awesome for two reasons: a.) a very nice and attractive Marine put this around my neck after I finished and b.) this thing is solid – and it rotates! With the exception of my 2009 Boston medal, this one is my absolute favorite.
4.) Running with Dorothy
I like running alone. And before Sunday, I had never set out to run a marathon with another person, so I really wasn’t sure how this plan to run with Dorothy would go. But as soon as the race started, I knew that it was going to be perfect. Not only did we fall into pace perfectly, but we helped push each other through the middle miles. Running next to someone who has the same goal as you do is an awesome way to keep yourself motivated. And although neither of us ended up having a perfect race, the 2011 MCM will always have a special place in my heart because I ran it with #teamwatermelon.
Image via BGILL Photography
5.) The love and support I felt during the race.
From the crowd of spectators lining the course, from all of you, from my friends and family, and especially from EC and my sister – who had to deal with my pre-race craziness and yet still loved me enough to take complete care of me before the marathon, and spoil me after.
FOUR THINGS I did NOT love about the 36th Marine Corps Marathon:
1.) The shirt
The long sleeved “cotton” t-shirt all participants received has got to be the stiffest, most strange fitting shirt I’ve ever gotten from a race. That being said, I wore that thing with pride on the airplane yesterday, and will probably continue to wear it for a long time.
2.) The expo
Okay, so the expo wasn’t really bad. I ended up going on Friday, and it was well organized and not over crowded. But – it also wasn’t anything too exciting, either. Maybe my expectations were warped from going as a little kid (when my parents ran MCM) and being in heaven as I gobbled up one free sample after another. Turns out things are a little less exciting as an adult.
3.) The 14th Street bridge
That is one long bridge. Yikes. And it’s late enough in the race (between mile 20 and 21) that it’s easy to start cursing it and everything else around you.
4.) That hill up to the finish line at the Iwo Jima monument
I have never ever had a single moment in a race that sucked the wind out of my sails quite like the last .2 (or so) miles of MCM. You turn a corner and are faced with what appears to be a wall – one that you need to scale as quickly as possible on legs that are practically falling off.
Do you see how bent over I am in the picture below? I had just finished going up the steep part of the hill and was trying to “sprint” to the finish. Instead, I’m pretty sure I waddled on legs that had turned into jello.
THREE THINGS that are {almost} harder than running a marathon:
1.) Walking up and down stairs
My legs hurt worse after MCM than they have in recent race history. And I’m not exactly sure why.
2.) Putting on and tying my shoes
For two reasons – the intense pain in my legs, and this:
Yep, I just showed you a picture of a bloody toe on my blog. Good thing it doesn’t look as bad in the picture as it was in real life. And believe it or not, it’s the other (non-bloody) foot that hurts more at the moment.
3.) Waking up before 5:00 am on 3 out of the 4 days I was in D.C., including the day after the marathon.
And then going into work later that day. Focusing was nearly impossible.
TWO THINGS I’m looking forward to now that the marathon is over:
1.) Spectating at the New York City Marathon
Next weekend I get to hang out with Ali and Emily, and not have to stress one little bit about running.
2.) Taking a break from training
I’m actually very excited to start running just for the fun of it again, as well as doing other forms of activity like lifting. That way I can come back to training this winter with a vengeance.
ONE THING I know for sure after completing the 36th Marine Corps Marathon:
1.) I have a faster marathon in me
I believe with all my heart that I am capable of running sub-3:15 marathon. After finishing MCM, I’m dreaming big. It’s not going to be easy, but I will put in the training. And one day I will run a 3:10.
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I promise that a full race recap is coming soon…once I’ve caught up on sleep enough to string coherent sentences together.
Beware the Crazy Marathoner
| October 28, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Marathon Training, Running |
I would like to have been able to title this post “How to Stay Calm the Week of Your Marathon.” Or at least “How to act like a rational adult when under pressure.” Instead, I need to confess that I’ve done neither of those things this week. Despite the hours I’ve spent trying to convince myself that this marathon is a no-pressure, “just go out there and see what you can do” situation, I’ve been hit with the pre-marathon nerves. And hit hard.
You’d think that after 5 marathons and 27 years of life, I’d be a little more collected. But nope – I’m embarrassed to admit that all it takes is a large, out of town race to reduce me to a 5 year old. I’m sure I’ve been such a joy to be around this week.
So in the spirit of “do as I say, not as I do,” here is how this week in {ontherun} land went.
Monday
Wake up and am immediately hit by the fact that in less than a week’s time, I’ll be running the 36th MCM. Heart rate soars. Go to work. Have a mild, public freak-out about my training and the taper. Almost convince myself that the sane and smart thing to do at this point in my training is to go out and run 9 miles that afternoon. You know, because everyone knows you should do one last semi-long run duringmarathon week.
Talk to Twitter and my always wise Father (yep, I still call my dad to calm me before races), and am finally brought to my senses about the stupidity of my plan.
After work, see that the shoes that I finally got around to ordering last week (oops) have been delivered. Take them out for a test run. Decide that’s a good enough test to declare the shoes marathon worthy.
Tuesday
Wear my brand new running shoes to work in an effort to break them in as quickly as possible. Notice that my quads seem to be experiencing mysterious muscle aches. And that dang knee pain hasn’t gone away. Take the day off running and ice instead.
After work, head to the store because I’ve managed to convince myself that I absolutely need a pair of green shorts for the race. Find myself slightly disappointed in the store’s small selection of shorts (I guess winter is coming or something), but settle on a pair of Nike tempos.
They’re not green and pink, but they will do.
Proceed to have a minor meltdown that night because of a bad stomachache. As if stomach pains are the first sign that everything is falling apart.
Wednesday
Wake up congested. Convince myself that I am suddenly coming down with some horrible disease whose impacts are far more serious than those of seasonal allergies. Proceed to drink enough water and nuun during the day to warrant a trip to the bathroom every half hour.
After work, go for a short, easy run to test out the new shorts. They hold up great for 4 miles – decide this must mean that they’re marathon worthy. Meet Lizzy and Beckyfor a carb-filled pizza dinner. Go to bed feeling calm.
Thursday
Wake up congested again. Apparently that rare disease I’ve just contracted hasn’t gone away over night. Take an allergy pill on the off-chance that I’m actually just suffering from seasonal allergies, and not a condition that is likely to result in severe injury or death.
Head to work. Proceed to tell everyone that I won’t be in on Friday because I’m running a marathon. To which they reply, “Again?!” Not quite the response I was going for… Manage to make it through the day feeling relatively calm.
After work, go for a really easy 3 mile run in the cold rain. It’s like a 25 minute ice bath for my legs and I love it. Until the last half mile when I suddenly feel an odd, yet painful tweak in my left quad. Stop to walk and rub it out. Try to rationalize it’s just a cold muscle…and not a pulled one.
Get home from the run and head out to complete a few last minute errands. Suddenly all the calm I had been feeling during the day melts away and everything seems to be going wrong all at once. Proceed to have the biggest meltdown yet. By this point, EC is looking for the nearest escape route – and beginning to have serious doubts about being stuck on a plane with me the next morning.
Finally talk to my parents and get an awesome MCM email from Dorothy. All is right with the world again. Set my alarm for a super early wake up call.
Friday (today)
Wake up as soon as the alarm goes off feeling groggy but excited. I’m going to DC today!! Gather up a few remaining things and my carry-on suitcase (not taking any chances this time). Head out to the car and am shocked to find it coated in layer of ice (in October!!). Despite that minor setback, everything goes smoothly. I get to the airport with EC in plenty of time, board the flight, and get myself to DC.
Now I’m hanging out with my wonderful sister, who greeted me with a huge gift bag filled with pre-marathon goodies (dark chocolate, granola, and bananas – what else could I girl want?). We’ll be heading to the expo in a little bit, and I’m surprised that I feel calmer now than I have all week. Maybe I just had to get all the freak-outs out of the way early…
Good luck to everyone running this weekend!
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There’s still time to enter my Team Sparkle Skirt Giveaway! Entries are accepted until November 1st!
What I’m Loving Now: MCM Taper Edition
| October 22, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Marathon Training, Running |
There are only 8 more days until I’m standing on the starting line of the 36th Marine Corps Marathon; 5 until I’m on a plane heading south to VA. As the race draws closer, I’m spending less time running and more time thinking – reflecting over my training and my goals for marathon day.
Translation: the taper crazies are currently ramped up to an all time high.
I don’t know why I always think that marathons will suddenly become less intimidating. While nothing will ever be as nerve-wracking as my first, the truth remains – a marathon is a very long race. A race that you put a lot of time and energy into training for. And no matter what your training has looked like, anything can happen on race day.
In case you were wondering, heavy thoughts and a restless body aren’t exactly the greatest combination.
Luckily, this taper hasn’t been all bad. There are a few good things that have gotten me through the week, and distracted me from those heavy marathon thoughts about performance, goals, and whether these achy knees of mine are going to hold up for 3+ hours. So in the spirit of my 6th marathon, here are 6 things I’m loving:
1.) Operation Leave No Carb Behind. The gradual upping of carbohydrates in preparation of race day is in full swing. While I do happen to consider myself a bit of a pro at this already, I’ve been more conscious than usual about the types of foods I’m eating from now until the marathon. Candy corn and alcohol are out. Whole grains, healthy fats, and proteins are in.
2.) Followed closely by Operation Hydration. Particularly in the form of Bananaberry Nuun. Half a tablet of banana + half a tablet of tri-berry = my newest obsession. And the greatest flavor of nuun that has yet to be created.
Good thing I’m pretty well stocked at the moment.
3.) Long runs that are “only” 10 miles. Tomorrow morning I’ll be doing my last long run of this training cycle. It’s a strange, but wonderful thing to think I’ll be running for less than an hour and a half. And then it’s all about resting until race day.
4.) Real time race tracking
Actually, I’m not really sure I love this yet. Knowing that your times will be automatically tweeted whether you’re running well or not adds a little element of pressure, I think. But I know I like stalking tracking other people’s times on race day to see how they’re doing. So now you can stalk me too.
5.) Sparkly Soul Headbands. I somehow won Dorothy’s giveaway for one of these headbands and I’m excited to sport one during MCM next week.
A perfect accessory for my #teamwatermelon race wear…and for keeping back hair that still doesn’t quite fit into a ponytail on its own.
6.) The end of Marine Corps Marathon Training. There comes a point in every training cycle when I just get tired of the act of training. And during today’s short uneventful run, I realized – I’m at that point. I wasn’t running fast or going far, but yet I felt tired…just from simply being out there. I’m tired of having MCM in the back of every single one of my thoughts and as the end goal for every single one of my workouts. And I’m tired of this taper – of making sure I get enough rest to be ready on race day. I need this week to speed up and get me to the starting line already!
While at the same time, I’m hoping it drags out forever…
3.) Long runs that are “only” 10 miles. Tomorrow morning I’ll be doing my last long run of this training cycle. It’s a strange, but wonderful thing to think I’ll be running for less than an hour and a half. And then it’s all about resting until race day.
4.) Real time race tracking
Actually, I’m not really sure I love this yet. Knowing that your times will be automatically tweeted whether you’re running well or not adds a little element of pressure, I think. But I know I like stalking tracking other people’s times on race day to see how they’re doing. So now you can stalk me too.
5.) Sparkly Soul Headbands. I somehow won Dorothy’s giveaway for one of these headbands and I’m excited to sport one during MCM next week.
A perfect accessory for my #teamwatermelon race wear…and for keeping back hair that still doesn’t quite fit into a ponytail on its own.
6.) The end of Marine Corps Marathon Training. There comes a point in every training cycle when I just get tired of the act of training. And during today’s short uneventful run, I realized – I’m at that point. I wasn’t running fast or going far, but yet I felt tired…just from simply being out there. I’m tired of having MCM in the back of every single one of my thoughts and as the end goal for every single one of my workouts. And I’m tired of this taper – of making sure I get enough rest to be ready on race day. I need this week to speed up and get me to the starting line already!
While at the same time, I’m hoping it drags out forever…
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