A Couple of Things to Keep in Mind....

Last week I ran my highest mileage week ever. I'm exhausted and terrified. And ready to taper....

Like most runners, tapers drive me crazy. I get TO the taper and can't wait to get started. Then the first week of tapering barely feels like I'm tapering at all because the mileage is still kind of high. Then the mileage really starts to drop and I lose my mind. I can't WAIT!

But, after Saturday's long run I kept thinking... you have to remember those two things that you learned during all those 20+ mile runs come race day. You have to remember those two things. Then I would say them, then I would forget them. So, now I'm gonna write em down. Maybe on race day I'll have to write them on my hand so that I can remember.

#1 - IT'S JUST STUPID RUNNING!
I had a really miserable run during my training. I had a few that were real doozies to be honest. But this one run was so crappy that at multiple points I just wanted to sit down and cry. The run sucked, I couldn't find a rythm and it just felt AWFUL! My body hurt, my Ipod was dead, there was snow everywhere that made me feel like I was running in place, and every stupid step was a stupid struggle.

And then I stopped.

 

I turned my Garmin off and just stood there and I said it out loud. It's just stupid running. I'm not saving lives, I'm not designing space stations, it's just stupid running. And that made me smile. Sometimes I get so into my head about how "important" my training schedule and a race might be and in the big picture.... it's just stupid running. When I took the importance away from it, it seemed better. I feel like that will be good to keep in mind come race day. It's just one race and it's just stupid running. It doesn't make or break me.

 

#2 - It sucks now, but it will get better... probably
One of the things I love about running longer distances is that there's plenty of time for things to change. I remeber being at mile 18 of a race thinking that I was having the best time of my life and I was so sad that I was already at mile 18! No more than three miles later I hated running and wanted the race to be over more than anything in the whole wide world. So, come race day I hope I can remember that when it really sucks, it will get better... probably. Oh, and then it may start to suck again, but then could get better. And then.... oh well you get the idea... it's gonna be a long race, a lot could happen.