With 2 of my running buddies, Lindsey and Kandyce - 20 miles conquered!Looking back on the last few months of blog posts, I realized that not only have the postings been scarce, but they have also done a very poor job of documenting my marathon training experience. Last year, I shared story after story of my journey, and this season with just four weeks to go I'm sorry to say that I've given you nothing.
Training has had its fair shares of ups and downs, with the ups far outweighing the downs this time around. I started out with a great pair of shoes that have given me no trouble with blisters and callouses. Best of all, its the right type of shoe for me, correcting the knee issues of last season. Hallelujah! Still, even with best support in shoes out there, I still over-pronate and have turned to supplemental arch supports help reduce shin splints and keep me from more serious injury.
Aside from the mechanics of it all (is there really more than that?!?!), the Team In Training experience has been amazing. I'm proud to be running and fundraising for this great organization, supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I've met some amazing people -both fellow runners, and team honorees - that have inspired and encouraged me along the way. Injury prevention clinics and track workouts have been scheduled over the course of the last few months for our benefit. And I am beyond thankful for having a group to share my long endurance runs each Saturday morning.
These events are so well planned, with courses mapped, miles marked and water stops (with ice, water, Gatorade, pretzels, energy bars, Gu's - you name it), that I look back to last year as I tried to do 14, 16, 18 miles on my own, and I cringe. This morning was the peak of it all with a 20 mile run, in San Francisco, with all the local chapters present for the event.
Living near the race destination sure has its benefits! We did a "course preview" running a fair portion of the Nike Marathon course. Let me tell you, there were hills that challenged me to no end, and it was grueling and tough, but I finished it and now feel more prepared than ever for October 19th!
And when it was all over, we crossed the street and submerged our tired legs in the Pacific Ocean! It was the most refreshing feeling I've ever experienced - the perfect way to ice the soreness away.
Bring on the cold!
Icing our sore legs in the Pacific Ocean - amazing.
2 comments:
How fun for you - I'm glad you've found a group of people with common interests and the desire to encourage and motivate one another. Cheering you on from Chicago!
Congratulations on completing yet another marathon! You are inspiring, and you should be very proud of yourself. I love that you could cool your legs in the Pacific after the run. Gotta love California. :)
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