40 miles

This is the biggest mileage week I will have throughout the rest of my training, race week included. 40 miles..... I know, it's insane. Yesterday was 5 mi., today is 10, tomorrow 5 again an my long run is 20 mi. on Saturday. I'm really excited that I'm coming down the home stretch.

I don't know about any of you runners out there but for me personally I think the worst of the hard work is over with before race day. The 20 miler is a killer because you don't have the Gatorade at every mile or fans to cheer you on. You don't have an angel holding a giant slab if Vaseline on a piece of cardboard. You don't hear music cranked up, live bands or cow bells.

I can't believe some of you nuts get up to 22 mi.+ on your long runs in your training! I won't even mention the ultra marathon nuts.... Just joking I really admire you for being nuts and hope to become more nuts in the years to come. I follow Hal Higdon's NOVICE 1 training schedule. I really think I would die if I even tried to jump up to novice 2. Novice 1 got me through my first marathon.


I will say that in my first race I hit a brick wall physically, mentally and emotionally soon after mile 24. I honestly thought it was impossible to go even 2 more. I was so delirious at that point, if it weren't for Derrick who came up running behind me with gels and encouragement I would have walked a lot more those last 2 miles.

He was there just when I needed him and the funny thing is neither of us could have planned it that way. Neither of us knew before the race when I would hit my "breaking point". I wonder if it will be mile 24 again this time? It's at this "breaking point" that I will once again have to decide that I WILL NOT GIVE UP even if I have to crawl over the finish line. Just wondering WHAT is up with the .2? Does anybody know? It's nothing but a smack in the face after hobbling over the 26th mile.




Let's go for a run!