Fourth Times the Charm

I debated about putting anything on social media at all. The approaching holidays just makes me want to cuddle up on the couch, technology-less, & stare at my decorated fireplace. I then considered just a FB post… knowing me though; it would be long & rambling. But in the shower tonight, I concluded that I wanted to remember these thoughts. I wanted to remember these moments. I wanted to remember these fears. Because on March 19^th, 2017, I want to remember where all of this started & how exactly I got across that finish line. Why have a personal running blog if I am not going to share about the journey I am about to embark upon?

I know many non-running friends won’t understand the big goals that runners sometimes conjure up in their heads. They don’t understand that running is a part of our heart & soul. In that same shower tonight, I reflected on why running is so important to me. Simply put, it’s one of the rare things in life that I do just for, ME. Not to mention, it’s the time when I continue to develop amazing relationships with my incredible running friends. The remainder of my life is spent taking care of my own children, making sure my hubby is happy & healthy, & caring for other people’s very sick babies. I work full-time. I cook. I clean. I grocery shop. I meal plan. And I keep one heck of an organized life. I could not function in any other way. I don’t have a nanny or a maid. I am not a high-maintenance chick, who spends tons of time shopping or at the salon. I don’t feel the “need” to do it “all”, but I have strong roots in hard work ethic, which I hope one day is duplicated by my boys. When I go run, I can leave ALL of that other stuff for when I return. I love my life, truly; hard parts & easy parts alike! I wouldn’t have it any other way {that said though, I wouldn’t be opposed, at all, to winning the lottery}. HA! My mantra—WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

When I have a goal, whether in running or in “real life”, I am one determined mo-fo to make that ambition a reality! I don’t like coming up short. I am a realist, so in my mind, my goals are usually pretty attainable. When I “fail”, I dislike it very much. You could call me an open book. I don’t over share, but I also don’t have anything to hide. When I run the Shamrock Marathon 16 weeks from yesterday, I have one goal: three hours + thirty minutes. That’s 26.2 miles at essentially an 8:00 flat pace.

I fear I will come up short & disappoint not only myself, but my strongest supporters—especially my running gal pals. But more so than them, I fear a non-BQ time will cause all of my training to be in vain. I know this is just silly-crazy-head-talk, but in a weird way, it feels so much better to put the feelings out there to the universe. I am human. I am not invincible & this is a big, scary goal. I know there will be super early alarms & mediocre meals for the family. I might miss a swim class or two of the boys. Many glasses of wine will have to be passed over. Bedtime will come early many nights, when I wish I could stay on the couch & watch one more TV show with the hubby.

But I am more than willing to makes those sacrifices for the next 16 weeks. It’s selfish, yes, but temporary; & it will continue to be one of the few things that I do just for me.

So, how exactly will I get there, you might ask? Well, hard work… & lots of it! Not to mention, a few crucial people. My current marathon PR is 3:41:28. Trying to shave off more than 11 minutes is a rather lofty goal; but many things about this race will be different compared to my other three 26.2 completions.

I plan to average more weekly miles than ever before—maxing somewhere in the ballpark of 70 miles. Long runs will be more purposeful. Tempo runs will be my focus. Speed intervals will be weekly with the Running Etc. group. Strength training will continue weekly with my awesome personal trainer, Jack + one of those mentioned above running gal pals, Kerry. My fellow yogi, Mary, will help keep me accountable with staying limber on Monday evenings. And Julie, my BRF, she will keep me level-headed & continue to be my voice of reason. Plenty of others will play vital roles, but these folks are at the core of the action! Of course, hubby plays one of the biggest roles, in that he is with my children during the majority of my running adventures!  

I am also going to try something new this time, by way of just simply being more kind to my body. This change falls under the “high-maintenance” category, in my opinion, but I am budgeting for it & will thoroughly enjoy the relaxation time! I will have ART {active release technique} & a massage, monthly, but alternating; to ensure some muscle manipulation & tension release at least every 2 weeks. I’m also putting out there to the universe my goal to keep up with foam rolling & Epsom salt baths—stuff like this I always skip over, though it is SO important!

And my biggest hurdle to conquer… nutrition. Today, day #1 of training, I totally failed. I had a brownie for breakfast & a Doumar’s ice cream sundae for dinner dessert. The stuff in between wasn’t all that healthy either. Whoops! Tomorrow is a new day! This is where I need to focus my spare energy—keeping a healthily stocked frig & avoiding the sweets.

One hundred & twelve days from now, the race will be over. The Boardwalk will have come & gone. Some runners will be elated, while others will be pondering what went wrong. What story will be told when I run towards the Shamrock Marathon blow-up arch? Will the time clock show my goal time? Perhaps faster? Possibly slower? Who knows.

What I do know, is that I am uber excited to be on this journey!! Stay tuned.

P.S. Sorry in advance to any friends &/or family that I drive crazy as I make my way through this adventure!