One friend ran the Nike Women’s San Francisco Marathon last weekend and two others ran the Victoria Marathon the previous weekend. I am secretly jealous of them, their Fall races are behind them. Shouldn’t I be all giddy with excitement, as I look forward to Saturday….? Guess my motivation isn’t where it should be.
Driving this lack of motivation is a small but growing sense of fear, festering in my gut. I’ve run marathons unprepared and paid the price. I think I’m not ready.
With only a 12 week training program, the lowest peak and average weekly mileage, I didn’t log the miles I should have. Today, I almost dread, no fear the race. Being under trained means your chances of hitting the wall increase. And “Hitting the Wall” is a very unpleasant experience, to say the least.
Saturday I ran my last long run (8 miles) then played 5 hours of Paint ball. Legs are still sore today. Probably should have skipped playing Sergeant Rock in the woods. This week I will only run Tuesday and Thursday, to try to give the legs more rest. Oh, and I’ll get a massage Wednesday.
Besides too few miles, my lack of Yoga adds to the reservations about this race. Without yoga (or proper stretching) I’m really tight (calf, hips, etc) so I fear I’m going to hurt, which means longer recovery.
But, on the positive side, I must remember this isn’t a race, not going for a PR. Just want to run it, like a training run. Time doesn’t matter so no need to push the body beyond what it is willing and able to do.
Also, since I’ve been in training mode for almost two years, non-stop, my base fitness level is pretty high. Will that make up for the missed training miles and yoga…., we will find out in just five days.
