Sunday, February 13, 2011

ME

Believe in Me! This is my motto this week, time to let the hard work pay off and believe in what I am capable of. A week from today is the Austin Marathon, and so far I think I am going to go ahead and try to do the whole thing although I am not ready. I know that I have put in a lot of work in the past and will hope that my previous conditions guides me to the finish. My only worry is my feet and the pain I will have on Sunday and the next day, but one thing at a time.
In preparation for the Marathon, today the clean living and hydration starts. I have been eating good and training for the last two weeks including the days I was sick. However, this week it is ultimately important to make sure I eat plenty of clean foods and drink tons of water. My coach told me that Friday for lunch is going to be the meal that is going to give me the fuel from miles 5-end, and Friday night is going to be mile 2-5. The day of the marathon, is going to dictate the energy I will have for miles 1-3. So, I am planning on eating the best food I can, drink as much water as possible and get my rest. Lastly, it was suggested to me to consume 1 Tsp of salt every day which is going to help me absorb sodium, and also will be taking in 1 Tsp of baking powder which helps with the lactic acid build up.
Cardio wise this week is going to be relatively easy, but will be going out for a 5-8 (easy) run, and then mostly drills that I will be working on.
Planning on doing a lot of stretching in the sauna and at home along with my foot exercises.
Really looking forward to some cold weather this weekend to help with the run.
The journey is long, but I know I can do it. Believe in ME!
Onward.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Its almost here and I am not ready.

In a little over a week I will be running my second full marathon, and I have never been so unprepared for anything. Previously I was injured and took a few weeks off, and then as I started back, I got sick. This last week I was sick for 5 straight days, and so again, I did not run.
This week, I finally got two miles in, and although I felt good, it is no 26.2 miles, so what to do?
As I embark on my last solid week of training, next week is going to be an easy week and there is no way I can increase my stamina or my training before the race. I am going to have to rely on what I know and how hard I have trained in the past.
Been running Pose for a while and have been putting my trust in my coaches and they think I can do it. I now have to believe in myself as well, and fight through the pain I am going to put my body through. This will be one great accomplishment once I am done. Having to understand I will not have a good run, and also not going to PR and will not run the whole way. The determination of simply finishing will be what will distinguish my heart and ability this time around. Who knows I may just dig deep, and have a great race. The thing I have to remember and know going into this race is that I have trained very hard in the past, and I can do this. I have to believe in me!
The one good thing that has come out of this is that my diet has improved and I have lost a few pounds and strengthen my core, so at least this will help.
The thought of dropping out crossed my mind and then I have been toying with the idea of running a half and PR'ng but I have not trained so hard to run a half marathon I can do any weekend, so the road may be long, but I BELIEVE in ME!
Onward