So it’s the week of the marathon and I am trying to stay out of trouble and avoid madness. Tapering makes me feel like I am not doing enough to prepare for the race, and I have to hold back from running extra miles. A busy workout week will do nothing for my time this weekend, and will only serve to beat my body up when I am supposed to be resting. I am going to be bursting at the seems with energy by the time I get to Moncton,
I have plenty to be nervous about. The weather is calling for a 3-degree day, which will probably require extra layers that I don’t want to wear. God knows I want to wear less, and I have in lower temperatures, but the thought of hypothermia is not attractive. Blue is totally not my colour.
And let’s not forget the little details. Will I find the starting line in time? How fast should I run? What am I going to do in Moncton the night before the race? How am I going to afford a hotel room and gas for the trip? If you see me hitchhiking with a tent on Saturday, please pick me up.
Anyway, bad nerves are doing nothing for my running. Every step on the road is overanalyzed and picked apart, as if I am falling apart at the seams. I ran eight kilometers at a relatively easy pace on Saturday and decided my new pants were weighing my legs down. I knew it was bullshit, but I needed an excuse for my overall malaise. Forty minutes shouldn’t make me feel that tired.
Sunday was a little better because I had company. Jamie joined me for the bulk of my run, and his complaints of stomach pains – we narrowed it down to appendicitis by the end of the workout – made me feel a little better about my tight calves. I slowly built steam as we pushed into the cold, strong headwind, and almost felt normal by the time we parted ways. I continued alone, noting my form as I gracefully maneuvered my way through the city streets. No shuffle steps or scuffed shoes on this run.
A little over an hour after I started – my shortest long run in weeks – I made it back to my house. My natural instinct was to continue running, but instead I hopped in the shower. Must rest legs until next Sunday.
Taking it easy will be much easier this week. Work is stupid busy, and I need to dedicate as much time possible to putting out fires at the office. It probably wasn’t a good idea to schedule a marathon the week before a conference, but common sense was never my forte.
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2006.