Sunday, January 6, 2013

Calming Down and Gearing Up

Okay, so I feel MUCH better after today's run. Back in NY, with some of my Team for Kids ladies, on familiar terrain, on an unseasonably warm [read: 40 degree] sunny day, I found some sort of redemption over the embarrassment that has been winter running for me the past couple of weeks. I ran 20 miles and it went okay.

I feel okay.

From here on out, again, it's taper time! Last time I tapered I went a lil' nuts. We'll see what these next three weeks hold in store.

So what does taper mean exactly? Well, I ran my longest run of the training season (ahem this most RECENT season) today. This week I'll do several runs and cross-training sessions, culminating in 12-13 miles this weekend. Next week I'll do even less and run about 6 miles on the weekend. And then the third week I'll run hardly at all and be all healthy and such leading up to the big race.

Gradually slowing down. Calming down. Gettin' DOWN with my bad self.

While meanwhile gearing up. Or so one would hope.

Right now, weirdly, I'm having trouble getting truly keyed up about the race. Maybe it's because I've -- you know -- thought I was racing before. Self-preservation might prevent me from having the same advance GUSTO, as it were, beforehand. Or maybe it's that I just have so many other things to be excited for that weekend.

I'll be in Miami with friend-extraordinaire Betsy. My wonderful team-mates and friends Erica, Merri and Joss are also running as will be the lovely Miriam. Also in Miami will be a myriad of people running the half-marathon, which is the first part of the course (including new blog friends!)

[Side-bar on the Half and Full being together: I'm a little worried about how mentally I'm going to be when at mile 13 a bunch of people are like, "wheeeee I'm DONE!!!!" and I'm like, "Cool guys, I'm just gonna, like, do that whole thing again..." Not cool, Miami course. Not cool.]

Betsy and I are staying on South Beach and it's gonna be awesome. We're arriving Friday evening, I'm running (allegedly) on Sunday, and we get to stay through Tuesday evening. Just being straight baller the whole time (if I can walk, of course).

So, clearly, I'm excited.

Which is why, when I SHOULD be preparing and thinking about some things....I'm actually thinking about others. Let me demonstrate.

What I SHOULD be thinking about:


Versus what I am ACTUALLY thinking about:



Should consider:
In fact am considering:




Should focus on:



Am very really focused on:



I'm pumped, y'all. Real pumped. I'm proud of my teammates and of me and of all the other people who -- despite the 2012 NYC Marathons debacle -- ran other races in November and December and/or trained for ones in 2013. That's something to be proud of, despite whatever tsunami or terrorist invasion causes 2013 Miami to not happen.

I know I shouldn't kid, but c'mon.

As my friend Meghan said to me tonight, "What would the world be if MeriG wasn't training for a marathon!?" Seriously. And is that the type of world you want to live in? Ask yourself that.

But in the meantime, I'm going to spend some dedicated time thinking about how baller it is that my race is -- once again -- in three weeks and that the worst -- once again -- is over.  And I'll spend some time thinking about how -- ironically -- I'm not upset that this all happened again. Because somehow I think it was meant to be, because otherwise I wouldn't have this fun vacation coming up! And everything, they say, happens for a reason. That's what they say.

And, of course, THIS:



8 comments:

  1. Wahoo! I'm so excited for your race! I'll be cheering you on from way up north. If I were you, I would be thinking about Joe's Stone Crab. Yum. But seriously, it's going to be amazing. My first marathon was San Fran and it was the same deal with the half. It really wasn't that bad. By this point, I am sure you want to run more than a half and you'll still be in great spirits at that point. If they finished at mile 20, you'd probably hate them :). woot woot. go foam roll!

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    1. Woohoo! I don't think I realized San Fran was your first! So the full and half started together for that as well? I've just never run in a race like this before, so new experience I guess!

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  2. I am not just THINKING about those martinis but DRINKING them. You're only 30 once. Even three weeks out. (Next weekend I hope to put away copious wine). Congrats on the 20 and CONGRATS to getting your groove back. This run will be badass, fun and amazing. You deserve it.

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  3. dude, so much pasta and so many martinis.

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  4. Well I would be jealous of your Miami trip but I'm going to JAMAICA!!!!! I am so excited and I pretty much can't think of anything else. It will probably be the only time in my life when it will be acceptable to be drunk for an entire week.

    I am really jealous of your sweet running skills though! My personal distance record is about 8k...

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    1. Fine, we'll call it a draw. :)

      I am really excited to be drunk in Miami. After I run that lil' marathon thing. Good news on that though: I bet it will NOT take me very much money to get drunk after running! Totally worth the 7 months of pain and heartache and sacrifice....for the cheap buzz....

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