Weekly MM: Three Days & Final Thoughts

Three days from today, I will officially be on the road in pursuit of the title "MARATHONER". I can't help but giggle at the thought, especially in looking back at my middle school self: the girl that chose to be a field hockey goalie in an effort avoid any and all running. At the same time, the thought causes my stomach to twist knots; a lot stands in my way of a finished marathon. Namely: TWENTY SIX POINT TWO MILES.

To stop a full-out panic during these split seconds of horror, I've been trying to remind myself a couple of things:

• I followed our training program to a "T". (As our instructors have been saying: it's "in the bank")
• I felt great during the 20-miler
• Time doesn't really matter (mild lie)...all I have to do is keep on moving.
• So many people double my age have completed multiple marathons, so I surely can!

And when/if I really need some extra convincing, I think about EVERYTHING I'm going to eat afterwards!

This past week, I've gone through what I assume are some standard pre-race stages. First, there was paranoia and self-doubt. All I could concentrate on was running and how my body felt during it. The typically running "zone-out" was impossible to obtain. Instead, I was focusing on whether my ankle was hurting and how hard it felt running just 3 miles. I even went so far as to thinking a wart had grown under the pad of one of my toes (it might actually be one, but the discomfort is completely unnoticeable when I'm not in heels).

Next, towards the end of last week, I became angry. Thoughts included: Why the hell wasn't the race this weekend?! I don't want to train anymore, I'm so done with this! Seriously! No patience!

On Friday and Saturday morning, we were told to do a "dress rehearsal" for race weekend. I set out all of my clothing for race day that night (pictured above), and packed some post-race layers and snacks. I ate a small, meatless meal right around 7:30PM and hydrated like a mad woman. I was playing along so hard that I had a hard time sleeping due to nerves. (Embarrassing?)

Our last 2-hour run was cold, casual, and comfortable. It felt like second nature out there, which is what I want to hold onto during this weekend's race. Our route had us to the south of Richmond, along the river. This road is about mile 9 through 11 of the course; and I imagine it'll be a great mental transition spot from the easy start pace to picking it up some. Really, though, it's one of the prettier and peaceful stretches of the course. I want to make sure to take it in on race day.

Lately, I've been following my long runs with COCO CAFE. It's a serious godsend when it comes to needing energy and hydration at the same time. In comparison to Gatorade, it has about the same amount of carbohydrates and almost double the potassium (electrolytes!). What Gatorade doesn't have: a shot of caffeine and protein---I think 6 grams, compared to Gatorade's 0 grams. Most important, though, it doesn't taste a bit like coconut water! My favorite flavor is original. They also have vanilla and mocha. (COCO CAFE did not pay me to say this. I'm just a ridiculously huge fan!)

It wouldn't be "dress rehearsal" if the run wasn't followed by eating like a marathoner...a few hours afterwards, I brunched at Water Coastal Kitchen with some fellow Richmond bloggers. I ordered a vegetable omelet. I don't think I've had one since I started loving fried and poached eggs earlier this year!

In the afternoon, I baked pumpkin bars and then ate half of them. Last week, I mentioned trying to intake less processed sugar. You should know that it went great all week long...then I decided I should reward myself. And I just really wanted to bake? Whatever, it happens.

Brunch always confuses me, so I ended up having two dinners. The first was leftover spaghetti squash casserole. It's super simple to make, and I'll probably share the recipe later on down the road.

Second dinner was a slice of Belmont Pizza at 9:00PM. I'll be honest: it really wasn't necessary.

Also, we attended an engagement party on Sunday, which always means a plate full of everything. There was salad, green beans, pork BBQ, mac & cheese, and apple cobbler with freshly whipped cream (not pictured).

I attended the Seal Team PT workout on Monday night, followed by Tuesday AM's 1-hour run. I sadly experienced a stabbing side cramp during the last 5 minutes. I'm 99% sure it was from dehydration (Monday PM workout--> Tuesday AM workout is a quick and difficult turnaround to prep for!). The temperature was just under 50 degrees, which is likely what it will be when we start on Saturday, so I once again wore an outfit very similar to what I plan to wear.

Overall, I'm on the peaceful side of anxious. There's nothing I can do now except is rest and visualize an amazing race (which I plan to sit and mediate on frequently). The remaining "mile markers" for this week include one more Seal Team PT workout tonight, a final 1-hour run on Thursday, packet pickup Thursday evening, and rest-hydrate-rest-hydrate! Oh, and hopefully, I don't forget to keep breathing...