I did twenty miles!!!!!!!!!!
I am riding this crazy high, because last week I was ready to quit running, quit the marathon. Actually for the past month I’ve been feeling like that because I haven’t had a successful long run since my randomly awesome 15 miles in Michigan. Every long run has been cut short by pain, mostly back pain. Before that it was GI issues. I have not had an easy summer. Never the less, here I am victorious on the other side of 20 miles, and it feels incredible (and sore!).
I have been seeing an active release chiropractor who has yet to adjust me. We start off with heat on my back, ultra sound, and a little movement and stretching on his table that moves. Then, we work through a series of positions and stretches where he uses pressure on different parts of my body. For example : to stretch my IT band, I am on my side on the table and he is lifting, twisting, and stretching my leg while one of his hands applies pressure to the IT band, moving down its length. I leave feeling loose, limber, and like I had a pilates type workout. It is really amazing.
On Sunday we did a Punch-a-Thon at my gym (blog coming tomorrow) which was a serious 90 minute workout, but one that I felt really good throughout. On Monday I visited my doctor (Dr. Aloi in Freehold) and got a great stretch of sore muscles. Tuesday I ran 20 miles and I had NO BACK PAIN. Insanity. Today I went back to the doctor and he worked out everything I pounded into my body during those 20 miles. I feel incredible.
What I’ve learned from this summer is to listen to my body. There’s a difference between pain from exertion and pain from injury. You have to listen to figure out which is which, and both deserve attention. I have become so in tune with my body through marathon training that it’s much easier to distinguish between the two.
So here is how I did 20 miles, besides building up to it. First, I asked my husband to ride his bike ahead of me. This way I had someone who knew the route, and I wasn’t worried about slowing another runner down, even though my friends have so graciously slowed for me on long runs. Also, he was able to carry a bunch of extra water, my BCAA drink, gatorade, extra fuel, and a different pair of shoes. He would ride ahead to the next turn and wait to direct me. He got a good workout too!
Next, I split the run into 5 mile chunks. At each 5 mile interval, I stopped to stretch, fuel, and hydrate. This set me up for success not only physically but mentally. When it got tough, all I had to do was make it 3 more miles, or 1 more mile, before a break. Often we runners don’t fuel early enough, and by the time fatigue sets in it’s almost too late to fuel. Each section was increasingly more difficult, but I made it.
Finally, I told myself it was okay, whatever happened, and tried to stay in the moment. Before I left a friend said, “Enjoy it!” and I laughed. Enjoy 20 miles?? How?! But a couple of times I actually looked up and around and enjoyed my surroundings. The weather was beautiful, the grass green, and the scenery was nice. I did enjoy it.
After my run I reached to the sky and celebrated, then promptly laid down and thought I might never get back up. Hubs helped me raise my feet up, and for the first time after a run I didn’t feel like I was going to pass out (I got the blood flowing to my brain and not my legs. Often after the run I feel faint, and I can’t form words well. Not good.) The rest of the day was a lazy one, and I am still sore, but I finished. Now I have a one way ticket to TAPER TOWN.
Congrats!! And you are SO right about fueling. If you don’t do it right and early enough it hits you before you realize. It really is key. I’m so proud of you!
Couldn’t have done it without you!!
Yes you could. This is about you. And Harry. Together you are awesome.
Absolutely not. You’ll never know how much you helped me! 🙂