Sure enough, even with compression socks on, stretching, and Ibuprofen, my calves were screaming at me by afternoon. I was rolling with it and then my mind got the better of me.
I live in a small town of 4000 (stay with me here, this story does have a point) and I live about a 15 minute drive down the interstate from the large town in our area (large being 19,000). This is where I go for nearly everything as our town only has one Main street and a small grocery store. I drive this trek daily, multiple times, for my petsitting and other errands, I'm pretty used to it. It's just how it is in a rural area.
So yesterday I was in the "big" town doing a petsit. (I swear this story has a point!) I needed gas, so I filled up and reset my odometer. I drove to my next petsit and then when I was finished I hopped on the interstate and started the drive home. Somewhere along the highway I looked down and noticed the odometer at 8 miles. Huh. My brain started working a bit and I watched the odometer climb EVER SO SLOWLY as I got closer to my home town. And closer...and closer...
Until I pulled into my driveway and watched it flip to 13.1 as I put it in neutral and pulled the brake (yep, I drive a stick...not important info, but then again, didn't necessarily help with my calf pain!)
What are the odds??? Regardless of the odds, my sore calves were screaming at me after just 4 miles and all I could think of is how very very very far that big town is and how I was going to have to run that distance. I was totally overwhelmed with 13.1 at that point.
Some days I'll run 4 miles and I think, "Oh, I can totally do this! Just 3 more of that. This will be ok!" but yesterday I felt the opposite. It really freaked me out to have this distance in my head from the big town to my driveway. It seems so much shorter when I look at the map of Epcot to MK and back! LOL
I know it's all about perspective. I'm lucky to have an amazing and supportive husband that not only talked me down last night from my frenzied blabbering about how I was going to possibly run this distance, but told me in no uncertain terms that I COULD do this and he had no doubt that I would.
I know I'll do it, I will! I think sometimes though, my head waffles back and forth, thinking I can do it and it's just going to happen overnight. I think this was just a bit of reality. This is going to take some time. I'm going to be sore, I'm going to have to push myself, I'm going to have to be dedicated. Oh but the reward for pushing yourself and reaching your goal! I cannot imagine what it's going to feel like to cross that finish line and realize that I could have run from my house to that gas station in the next town. Thirteen point freaking one is right!!
Words can't even come close to conveying that feeling when you cross the finish line. But I can tell you that it's that feeling, those few seconds of pure joy, that keep me running and training year round, just to feel like that again. :) And after that, you will be addicted. Guaranteed. :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'm already addicted, so I cannot imagine what it's going to be like after I actually accomplish this! I cannot wait and yet I'm excited for the training as well. I just feel so good when I run.
Delete13.1 seems like so much when you think of it this way, right? So don't think of it this way all the time. Don't psych yourself up, you can do this with the right training. I promise you, even during your actual race you will say to yourself that you cannot believe how long 13.1 miles actually is... I've run 6 of them now and each time, I say to myself that I just want it to be over because it is a ridiculously long distance. But as soon as I go to that place, I pull myself back because that is just self doubt talking. and self doubt has no place in my brain. like it has no place in your brain.
ReplyDeleteif you havent already, check out the galloway training plans that they are going to be putting up on the rundisney website once registration for princess opens. they put up a calendar with a 16 or 18 week training that will show you how to increase your distance in manageable bites so that you can do it without getting injured or burned out. do your regular 3-5 mile training runs until you start that program, and you should be good to go. you can do this.
Thanks Amy! Yes, I plan on following one of the training plans to get my mileage up. Probably Galloway, although I'm finding that I have to run straight through, when I try to do intervals, it actually seems to interrupt my flow. I'm unsure of when to start that, in the fall, I guess! Until then I'm going to work on just building my running base and cross training.
Deleteif you follow the plans on the rundisney site, they will actually tell you when to start the program and give you a training calendar to follow. for WDW half i started the first week of september. so that should give you a guide. you wouldnt be starting until after that. intervals or not, the calendar still works for everyone.
ReplyDeleteOk, great! I was thinking about training over the summer and then starting it back up in the fall and doing it again, but that might be overtraining? Right now I'm just trying to go slow enough not to injure myself but still build my running, but September seems so far away! What do you do between races? Do you keep training the whole time?
DeleteGreat job with 4 miles! It helps me to mentally think where I am on the course. 5 miles? I'm almost to Magic Kingdom. 10 miles? I can see Epcot. Just a mental trick that helps me. Good Luck with your training! I look forward to seeing your "I did it" picture next year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Carrie! I did have the 5 miles=MK in my head on my 5 mile run the other day! I need some other milestones. So mile 6 is IN MK? Mile 10 you can SEE Epcot, but it's like 11 or 12 before you get to it, right? How about the overpasses? Where are they at? 10? First overpass has the drill sergeant? I've been reading running reports like mad, but not everyone gives these little details!
DeleteGreat job! I am new to your blog. Glad I found it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alicia!! I'm glad you found me as well!
DeleteAfter signing up for Princess last summer, I began to figure out what places were 13.1 from my house or office. It kinda freaked me out at first. (Especially since my town is HILLY compared to WDW) Then as my mileage grew, I was less intimidated. It takes time.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Washington DC, which is LESS than 10 sq miles. I could run from Maryland, through DC, and into Virginia and still be under 13.1 miles. crazy huh?
Oh wow, that is crazy! My town is really hilly too and I feel like I'm going to be running in circles, but I guess that's ok. At some point I will be training on the treadmill in the winter too, and I think that might be worse than seeing these actual distances...it just goes on and on and on! LOL
DeleteIt's funny. I sit here and read and I KNOW you will be fine. Absolutely F.I.N.E. Funny, eh? I see you more clearly Karen!
ReplyDeleteAnd that 13.1 in your care is merely synchronicity showing you you're on your way. Lovely.
That would be car. Ms. EDIT is not enjoying the lack of the feature on here!!!!!!!!
DeleteHuh, that's annoying that there isn't an edit button! I don't think I can add/change that either. Also, I don't think people are notified when I reply to them. That's annoying too.
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