It’s quite possible that I’ve been telling myself a lie for
many, many months as I am fairly certain at this point that running never gets
easier and while I realize this isn’t necessarily the case for everyone, I’m
beginning to think that it is absolutely the case for me. I don’t know if it’s because my body is
fatigued from the increase in weekly and overall mileage, if it’s the addition
of hills, something in my hydration/nutrition (although I highly doubt that
because I’ve been drinking water like it’s champagne on New Year’s Eve and
eating pretty much everything in sight on a regular basis) or it’s something in
my head that’s beginning to rebel against all of this positive thinking by
trying to turn my “I Can” into “I Can’t”.
My plan of attack for breaking through this plateau (seems
like a more positive term than obstacles, barriers, etc.) is going to be to tackle
the parts I have immediate control over… water, water, water, nutrition like a
wannabe athlete vs. girl gone wild with chips & guacamole at the taco bar
and getting a grip on my rising fears of training and general preparation
inadequacies before I drive myself and everyone around me totally crazy (yes, I’m
slightly obsessive with a tendency to become fixated from time to time so I'm hoping
my charm, wit and ability to bake will keep me in the good graces of my friends
and family for the next few months).
As
far as the increase in mileage is concerned (since that is somewhat of a necessity given the 26.2 miles involved in a marathon), I plan on trying to keep my body
parts from dissenting entirely with hours of foam rolling, magic muscle stick,
magic muscle cream, abnormally large amounts of Advil and icing like nobody’s
business (it’s a sorry state when strapping freezing cold ice packs to your
legs actually feels really, really good).
If that doesn’t work, I will change tactics and attempt to entice my
pieces and parts to continue on with promises of days and days spent lounging
poolside with an on-call massage therapist, bottomless chips & salsa and
unlimited umbrella drinks (maybe I should bring back the coconut sunscreen… perhaps that’s part of the problem).
Today’s 8 miles didn’t come easily but they got done (even the
hills!) and the time past faster than it could have thanks to the beautiful day
and inspiring surroundings. That purple flowery stuff in today’s picture is Lupin (thanks for all of the
wildflower identification lessons daddy!) and yes, I’m wearing yet another new pair of shoes (please, please, please work on my weird
feet!!).
Speaking
of my dad, I met him last week at one of our favorite spots for springtime
hiking (one of our favorites in any season but it’s particularly
impressive when everything is in bloom).
It was beautiful, dusty, fun, gratifying and informative... he's been a
teacher for the last 40+ years and although recently retired, he still has an
amazing knack for “educating” in ways that keep you entertained and leave you
knowing more than when you started without feeling like you’ve been doing
anything other than sharing stories and having a good time.
After our hike we hit up another of our favorites for some much needed hydration and nachos (maybe not as needed as the fluids but delicious nonetheless... are you picking up on my Mexican food addiction yet?). The deck at Alice’s
Restaurant (not the same one as in the song but still somewhat iconic in its own
right) was warm and sunny and the perfect place to cool down and rest up after the hilly trails.
I love spending time with my dad... He always has been and remains to this day my
compass in a lot of ways so I'm grateful for the time I get to spend with him
as I always leave just a little bit more grounded and pointed a little more in
the “right” direction than before.
Needless to say, I’m a very lucky girl.
8 miles, 1hr 20min 41sec, avg 10.05
Cheers,
SF runner in training
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