Running running…

One day I woke up with this crazy idea to go for a race at Walt Disney World in Florida.  I thought I would register for a half marathon…but it was full so I registered for the full marathon!

The next night I did not sleep.  I just kept thinking “what have I done?”.  So I decided to set myself a small goal (if it can be called small)…I just wished to complete the 42 km in less than 7 hours, to get the Mickey Mouse medal.  (If you run slower than that, they tow you to the finish line!) 

The worst thing was that I had almost not run (or do other exercise) for the last 2 years…and the marathon was only 16 weeks away.  How crazy was that…

The next Monday morning I was starting a brand new training program with a brand new pair of shoes.  I had spent a couple hundred dollars to register to the race and to buy some race commemorative things and the training plan.  Plus, I was to pay a one week trip to Florida, so I had to deliver and get started.

It is funny how you underestimate some things while you overestimate others.  I thought that my cardio would fail me long before my legs.  I was wrong…it took less than a month of training before my heart rate, at rest, went under 64 pulses per minute.  Then troubles began with my legs.

In the meantime, I experienced some strange things.  After my first 13 km (after a couple of weeks of training), my stomach shut down.  For a week I was not hungry and had very few to eat.  Then it slowly got back to normal.

After approximately 2 months of training, the legs problems really started.  My right leg hurt so much that I had to go see a physio.  I was running with one knee turned toward the inside and I had to learn to run differently.  A few very though weeks followed. 

Now we are at week 11, I bought 2 more pairs of shoes, and my right leg is healed since 2 weeks.  Sadly, it is the turn of the left leg to hurt.  And I have almost not trained this week. 

I am now seated, after just finishing a 19 km run.  It took me 3 painfully long hours.  I am disappointed because I should have run 29 km this morning and I should have run much faster than that.  (I was barely above the threshold pace…)  On the positive side, my legs do not hurt too much now.  My feet do (I have many big and painful blisters…one of them underneath one of my nails, which I am afraid I will lose).

So there are 5 weeks left before the marathon (on January 11, 2009).  I have some doubts about my ability to complete this race.  I estimate that it will take me at least 6 hours.  Will my feet be strong enough on race day?  Will I be able to endure the pain?

Who knows?

Some interesting facts:

I lost 3 pounds in 11 weeks of training (but I gained muscles and lost fat).

I usually run 4 times a week (40-50 min three times + a long run of (10-32km) + I do 30 min of bicycle twice a week.

Before starting running, I thought that my mind was weak.

Before starting running, I thought that 10 km was very far… 

I run mostly on a treadmill and watch That 70’s show, which I love.  It is fun how the mind works, when I watch I do not feel the pain as much.