Long Runs, Cross Training and Summertime…

Let me tell you something about marathon training… you are forced to come head to head with many things.

First off, the actual physical discomfort of running for 3 hours straight is something that you need to come to terms with pretty fast. I would be lying if I said my last 16 miler was truly fun. I work up at 5:30AM on a Sunday, was out on the road by 6AM, and spent almost 3 hours running in circles around Lake Q. Now, it’s a gorgeous loop, and my marathon is 8 loops around the lake, so running the loops makes me very familiar with where the uneven sidewalks and the potholes are. It’s nice to know that there is a water fountain just 1.5 miles away.

But the bigger thing I’ve had to come head to head with, are my thoughts. Even while listening to some upbeat pop songs for a good chunk of my run, my mind swiftly wanders from what I wanted to eat right after, to what I want to do for the rest of the day, to what went wrong in my last relationship.

The last one came out of the blue. All of a sudden “Part of Me” by Katy Perry (go ahead. Judge. Pandora totally knows when I’m on my long runs and it’s fantastic), and I remember the day when my ex started packing up his things and moved to NYC. He dumped me on the phone two days later, after 5 years of dating. Virtually all my friends from college swiftly disappeared from my life. 

Also, this thought process happened at like mile 12. Along with a massive blister that was forming right on my arch. 

I didn’t want to relive it. But, suddenly, I found myself at ease. Thinking about all the awesome thing that have happened in my life since then. I made tons of new friends, experienced the city and what New England has to offer, and I managed to turn my life from a six-pack-a-day to a 60 minute workout a day. I’ve met some of the most incredible people, including my boyfriend and his son. 

At mile 14, I have no idea what it was, but I almost started to cry. Let’s call it a mix of leg cramps, exhaustion and self realization.

At mile 16, I was at my front door. Smiling ear to ear. I was also wondering how the heck I was going to manage to walk up the flight of stairs into my apartment.

Other than that emotional breakthrough, I have truly realized the importance of cross training. I can tell that the harder I work in my run, and in a spin class or strength class, the better and more efficient I can move. I’m glad I got the membership, and I can’t wait to start balancing everything out.

Blake and I have been coming home from work and either playing catch or soccer, which has been a nice change from coming home and plopping down on the couch. Summertime really is my favorite time of year. Even if we don’t have air conditioning.

This weekend I run in my 3rd BAA 10K! Goal? Under 56 Minutes.

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