3 Miles

Oh boy, what a CHANGE in the weather!!! Did a nice quick 3 Miles...felt good but HOT!!! I am READY FOR AUSTIN!!!

A little bit nervous about the warmer race day forcast since I have NOT trained in the warm weather but it'll all be good! I'm CONFIDENT of that! :o)

6 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 Miles

Saturday's Long Run....LOL...doesn't seem like long distance anymore! :o) Had an easy run, knee hurt so I was being very conservative! That's usually hard for me to do...LOL

Saving these legs for AUSTIN BABY!!!! LOL

5 Miles

Jumped on the treadmill at the Y since there was NO WAY IN HELL I was going out there in these temps with the wind the way it is, ice on the road...NOPE! Was going to switch it up and just do 3 today and 6 tomorrow but wanted to burn some extra calories and just did 5 today so I guess I'll do 3 or 4 tomorrow. :o)

Knee still hurt when I increased the speed to 5.7-6.4 but I just kept backing it down and didn't do an incline today. All I kept thinking was OH NO, MY KNEE! What if it hurts like this on race day??!!! OMG!!! Then I just stopped my thoughts in their track and said I would NOT let them take over!

I will be fine.

5 more runs before RACE DAY!

4 Miles

Okay, the taper week 1 has begun! :o) Took it easy and enjoyed a great run with my good 'ol budding Kimmers! Had knee pain but was trying not to freak out! LOL Stretched a couple times and just got the mileage done.

Pretty much laughed the whole run and realized that's one of the NUMBER ONE reasons I love running...the social aspect of it! :o)

6 more runs til race day!!!

Oh the Taper . . . . . . bleh!

Well, I've been training best I can...NOT exactly by the plan, but best I can. :o) My body IS ready, but am I???? This running thing has torn me apart! Not just all of my muscle fibers in these legs, LOL, but my mind too! I've always been FULL of self doubt and this marathon is a beast I'm trying to conquer. I want to overcome my self doubt. Everyone else out there seems to think I'm so "strong", why can't I believe it??

I have to believe, truly believe that I'm ready for this thing. I am tired of doubting my ability. I will not be defeated by Austin Marathon, I just won't...I just can't! I've been spewing out a ton of "This WILL be my one and only marathon I do!" and "This running crap sucks!" but to be truthful, I DO love to run. I'm overwhelmed by the training, I HATE to feel so restricted, and suffered a big loss when my running buddy decided long distance and endurance running wasn't for her (even though I AM happy she made the best decision for herself OF COURSE!). I have been doing so much anti running talk lately I'm driving MYSELF crazy!!!! haha!

So what does this all mean for me?

Will I continue running?

Will I continue on the marathon path after Austin?

Oh God I don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's easier for me to just say it's too much and I don't want to do it anymore. This is what I'm telling most of my friends and family. BUT, I do love the big miles. I do love the feeling after a long run. I do love the sense of accomplishment I feel after completing a 13+mile run.

Is this all just a bunch of anxiety? Is this normal to feel like this just after I'm finally in the BIG numbers distance wise? Seems to be so. In fact, as I Google it, I keep finding the terms "Taper Tantrums" or "Taper Madness".

It's real and it sucks.

ESPECIALLY for someone like me who is already nervous that I haven't been able to follow the plan exactly like everyone else has. I'm full of anxiety. I'm scared. I feel random aches and pains. My knee hurts. My RIBS feel broken from all the coughing the past two months and the bronchitis.

Yep, classic signs of the tantrum that most runners feel in the weeks leading up to the marathon. I have to review my blog and remember that I DID do a 20 miler, I DID do a 16 . . .etc. I AM ready.

Now I guess I just have to try to keep my sanity, stop thinking my bones are broken, muscles are torn, damaged, lungs are in bad shape, etc....STOP PANICKING GINA!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

I found this poem and got a little giggle from it!

Now for a little entertainment!







I run.
I like it.
I'm GOOD at it.
This is all I can say for now. :o)

9 Miles

Today was supposed to be a 12 miler but at mile 2 my KNEE HURT!!!! Not just hurt, it hurt pretty bad, felt like I was limping for a bit there. I started to feel a little better around 4ish but still wanted to be conservative since the marathon is 2 WEEKS AWAY!!!! So, I decided not to head down Red Bud with Erika and Heidi, but turned around at the 5 mile mark and head back home. Right around 7 miles the knee pain flared back up and it was something I couldn't ignore. I WILL NOT INJURE MYSELF this close to the marathon! LOL

So I took it easy which KILLED me since I usually start doing some sprint intervals when I approach the toll road for those last couple miles, but I kept it slow. Once I reached Exchange I was LIMPING, running, but LIMPING so I kept it up right to 9 miles and then shut my Garmin off AND WALKED home the last .25mile.

I'm not feeling depressed or down. I just need to make it through this marathon so I will rest as much as possible over these next two weeks! LOL

4 Miles

First run of the week since my 20 miler and I'm okay with that! :o)

Met up with Erika and Kim at Anytime Fitness and hopped on the treadmill for 45 minutes. It felt SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD to be in a "REAL GYM"....I now know for sure what's next for me after this marathon!!!!

IT'S ALL ABOUT WEIGHTS BABY!!!!!!!! OH YEAH!

It just feels so NATURAL when I'm in the "gym" environment...I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

2 more weeks until the marathon and I can kiss long distance running GOODBYE!!! LOL