Damn

Oct. 7th, 2003 12:38 pm
e_juliana: (Default)
[personal profile] e_juliana
It took me a good 4 hours to catch up on everything. As the sombrero-ed naked mole rat rubber toy is my witness, I will never be Internet-less again!!

Anyway.

48 hours ago, I was struggling up Summit Avenue in St. Paul, watching the 4:30 pacer go by, and vowing that I would not see the 4:45 pacer pass me. As we now know, I didn't. Go Team Me.

I now understand what it mean to not be entirely in control of one's voluntary muscles. I walked 1.25 miles home last night, and there was a point where I was genuinely afraid for my right knee, because my thigh muscles were on the verge of complete failure. I've had joints go out before, but not like that. Not because their support system failed.

Other than that, however, I feel good. It sucks to walk, true, but I fucking ran a marathon. I've had a hell of a lot thrown at me over the past two years (unemployment, father figure taking ill and dying, hardhard breakup, having to move out of my apartment), and it didn't let up until about three weeks ago. And I ran a fucking marathon, and I turned in a hell of a time for a first-timer.

I'm under no illusions that the next marathon (L.A., hopefully) will feel this good. I'll be in a strange city, on an unfamiliar course, and the novelty will have worn off. It will be harder, much harder. Doesn't matter. I'll do it.

Never before have I pushed myself this hard, either physically or mentally. Thing is, the mental game took place long before I even lined up in the starting chute. Once I was in place in front of the Metrodome, I had no choice but to keep going forward. Literally. All the way through the run, even when I wanted, desperately needed to throw up (I never did), I had no choice but to continue. My brain gave me no other option. The training, though, that was the mental game. That was the "I must run 10 miles today. But I don't want to. But I must." game in full force.


So, I have a new and exciting challenge a head of me: training for the LA marathon. Why is this such a challenge? Here's why:

1. The novelty of "I ran a marathon" is gone. I've run a marathon now. What bragging rights does one's 2nd or 3rd bestow? (Apropos of nothing, I saw a sign that was cheering on a guy's 87th marathon. I don't quite grok, but good on him if it's true.)
2. The aforementioned training mindgame. "I don't wanna run. I'm tired. But I must. But whyyyyy?"
3. The fact that the weather's going to turn nasty in about a month, and stay intermittently nasty until well past 3/7/04.
4. I can't afford a gym membership, so I'll have to squeeze in runs when I can, and do a hell of a lot of aerobics when I can't.

I'll do it. And it will be fabulous.

(Note: I finished this post 48 hours after I came across the finish line. I yelled as loud as I could when my feet went past that line....)

Date: 2003-10-07 11:08 am (UTC)
ext_2277: (Default)
From: [identity profile] gchick.livejournal.com
I know I already gave you an incoherent, glurbly kind of "YAY!!", but now that you've had a chance to rest and catch up a bit, I want to reiterate that I am so damned proud of you and all you've accomplished.

Date: 2003-10-07 11:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dxmachina.livejournal.com
So proud of you.

Date: 2003-10-07 11:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mskat.livejournal.com
Go you! It's such a huge feeling and such an incredible accomplishment. You're making me feel like I really should have trained for Marine Corps. But I need to be on a different schedule. Run one in Dec. maybe. Or January.

Date: 2003-10-07 11:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mskat.livejournal.com
Go you! It's such a huge feeling and such an incredible accomplishment. You're making me feel like I really should have trained for Marine Corps. But I need to be on a different schedule. Run one in Dec. maybe. Or January.

So cool

Date: 2003-10-07 11:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] debg.livejournal.com
Honey, you just rock. An incredible run, an incredible time, an incredible feat.

What would it take to get you to think about doing Bay to Breakers?

Date: 2003-10-07 12:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mearagrrl.livejournal.com
Wow. SO freakin' amazing. Can't imagine running that much. Or, really, keeping moving in ANY way for that long!

You should come do the Marine Corps one! DC baby! (Obviously not THIS year's, but next year is always possible...)

Date: 2003-10-07 04:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] serasempre.livejournal.com
I'm so proud of you.

Date: 2003-10-07 05:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] makaidiver.livejournal.com
Congratulations, it is an amazing accomplishment.

Date: 2003-10-07 05:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] calligrafiti.livejournal.com
Congratulations! It's one hell of an accomplishment. And good luck on the LA marathon. Re: aerobics and other indoor stuff, would an exercise bike help? I was able to find a stand at a used sporting goods shop that turned my old road bike into an indoor exercise bike for $45. Yeah, it's sitting there clashing with everything in my livingroom, eating floor space. But when the sleet's rattling against the windows it's a nice exercise option.

Date: 2003-10-07 07:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] riani1.livejournal.com
And again with the "Whoo Hoo! Yay, you!" thing.

Plus I'm putting this entry of yours in my memories, so I can vicariously enjoy thrill of finishing a marathon.

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