Five weeks to go and I find myself wondering WHY THIS #@%* ICE ISN'T MELTING?! I am still battling the cars on Route 16 (I always lose) and I am hoping to get in at least ONE long run where I don't have to worry about twisting my ankle sliding on a patch of black ice. At least I think I have figured out a few things – like how much to drink (a lot) and what (Gatorade Lemonade), what to do about my queasy stomach after a run (Pepto Bismol), where to put anti-chafing cream (everywhere) and how much padding to put over my crooked toes (as much as I can cram in my shoes).
But, there are many unknowns that won't be known until shortly before, or on, race day that may greatly impact whether I can do this or not. And that idea humbles me… that for all this training and preparation things could still get messed up. Like the weather – what if it's 90 degrees that day? My training has been in frigid cold. Will I keel over if it's hot? Or, what if a flu bug sneaks into my house a few days before the race? What if my spinach gets tainted with salmonella again?
But then that's life, isn't it? You could (and some people do) go crazy thinking about all the “what ifs” life may throw at you. I choose not to go down that path right now. I think it could really snowball into something very self-defeating. So, for now I'm just going to be thankful my knee is still holding (although it makes a little crackle sound when I use the stairs) and I can still pig out on dessert without seeing it appear on me later. Maybe running in place in a steaming shower and arming myself with Purell and Tamiflu would be wise ways to prepare, but I'll think about those some other day.
2 comments:
Martha,
It was great to read through yours and Heidi's posts which were amusing and so true! At 4:45 this morning, the ice IS melting, the paper-folk are still out but these early mornings are much darker again! And those 4 legged creatures (cat vs fox vs groundhog vs what species comes out of hibernation now?) that cross the road...as long as you can catch a patch of white on the paws or tail, it's okay, right?
Take care, we're almost there. With the mileage you've put on your shoes in 2007, you've probably run close to 10 marathons! Keep up with the good work, stay away from the cooties (not cookies) and STRETCH. When this is done, we'll toast with mararitassss, extra ssssalt.
Jeannie
P.S. Now "what if" we actually run a qualifying time on April 16th?
jeannie: i'm not sure it's too wise at my age to push my knee for another marathon. i'm kinda looking forward to getting my feet fixed and wearing sandals without embarassment for the first time ever !!!
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