Tuesday, February 26, 2013

One and done?

I've been frequently asked and periodically query myself whether or not I would attempt another marathon after I run in Boston this April. It's funny that my most common answer is 'probably not', considering I'm running the insanely prestigious Boston Marathon. When someone says they're running the Boston Marathon, that in itself immediately conveys the impression of an intensely serious, accomplished runner who was able to nab their BQ. But of course I didn't get to Boston the way that everyone assumes - aka, I didn't have to qualify to run it. Even still, I'm hoping for a good showing and a respectable time and if by some miracle I could hit the requisite time to qualify for next year's race, that would be staggeringly spectacular.

After my 15 mile run...after this
shot I promptly flopped to the ground.
 So, now I ask myself again if I think I'll attempt another marathon and I'd give it a 'maybe'. I'm definitely intimidated of the race itself and though I ran 20 miles a week ago, the 26.2 still seems really, really daunting. So maybe my opinion will change (I have been known as a biiiiiiit of a flip flopper) after the race and I'll decide to do another. But right now, that doesn't feel likely. 

I tried to pin down exactly what is making me so nervous about the race itself and I finally got it: I'm worried about hitting the storied marathon wall. I hit a wall on my 20 miler a little over a week ago around mile 18 and damn, that thing was solid. My legs, pace and attitude did not exactly recover from the impact and I struggled through the last two miles having to stop twice and not having much fun anymore.

The idea of running more than 6 miles further than that sounds impossible and the environment of the race itself is intimidating. I chatted with some marathoner family members and they diagnosed that I probably hadn't eaten enough and hit the wall as a result. An article on Running Planet confirmed it: (see the whole answer here)

"There is no barrier that drops down in front of you at mile 20. The marathon wall is really just a generic term that describes the effects of running out of fuel in your body."


So, okay, that takes some of the terror out of it. I just have to eat and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes I forget that a marathon is just running...granted, for a really long time, but it's just running. I know how to run...and if I hit a wall in Boston, then I'll just walk through it.

I've heard a lot of runners say that they do it for the beer. Well, I don't like beer, but I do like Lululemon. Graham has assured me that he will be right there on the sidelines (at one point along the race anyways), donuts in hand, supporting me and reminding me that there is going to be a shopping trip at the end of that long, long 26.2 miles. I suppose I'll just do it for the clothes then.

8 comments:

  1. One of my best friends from HS is also running Boston. Her company, Sam Adams, had a bunch of bibs and she is going to "one and done" the whole marathon thing. I look forward to following more of your journey to race day!

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    1. Thanks! That's actually really reassuring.

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  2. FYI: Just tried your social media buttons and they didn't work :(

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    1. Yikes, thanks for the heads up. They should be all good now :)

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  3. Fueling helps so much during a race! The hammer gels are definitely my current favorites, but I like trying different things to figure out what works for me. Plus I've been practicing carb loading (like the three days before the race kind), and it has worked well. I stopped eating gluten though because I had a VERY bad experience carb loading with too many wheat products. Not pretty! Good luck with your race! I thought I would be a one-and-done marathoner, but I totally got hooked.

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    1. Yesterday (big 20 miler) I actually felt some of the benefits from fueling and I didn't hit the wall again, which was awesome. I just ate half a peanut butter sandwich cut up into little pieces and it worked. I do want to try the Hammer gels as well though. During a long run, at what mile do you usually start eating? I've heard you should start at mile 7 and then eat a little every few miles thereafter. Do you agree?

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  4. I agree with Yo Momma Runs about finding the right combo for fueling. It's a huge help. Also make sure you are drinking something on a schedule whether you think you need it or not.

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    1. Totally true. That's a great reminder about hydrating regularly too! I definitely tend to drink mainly when I eat...so probably not enough :) How often do you recommend drinking on the run?

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