Why I Probably Run More Than You

Hey Everyone!!

I am so sorry I have been slacking on my updates! This Boston build up is deliciously exhausting. When I have 30 minutes to spare I'm using telling Siri to wake me up in a few.  But seriously, I've never trained so hard or so much in my life.

They say you really learn about yourself in a marathon. I will extend that to marathon training. Because there are all sorts of fun things you get to deal with along the way! Such as:

The usual suspects:

*Fatigue
*Excitement
*An out of control ego
*Quickly beat down by the epic fail training run
*Insatiable appetite
*Irritability

Then the less obvious suspects:

*Friction burns, turned into permanent scabs
*2 to 3 showers a day from doubling and sometimes X-training
*Accepting that life for 12 weeks will be in a pony tail
*Doing a double and farting the whole way while waving to your neighbors
*Bloody noses from freezing temps
*Explaining to non runners that running 2-3 hours a day is epic and rewarding!
*Explaining to your child that you can't sit in a folding chair and watch them practice. It hurts!
*No, I'm not trying to lose weight!

SO WHY?! What is the point? I love to ponder this question and have a million different answers.

Why have I run 1254 miles since January 1st? My weekly totals are:

95, 95, 100, 104, 114, 120, 100, 71, 109, 125, 108, 103 (this week) That includes 6 long runs that were 20-24 miles.

That's more than a lot of men will run and go sub 2:30. Some people will run 40% of that and kick my ass. I'm aware. But it's not my goal to beat them. It's my goal to beat me. It's my goal to push myself till I want to give up and then learn to make that my comfort zone. I'm not training for complacency.

It's about grinding and pushing the envelope. Sucking it up. Wiping the tears. And doing it again and again.

Mentally, this kind of training is probably harder than the physical act of moving your body. One day you feel invincible and the next, trashed. Over and over. It's a mental beat down. So you have to believe in yourself and your training. Because odds are you will need to get your shoes back on and run within the next 5 hours.

I know what I can do. I don't want to train for a 3rd 2:58. I'd like to give a little more this time. I'm no different from the 4 or 5 hour marathoner. I think most of us throw down our best. We don't roll up to a track for 800's and run easy pace. We all try. That's all you can ask for. And at the end of the day or week it puts a smile on our faces.

It teaches my kids and yours that giving up is not an option. That this is what commitment looks like. That somedays your best will be last weeks worst. And in the end you can check the DONE box feeling accomplished.

I'm going to cut this off here. But I have some dietary tips, tricks and hopefully not placebos to share on the next post. I don't have a double today so I'll work on that now : )

As always you guys rock! I couldn't do it without you! Thanks again for your support. T-3w2d to turn this mutha out! See you at Hopkinton!

Later Taters!!

Here are some random pics:

Running out of poses nowadays

A great 10 miler!

Props to my LMBT for being 75% of the reason I'm still on the roads

Fashion "situations"

35 degrees in the am. 80 degrees in the pm. Sure!

This has become acceptable...somehow...

Seeing this on my run!

That's a happy dance right there!

What else does one do betw parked cars while celebrating a great day?!

I would like to thanks my family and pets for supporting me

And my training partner who I will always look up to

And the pendulum swings...a good day...