Welcome to my Worst Nightmare!

Seriously, what is a marathoners worst dream? Answer, INCONSISTENT training!! OMG I want to rip my own toenails out. This is the worst marathon build up I've done in my history of marathon training. Yes, all TWO marathons that I've done. haha.

So, I thought I was out of the woods on the last post. But my improvement is, uhhhh...SHIT. I like to be objective so let's talk data:

*I can run
*I don't have a diagnosable injury
*My lower legs are constantly sore. Similar to post marathon sore.
 
So being the good little grasshopper that I am I have:

*run less mileage 60-70/week
*more doubles to break up the day
*Most easy runs. Only because my legs won't GO. Think tin man.
* I swim almost everyday. Not splish splash pool play, but 1,2,3...GO freestyle. lol

Last week out of no where I was able to do a 5 mile tempo descending to 6:35 on the treadmill and a 16 mile long run at 7:48 pace. The week before 15 miles at nearly 7:52 pace (gasp). And no tempo that week. So, as you can imagine this is runner purgatory to me. I could see if it lasted a week or 2 but it's been a good 3 weeks since my injury resolved (tendinitis).

My chief complaint is sore calves with on and off shin split pain. I've increased slowly, ran slowly, never run in pain, and switched to heavy mizuno's....nothing gives! So clearly, this must be a time thing. I will just wait it out and run what I can until then. The only ball buster is uhhh...the freaking marathon I'm training for! CHICAGO!

So my thoughts on that are:

*I can only do what I can do training wise.
*I believe in miracles!
*I will not give up this soon
*I will be realistic
*I will add humor along the way because hello...I'm not Shalane. It's ok.

I looked for a back up marathon for November/December but I didn't love anything in particular. I really still want Chicago! And that doesn't mean a 3:15 Chicago. Y'all know by now I'm not training for a personal worst. I wouldn't attend a marathon that will set me back a good $800 in travel to "have fun." Crap, not if it were $50. That's not how I roll. Balls to the walls or nothing.

So, in a third person kind of way I'm curious to see how this plays out. There are a few things I have on my side:

*My fitness level is always the same. Once I get back there it doesn't really change. So once my legs have fluidity I have no doubt I will cruise.
*My endurance is probably the best it's ever been. 26.2 doesn't seem far per se.
*I believe in miracles

So the giddy up is hiding right now but I will plug away with my hobby jogger pace until that one fantastic morning I can roll hard again. Hopefully by Wednesday!

Thanks for reading and putting up with my over the top asterisk abuse. You know me, all or nothing!

Party on guys!
Laura