This year's marathon didn't go as planned. I trained better for this race than I have the last two. I wrote out my training plan for every day leading up to race day. I ran more miles total that I ever have in preparing for something. I cut soda completely from my diet. I was ready.
Then I got a cold and my period the day before the race. I didn't sleep well at all the week leading up to the race. My body was shutting down. I told myself it didn't matter and I'd just get through it anyway, which I did. But I didn't do as well as I know I could have.
I had to stop multiple times just to make sure I wasn't bleeding too much. This added about 25 minutes to my total time. I was feeling so agitated for the first 16 miles of the race because I wanted to beat my PR. It was really important to me. And I would have, had I not been periodically trying to make sure I wasn't having any embarrassing moments along the road.
I didn't feel much of a runner's high until about mile 17. Up until then I wondered if the whole race was just going to feel like a chore and a disappointment. I was trying to cut the negative talk by telling myself "You KNOW you are going to finish this race." But I didn't care about finishing. I already knew I could do that. I wanted to do BETTER than I did before.
Then at mile 17 I realized I was feeling okay. Miles 17-20 have periodically been very difficult for me. But I felt okay. Miles 17-26 were actually really decent. I didn't cramp up. My legs definitely felt at their end a couple times and I took it slow, but over all I had a lot more strength at the end of this race than I did at the last two marathons I did. And considering this race had less elevation loss and was over-all more difficult, I felt good knowing I at least could measure some progression in that regard.
I didn't PR today, which was disappointing. But I crossed the finish line, and I did it while my body was in a weaker state than it normally is. Sometimes things don't go like you think they will.
Now I can just move on and do better at the next marathon. :)
Now I can just move on and do better at the next marathon. :)
