Monday, September 29, 2008

Week 7: Down for the count

I didn't run a mile this past week. Not one. I took seven much needed, mandatory days off from running while I recovered from my crappily-timed illness. Do I feel guilty? Yes. Do I feel like I've suffered a major setback? Yes. Am I going to keep going?.... YES!

Training for a marathon is a metaphor for life. Sometimes unexpected things happen and you just have to keep going. Sometimes you fail. Sometimes you succeed. I am not surprised that I fell sick this week because honestly my mood has taken a downturn, I was not properly nourishing my body (vitamins, etc.), and I was not resting enough after my long runs. Let this week be a lesson that at this point in the game I need to start taking every element of my training very seriously if I intend to run this marathon.

Today I am recommitting and moving forward with the plan. This Saturday is my longest run - ever - at 14 miles. Overcoming the mental hurdles is every bit as challenging as physically conquering the miles. You don't anticipate it will be this hard. You can't, because you're in uncharted territory and you have nothing else to compare it to. Fear of failure is alive and real and very scary for me right now. All I can do is keep pushing forward. Every day. Every mile. It's hard.

1 comment:

wac said...

That week off is probably what your body needed. Think about how great it will feel to run on fresh legs again!

You can do it! Those 14 miles don't stand a chance!