The date is encroaching. I have about 5 weeks left of training. Up until last week, I had been unable to run past 4 1/2 miles without knee pain that made me have to walk. When we did our 9 mile run, I got really mad about that. So, I stopped every time it was time to run and stretched out and rubbed my knee. This made the 9 mile run take 7 hours (jk..sorta) but I did manage to run all of the running intervals, as painful as they were. I did some thinking after that. I remembered what it felt like to be subject to knee pain that killed my last attempt at a half-marathon. It was so, so disappointing. The title of this blog, "Michelle Refuses to be Last Again" came to my mind. I asked myself if I was really doing everything I could possibly do to set myself up for success. Was I a victim of things beyond my control or could I help this? I decided that no, I had not done everything I could do to tackle that knee pain. I could use the foam roller more. I could take more ibuprofen and fish oil to take down the inflammation every day. On cross training days, I could really cross train instead of walking briskly through Wal-mart. The pressure of the impending date has pushed me to do those things and it is paying off. Last Saturday I ran six miles without any pain-for the first time since my ill-fated race. So, I am focusing in on doing every single thing I can to succeed.
As of this date, Misty Movee and I are the only two teammates in this race. Our training mates, Tamy Tale and Soy Soram had scheduling conflicts and had to bail. I already told Misty that if my knee acts up on race day or any other bad thing happens, she must not wait for me, she must go on without me. Save yourself, Misty. I have also decided that if knee pain takes me out of this race or even causes me not to be able to run it all, even if I do all I can do to tackle it, I won't run anymore. By the time this race comes around, I will have proven to myself that I have tried my absolute best. I know for certain that in my life, I cannot give any more to this than I am currently giving. So, running and I will have our day in court and I might have to leave her if she hurts me again.
But, I DO have robot glasses. An amazing thing happened. My dear husband has a shotty track record re: gift giving. It's hit or miss with him. In the same year I will get an iphone for my birthday and then a track suit for a 300 pound man for Mother's Day. The next year I will get a massage gift certificate for Mother's Day and then nothing for my birthday. This year I got nothing for Valentine's Day and I most assuredly threatened him about Mother's Day. I think it went something like, "if you do not do right by me on Mother's Day, life will not go well for you." I told him that 3 weeks out so that time would not be a permissible excuse (he doesn't feel it pass, you know). So, this Mother's Day, he fed ex'd me the coolest running gift EVER for Mother's Day. Robot glasses. They are glasses with an mp3 player in the arms. They come with little attachable headphones that shoot down from the arms of the glasses and straight into your ears! There are red little fashionable buttons on the arms that you use for power and volume. No cords! You plug them into your computer with a usb cable and drag the tunes you want into your GLASSES! I have tried them out for three miles and they are only AWESOME. So, even if I don't finish this race the way I desire, I will have the coolest glasses in Teller County. For briskly walking around Wal-mart in.
10 miles on Saturday. Oh man. The last time I did the pre-race 10 mile run, my inner thighs chafed to almost bleeding and I got sausage fingers.
Oh yeah, and for all you sickos who want me to write something gross, here you go...on the 9 mile run I squatted under a bridge to pee and my thighs shook so hard from squatting that I peed all over my new awesome pink running shoes.
You are going to kick booty. Nothing can come against those cool glasses.
Posted by: Thorn's Musical Journey | 05/13/2010 at 03:34 PM