Not sure why it has taken me so long to write this race report but part of me was still processing how I felt about the race and also enjoying the days disconnected from running and being focused on training.
I have taken this week off, sleeping in, enjoying my children, chatting with friends, enjoying the Carolina heat and just soaking up the non running life. It has been refreshing in a way I didn't really think it could be. I keep saying wow I am so relaxed and happy. It has been the perfect recharging week.
I, of course, have mixed feeling about this race. I know I am much fitter than what I been running my last couple of marathons. Why my fitness has not translated into race day results? I do not know but I have a few ideas. One being that I had an especially intense training segment both in mileage and work out load and my body was just not ready to translate into a breakthough race.
I do know that both Boston and Bayshore, I had some thyroid issues leading up to race day that played into how I felt during the race but that as not the case at Grandmas. I was perfectly healthy thyroid wise. Why didn't I race well? Another 3:32 :-)
I think it was fatigue. I felt super good through mile 11-13 and than bamb I didn't feel good at all and by 16 mile I turned to someone I was running and said "Okay, this just got real!" from there on I was fighting for every step. My legs felt heavy in a way I had never experienced before and it was taking tremendous energy to get them to move. Lemon Drop hill at mile 22 just about killed me. I was fighting the voice that said walk and my glutes where like bitch we are not pushing you up this hill. Someone I made it though but it took about 30 seconds out of that miles and 10-15 seconds from my next mile trying to recover from that hill.
I know it was this was mostly due to the fact that I didn't take anytime off from my last marathon and rolled into some hard work outs and a hard long run. In retrospect, I should just been running easy between marathon or maybe just one workout. If I had one more week to taper I also think I would have felt even better. I have done multiple marathons before and always did well in subsequent marathons but I rested a ton between the events. Those races were also 5-7 weeks apart whereas these marathons were 4 weeks which I really think is 1-2 weeks too short.
I did not at all regret going for it another marathon at all. It was a phenomenal race and day! It was a great experience and I loved every minute of it. Well maybe not that last 6 miles :-) but I proud of myself for fighting and not letting negative voices win on that day. I walked away proud of my effort. I felt a peaceful and happy acceptance at the results.
I also know that I just have to keep going, never giving up and staying in faith that I will accomplish what I set out to do.
I recently was listening to a talk where they asked a famous entrepreneur if he knew it was going to be as tough as it was when he set out - he laughed and shook his head probably not.
Knowing that anything really worth doing is going to be really hard sometimes and you have to have passion and love for what you are doing to get you through the bumps. You have to be willing to keep trying and keep moving forward no matter what appears to the contrary.
In the words of Jim Carey, I would rather fail at something I love than fail at something I do not love because I wanted to play it safe.
I will be recovering and enjoying the summer and the moving on in my training for an awesome Fall season!! Life is pretty darn awesome.
