So. It’s time for some tough love.
I have been, shall we say, a bit lazy in the running department since March’s half-marathon. The reasons are myriad: a new boyfriend, the desire for creature comforts to help me cope with my job loss, hunting for new jobs, A LOT of utilitarian biking to get from Point A to Point B, lack of interest in running…I could keep going, but I think that list is sufficient. I’ve just been really busy and unwilling to do the work to squeeze running into the mix.
Months ago, I had told myself that after the half-marathon, I could take the rest of March off from running and then I’d have to start getting serious about building the mileage base for full marathon training. 2.5 months of base running would be sufficient, and then I’d start my official training plan. But here we are, several days into May, and I’ve been running about 4-5 miles/week for the last few weeks. Methinks that’s not good enough for marathon training!
To be really honest, I am quite worried about my level of motivation for this marathon. I feel so drained by my job loss that I don’t feel like working hard toward anything. What appeals to me are fun things: dinner dates, drinking wine, reading blogs, planning new outfits, cooking, planning summer adventures. What does NOT appeal to me: logging miles and miles of running for a 26.2-mile race.
Should I just quit now and let hedonism be my summer plan? Or is it possible that once I can get myself settled into a running routine, my motivation will return. It’s the old “fake it till you make it.” Or “do good, feel good.” In about two weeks, my daily routine will look quite different and I’ll certainly have more time for running. And yesterday, I managed to double-up on my to-do list and squeezed a 40-minute run and my lab chores into the same outing! I did NOT make it to the grocery store as I had planned, but hopefully that will happen today since I’m out of soymilk.
In order to really commit to this marathon, I have to make running a daily priority. My training plan doesn’t ask me to run every day, but I seem to end up with enough interruptions during the course of the week that “daily priority” may translate to “4-5 times per week.” I don’t know how to get there other than by putting one foot in front of the other. But maybe that will be enough.
Stay tuned for an earnest effort to find some motivation to run…
It is always one foot in front of the other. The only way.
ReplyDeleteYou know, there is something really beautiful and simple about that. It's so true!
DeleteAt this very moment I am wishing I had not signed up for a half marathon in August, but that is because I had a shitty race yesterday and am still licking my wounds. The fall is a long, hot summer away, and you can definitely be ready by the time Detroit rolls around.
ReplyDeleteI was sorry to read about your disappointing race (and will leave you a comment about that on your blog). But I can't even really imagine you without another race on the horizon! That's just how you roll :-) Being really strategic about how many and when you run your races might ultimately be your biggest lesson as a runner. I wish you the best of luck.
DeleteI think that the mental/emotional side of marathon training is so much harder than the physical part! Running is easy, but keeping yourself motivated, making the time to get out there, organizing your life so that you can complete your training on race day - that's the real challenge, at least for me. I look at training as an exercise in dedication and ambition. It makes the long miles easier to bear. :)
ReplyDeleteChrissy, I think you're right. It's like everything before and after my run is working against my ability to get out the door for a run! I include myself in that set of things, too--it's not just other people or responsibilities. It's me, saying that before dinner or the cocktail or an episode of Big Love, I need to run. And I'm finally saying to myself, "Who CARES how you get the miles done? Just do it!" Hence the Galloway method this week, where a 20-minute run takes 30 minutes because of the walk breaks. Whatever works, right? :-)
DeleteI'm hoping the recommitment to running will help with my depression, too. Step by step back to health...