Positively thinking my glass is half empty
“The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals.”
Hal Higdon
This Sunday is the Minneapolis marathon. The many miles and many hours of training are now done and gone.
We have done everything we can do to ready our bodies for this race, specifically for the goal we are looking to attain. The goal, 3:45.
What’s with 3:45 you ask? That is the Boston qualifying time for old hags like Laura and I. So, when we turn 40, we can be there with bells on. It doesn’t matter to me that it typically takes people 6 attempts before they hit qualifying time. We’ll just disregard that study.
Like I said, we have readied our bodies. T-odd will be pacing us, holding us up with all his witty banter, keeping the monsters at bay and telling us to stop bitching. Mrs. B will be running too. Our families and running buddies will be there like beacons of hope at the top of the hills and around the most important corners.
My mind on the other hand…that is a different story. It gets real dark in those corners when there is pain.
So I just keep telling myself:
It’s going to hurt.
But I have trained.
My toes will start going numb around mile 5 with a burning tingle and move on to utter agony by mile 13.
But I know it is going to happen.
My bunion will be screaming from the start.
But my hot podiatrist and I have done everything we can for it.
I will be exerting myself and pushing myself harder than I ever have at this distance.
But I gave birth naturally to three kids and still lived to tell the tale.
I will get dizzy and tired and think I can’t go on and want to stop.
But I won’t.
I know all these things and will let them go one at a time as they come up, there will not be any surprises (ok that’s a crock of shit).
We have trained hard.
We have trained well.
We can do this.
We will do this.
YES WE CAN!
Let me hear you say it people…
Filed under races, running | Comments (5)5 Responses to “Positively thinking my glass is half empty”
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You know what I am looking forward to? Mocking you when you finish at 3:40. Laughing at how worried you were, then watching you kick its ass. That’s what I am looking forward to…
YES YOU CAN!! I’ll be out there cheering for you guys… you go girl!!
Oh for fuck sake – Shut Up And Run, Bitch! How is that for witty banter and uplifting encouragement? What do I get when you easily make the time? Sex and booze hold no interest anymore.
Have fun crossing the finish! And celebrating afterward…Go Mary Go!
I feel the urge to use the f-word around the internet you so here I go. (I mean this all with love.) You are luckier than shit (OK that’s not the f-word but — whatever) that you can RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!! Be happy about that!! Be fucking happy about it okay? Be glad you’re not me, eating an entire fucking “blooming onion” the night before the inaugural rock and roll marathon in San Diego. Pretend this is baby #4 and Dr. E is there yelling at you to stop screaming and complaining about the pain. Just get that baby out! Seriously, you need to mentally channel that screaming and complaining into a laser bean of focused speed.
I know you and Laura are going to ROCK the marathon.
🙂 (I always put a smiley face in all my emails to show people how nice I am. I hope it counteracts the cursing.)
Todd is cordially invited over after the marathon for a home-fried “blooming onion” (if he’s into that kind of thing).