Con ánimo
Getting back into my regular training post-vacation has been a toughie. Every morning, I wake up and decide to put off my runs until the afternoon. Almost every afternoon, I’ve been wishy-washy about going for that run, until I end up at home, cleaning my apartment as an alternative to running. The only easy run last week? My 12-miler, which was probably more of a 13-miler given the extra 10 minutes I padded the run with just to make sure I covered any slower miles. While I was tired, it wasn’t a huge chore. Sure, the first few miles were a bit scary given that my stomach wanted to act up, but that soon settled and I was on a roll. A nap later that day aided my quick recovery—any lingering soreness was gone by Monday morning (and that’s with lots of walk and a 40-minute bike ride in between).
But it has been tough, overall, to get back into the smaller training runs. While I do plan on getting myself to the gym today, yesterday was a “Gee, this apartment sure is dirty” kind of afternoon in which I opted to stay home and dust off my tables rather than head to the gym. I gave myself the usual excuse: the gym’s crowded on Monday evenings. I let it pass for the moment, but know that tonight I’ll be tacking on 1.5 miles to my original three-miler. I could just skip the three miles I missed yesterday, but c’mon . . . not necessary. If I can’t run a 4.5-4.5-5.0 series over the course of three days, I’m not the runner I used to be. And given how easily I bounced back into long runs, I sure as hell seem like the same runner I used to be. It is time to prove it with that series.
To combat the lethargic state of my legs and attitude, I’ve been reading people marathon reports from years past, hoping not to come across one that says “And so I dropped out at Mile 10.” So far, nothing like that, but reading these reports combined with booking a hotel for my stay that weekend has reinvigorated me a bit, and I feel ready to run tonight. A note on the hotel: I will cancel it if something cheaper comes up. The cancellation comes with a $25 fee, but that’s okay—I can stomach $25 as opposed to a combined $714 for two nights. I will continue to hunt, but the one advantage of this hotel is its proximity to the New York Public Library. However, I would’ve preferred a hotel closer to the finish line. I will do what the experts say and keep on walking after I’m (hopefully) done, but I think I’ll need public transportation back to this hotel. In sum, this is a backup hotel. Oh, and another sum, reading and booking the hotel does inject a sense of excitement into the whole deal, and maybe tonight’s 4.5 miles won’t be so horrible.
Still, though, I have to love the fact that I find 12 miles easy to run than three. Maybe this bodes well for the marathon overall? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
The marathon website tells me that there are 67 days left until the big day. Meaning there are 65 days until my sister’s birthday (her 22nd!), 73 days until I sit down at the Power Center to watch Patrick Stewart work his magic, 85 days until Thanksgiving, and 86 days until my 10-year high school reunion.
Yeah, you read that right. My high school (cough:SalineHighSchool:cough) is having its 10-year reunion. Yes, it has been 10 glorious years since I left that hellhole in southeast Michigan. The invite has gone out, and I am welcome to attend if I’m willing to a) travel to Michigan during Thanksgiving and b) fork over $20. High School Buddy B mentioned it to me last night over an impromptu conversation on AIM. She’s oddly insistent that I attend—when I mentioned I’d be in Michigan during November, she concluded that I would be there. Nay, dear B, I said, I am there for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Residency 2006. I will have the opportunity to ask Patrick Stewart if that was his real hair in I, Claudius. As such, I shall be there a few weeks earlier (I bought my ticket yesterday–$108.48, woo; that Friday’s also a federal holiday, so I get to spend a day with the family sans Patrick). I am not particularly motivated to find a way to get to the reunion, either. It’s the day after Thanksgiving, to boot. Let’s see, if in Michigan, would I be a) shopping on that crazy Friday or b) going to my 10-year reunion? I’ll take “Standing Outside in the Freezing Cold to Get a Free and Crappy Snow Globe” for $10,000, Alex!
Besides, IP and I are tentatively planning on gathering all D.C. misfits for a University of Michigan-based Thanksgiving dinner. That does not mean, however, that I will be dyeing the mashed potatoes maize and blue. Corn’s as close to maize as we’ll get. As for blue, who wants electric lemonades? Remember, this’ll be post-marathon, during the recovery month in which I plan to just cross-train and lift weights and drink the drinks I’m currently missing (I was very good last Friday night, stuck to Diet Coke and water).
Ah, November. Full of events, but there’s one I shall be missing: my 10-year high school reunion. Mock-cry with me, all. This is one event where I don’t need to read past experiences (they’re all sad and pitiful) and book a hotel.
