You know I couldn't stay away for long...from running that is. I did take some time off after the Biltmore half...there was a bunch of stuff around the house I wanted to catch up on in preparation for the family being here for Katherine's First Communion. But once that was over and the weather warmed up it was time to get moving.
Ted and I are officially signed up for the Outer Banks Marathon in November. If I'm going to ever run a full marathon this is the one to do because it is flat. Flatter than flat. The only hill you encounter the whole time is the Bonner Bridge which crosses over the intercoastal waterway from Hatteras to Manteo Island. Granted, that occurs at around mile 23 so any elevation change will seem like a mountain at that point. I've told Ted I still reserve the right to drop down to the half at the last minute. But with 5 plus months to focus on training just for that, I'm feeling that it is a bit more doable this time around. I'm about 6 weeks into training already and have already worked my way up to a 14 miles a couple of weeks ago. Yup, 14 miles. That would have been unthinkable not that long ago. So I've made progress.
And this time around, I got a little help. A while back Ted got us listening to Marathon Training Academy podcasts during our ride home from work. I was a reluctant listener. Maybe because I have never embraced the "I'm a runner" title, maybe because podcasts don't seem to be my cup of tea but for whatever reason I slumped in the passenger's side of the car thinking "I'd rather be listening to music right now." And I spent most of my time discrediting the information in my head, as in it works for them but would never work for me. I can't say that I don't do that still. But they offer a personal coaching option. Basically, they design personal workouts each week around your goals and current fitness levels. The way I figure it, if I'm paying for it, I'm more likely to do it. I will admit, it has gotten me to get into the cross training thing a bit more.
Last weekend was supposed to be a try at 16 miles. I set off with all good intentions. It was a great morning for summer running too, clear with low humidity and a nice breeze. I was moving my way along, not extremely fast but I was getting the job done. Until mile 8 when my IT band in my right leg started acting up. At mile 9 I stopped and stretched and that seemed to alleviate things for about 3/4 of a mile. But when I hit mile 10 I knew I needed to stop and head (walk) home. At that point I was two miles from home so while I put in 12 miles total it was not the 16 I was hoping for. And I was frustrated with myself. Not much to do though but rest my leg, do lots of stretching and ease back into things over the course of the week. I ran 8 miles this weekend and the leg seemed fine.
So this coming weekend Ted and I will make another go of 16 miles. I need to remember that this is going to be a journey over the next few months. Not all runs are going to be wonderful. Some might be horrible. But the idea of actually going for all 26 seems doable right now. I'll just have to tackle it one mile at a time.
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