So, me and my girls have been training for what seems like forever for the Marine Corps Marathon. I'm sure that many of you have screamed at my facebook page "JUST RUN THE DARNED THING ALREADY!" I don't blame you. With the long runs (thankfully) behind us and the marathon weekend just a few days away, I've had a little time to reflect on what this experience has taught me...
Never underestimate the power of my running girls. These are the people that see me at my absolute worst - and don't care. When we see each other out for ladies night, we marvel at how pretty the others are! "WOW you look AMAZING!". Could it be because I don't have bead head, mascara under my eyes and a river of sweat flowing from my running skirt? They know exactly how to cheer my good runs and commiserate my crappy ones. We know each others aches & pains, up-to-the-minute count of healthy toenails and can discuss poop schedules over dinner. Respect It.
Never underestimate the power of my running girls. These are the people that see me at my absolute worst - and don't care. When we see each other out for ladies night, we marvel at how pretty the others are! "WOW you look AMAZING!". Could it be because I don't have bead head, mascara under my eyes and a river of sweat flowing from my running skirt? They know exactly how to cheer my good runs and commiserate my crappy ones. We know each others aches & pains, up-to-the-minute count of healthy toenails and can discuss poop schedules over dinner. Respect It.
Sadly, when a running girl flies the coop - it's devastating. For all parties. There is a big gaping hole where her shoes once padded along beside us and she is left fumbling around all alone in uncharted territory. Not a pretty scene.
Food is medicine. In the great tradition of Ayurveda, this adage couldn't be more true than when it comes to distance running. You can fix you with food and drink. You can also destroy yourself. The body screams out loud all the time, yet we find a way to tune it out. Pushing to our physical limits seems to turn on our Listening Ears. I love it.
Get my ass out of bed. Early morning running is non-negotiable in this climate. We start our long runs at 2:30 a.m. just to avoid the sunrise - like a band of roaming vampires. Beyond beating the heat, getting my ass out of bed has set the stage for a happier and more productive life.
Top Five Benefits of getting my ass out of bed:
1. Better sleep - I get to bed earlier and sleep more soundly. Early to bed kills recreational drinking. Huge benefit.
2. Life Organization - I have to have my sh*t together to be out the door by 4:50 a.m. Period.
3. I am a calorie burning machine.
4. I am a consistent runner. Consistency equals success.
5. I have seen like 300 amazing Caribbean sunrises of every conceivable color. Fact.
Good News! I have a simple two step plan that will help you become a morning person even if you've never been one before. Step One: Stop saying you aren't a morning person. It's weak. Step Two: Get your ass out of bed.
Planning = success. No one can fill a conversation like a chick heading into her first marathon. Irritating to non-runners. Yes. But, you simply cannot head out on a 20 mile run without a plan. The plan consumes a good part of your brain and you need to tell everyone the plan. The food plan, hydration plan, the clothing plan. Plan, plan, plan. A constant stream of planning, adjusting and learning. You can apologize to those you've bored to tears after the race.
Enjoy the road. I've taken so many snapshots with my mind. So many gorgeous sunrises I can recall at will. Triple rainbows, mud puddle stomps when we just couldn't get any wetter, Hillaire's goat and my two cows, Rachel wringing out her skirt, Poonam's sprint finishes, our first charge up the Sticky Wicket, the morning Suzanne was attacked, the headlights of Colin's car lighting our way in the dark, and our jingle bell run on Christmas morning in antlers. It's all safely tucked away in the photo album of my heart.
Soon I will trade in two years of long hot runs with a few precious girlfriends through miles of Barbados sugar cane for the company of 39,988 strangers (I deducted my family, friends and Drew Carey) in a city wrapped in fall and full of larger than life monuments.
I am thankful for the sugar cane...
Photos by Suzanne Durant on our 18 miler.
Food is medicine. In the great tradition of Ayurveda, this adage couldn't be more true than when it comes to distance running. You can fix you with food and drink. You can also destroy yourself. The body screams out loud all the time, yet we find a way to tune it out. Pushing to our physical limits seems to turn on our Listening Ears. I love it.
Get my ass out of bed. Early morning running is non-negotiable in this climate. We start our long runs at 2:30 a.m. just to avoid the sunrise - like a band of roaming vampires. Beyond beating the heat, getting my ass out of bed has set the stage for a happier and more productive life.
Top Five Benefits of getting my ass out of bed:
1. Better sleep - I get to bed earlier and sleep more soundly. Early to bed kills recreational drinking. Huge benefit.
2. Life Organization - I have to have my sh*t together to be out the door by 4:50 a.m. Period.
3. I am a calorie burning machine.
4. I am a consistent runner. Consistency equals success.
5. I have seen like 300 amazing Caribbean sunrises of every conceivable color. Fact.
Good News! I have a simple two step plan that will help you become a morning person even if you've never been one before. Step One: Stop saying you aren't a morning person. It's weak. Step Two: Get your ass out of bed.
Planning = success. No one can fill a conversation like a chick heading into her first marathon. Irritating to non-runners. Yes. But, you simply cannot head out on a 20 mile run without a plan. The plan consumes a good part of your brain and you need to tell everyone the plan. The food plan, hydration plan, the clothing plan. Plan, plan, plan. A constant stream of planning, adjusting and learning. You can apologize to those you've bored to tears after the race.
Enjoy the road. I've taken so many snapshots with my mind. So many gorgeous sunrises I can recall at will. Triple rainbows, mud puddle stomps when we just couldn't get any wetter, Hillaire's goat and my two cows, Rachel wringing out her skirt, Poonam's sprint finishes, our first charge up the Sticky Wicket, the morning Suzanne was attacked, the headlights of Colin's car lighting our way in the dark, and our jingle bell run on Christmas morning in antlers. It's all safely tucked away in the photo album of my heart.
Soon I will trade in two years of long hot runs with a few precious girlfriends through miles of Barbados sugar cane for the company of 39,988 strangers (I deducted my family, friends and Drew Carey) in a city wrapped in fall and full of larger than life monuments.
I am thankful for the sugar cane...
Photos by Suzanne Durant on our 18 miler.
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