One Month From Today

To anyone who tells me running is a cheap sport, all you need is a pair of tennis shoes, I have this to say:

BULL SHIT!

Yesterday, while limping through an 8 or 9ish mile run, I ran a tally in my head of what it's cost me to run this marathon.

1st pair of running shoes (with 10% TNT discount): $90
Nike Employee store gear binge (with 50% discount): $200
Shamrock run entry fees and charges: $36
Dr. Howell visits (6 visits to date, with TNT discount): $225
Foam roller: $20
2nd pair of running shoes (with 10% TNT discount): $90
Body glide: $8
Electrolyte replacement gels, bars, powders, tablets, drinks, etc.: $50ish so far
KT tape ($12/roll): $24
Compression sleeves for my leg (with 15% Chinook Book coupon): $34
New ice packs: $21

This doesn't include bus fare, since I can't walk to work anymore (Dr's orders) and the ice that I use to torture myself with after runs. I'm sure I'm forgetting something else too, but this comes to $808. All since mid-January. And I thought running would be cheaper than maintaining a gym membership each month. That only cost me $35. Geez.

I won't lie to you - I hate running right now. I can't wait to be done with it. I've been injured for about a month now and I hurt every time I take a step. I got new shoes and compression sleeves to help my posterior tibialis strain and now I'm getting horrible muscle cramps in my anterior tibialis. So bad that I can't flex my foot to take my next stride, resulting in my dragging my toe on the ground or having to stop and walk or stretch.

I'm sick of trying to fit in my mid-week runs before or after work, sick of having chafing on my neck and arms and legs, sick of having to sit out on track practices because I can't be up on my toes, sick of eating oatmeal for breakfast, sick of having to get up at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings so I can eat and digest my oatmeal before heading out for our long runs, sick of the incessant rain, sick of not having a life outside running, sick of being slow. I really can't wait to be done with it all. I said that already.

I'm trying to let go of my 4 hour goal. It's a hard thing to give up. Our coaches always say that our first goal should be just to finish. That alone is an accomplishment. But I have to say - it won't feel like much, I don't think. I've hiked that many miles in a day with a 60 pound pack on my back, so just finishing, just moving my body 26 miles in one stretch, isn't too impressive to me. The second goal should be a realistic one. Finishing the marathon in 4h 30m. The third should be best-case-scenario, if all the stars align and you're just on, you might be able to accomplish this. 4h.

I will be hugely disappointed in myself if I don't finish in under 4 hours. No matter who tells me what, I know the standards I have for myself and however unrealistic it might be given all the set-backs I've dealt with in the last month, I won't be happy if I come in over 4.

It seemed important that I update this blog today, seeing as my marathon is May 1st, but this is quite the Debbie Downer post! So some cool things, and I'll call it quits:

This is my doctor, John Howell. He just came in third place at the Shamrock Run 5K. His best marathon time is 2h 22m. He's incredible.


This is what my day looked like today:






Finally, a little reprieve from the rain, and even, for a couple hours, clear skies.

The sky is a little foreboding now and I'm sure tomorrow morning's run will be soggy, but oh well. We take what we can get, right?



So I'll leave you with this - watch it until you see the dancing grandma (yes, there really is a dancing grandma!) - it's made more than one of my days in the last week. It'll make yours too, promise!