I'm just plain worried about running the St. George marathon on Saturday. I haven't had a good run in 2 weeks, at least, and I don't feel anywhere close to recovered. If anything, I've been on the light side of training during my taper and I still feel ugh. Everyone else seems to be doing just fine.
I am worried I'm not going to meet the expectations I have set for myself. It is so hard to have any gauge of how you are going to run a fall marathon when you've been training in Houston all summer. My only indicator was the half I ran in San Diego which didn't go well at all. The weather also isn't looking great. This race is known for its great weather, until, of course, I show up. The highs there right now are still 90+. Lovely. Why do I do this to myself again?
I'm also worried my knees (IT bands) are both going to spontaneously combust during any one of the ~21 miles of downhills. Running downhill is about the worst possible thing for IT band syndrome. Have I had any problems this season? Not really, but I also haven't run downhill for that long. The last time I had major issues was in the Houston Marathon and then 2 weeks later in the 3M 1/2 marathon which was mostly downhill - go figure. The course is supposed to be wicked fast if you can handle the downhill, but I'm just not sure right now if my body is equipped to do so.
I also hope I don't let a bad performance get me down for the rest of the weekend. We have a fun trip planned and I don't want a bad race to overshadow the fun times.
My body is also doing weird things. My heart rate (resting) seems to be running a bit high lately and my hands are shaking big time right now. Lovely. I'm pretty sure my hands are shaking from my asthma medicine which just sucks. The symbacort stops me from sleeping well. I'm supposed to be on a dose in the morning and a dose at night, but I've only been doing the morning dose most days so I have a better chance of sleeping at night. Now though I worry about my lungs exploding in Utah, so I'm trying to increase the dose to twice a day and it isn't going well. My voice also seems to be leaving me. Is it from the symbacort? Am I somehow still managing to get sick right now? Or is it from barely sleeping last night? God only knows.
I was supposed to do one last 2-3 mile run tomorrow but I think I'm going to pass and take 3 whole days off (gasp!). It is hard to know what the best thing to do right now is.
I am worried I'm not going to meet the expectations I have set for myself. It is so hard to have any gauge of how you are going to run a fall marathon when you've been training in Houston all summer. My only indicator was the half I ran in San Diego which didn't go well at all. The weather also isn't looking great. This race is known for its great weather, until, of course, I show up. The highs there right now are still 90+. Lovely. Why do I do this to myself again?
I'm also worried my knees (IT bands) are both going to spontaneously combust during any one of the ~21 miles of downhills. Running downhill is about the worst possible thing for IT band syndrome. Have I had any problems this season? Not really, but I also haven't run downhill for that long. The last time I had major issues was in the Houston Marathon and then 2 weeks later in the 3M 1/2 marathon which was mostly downhill - go figure. The course is supposed to be wicked fast if you can handle the downhill, but I'm just not sure right now if my body is equipped to do so.
I also hope I don't let a bad performance get me down for the rest of the weekend. We have a fun trip planned and I don't want a bad race to overshadow the fun times.
My body is also doing weird things. My heart rate (resting) seems to be running a bit high lately and my hands are shaking big time right now. Lovely. I'm pretty sure my hands are shaking from my asthma medicine which just sucks. The symbacort stops me from sleeping well. I'm supposed to be on a dose in the morning and a dose at night, but I've only been doing the morning dose most days so I have a better chance of sleeping at night. Now though I worry about my lungs exploding in Utah, so I'm trying to increase the dose to twice a day and it isn't going well. My voice also seems to be leaving me. Is it from the symbacort? Am I somehow still managing to get sick right now? Or is it from barely sleeping last night? God only knows.
I was supposed to do one last 2-3 mile run tomorrow but I think I'm going to pass and take 3 whole days off (gasp!). It is hard to know what the best thing to do right now is.
Comments
Remember you are an IRONWOMAN! You can do this; you are just nervous. Look, you did IM AZ in 97 degree weather...this will not be nearly as bad.
Just relax; remember the taper messes with your head. Keep resting and eating healthy, stay loose, maybe get a massage in the next day or so. Enjoy the beautiful scenery out there.
You can do this....make a list of all the bad things that can happen and then a plan for how to deal with them, then put it away and chill.
best of luck
Laura
Chill! You are going to do just fine. From the sounds of it, your adrenal glands seem like they are running on overdrive. When that happens, the sleep issues, high resting heart rate, and little nagging phantom aches and pains rear their ugly head.
On running downhill, just think of staying on the mid to forefoot. Heel striking on your way down the hill is like putting on the brakes and will irritate the IT bands. Just think of the hill being covered with hot coals and you don't want your feet on the ground for very long and let gravity pull you down the hill.
On your personal expectations, throw them out the window. I know that these may be really important to you because you have been putting in so much training, but right now it is like going into an exam and saying "I have to make a 96 % or higher!" What if you made a 94%? would you be upset? It is still an "A". Go easy on your self and enjoy the process of running in a new place. You might surprise yourself.
You are going to do great!
You are gonna be fine! You just endured some crazy mother nature, and trust me, you are ready. Just float on the downhills, relax and you'll rock!!
Here's a link of St George weather by the hour for the past few days. Temps will be nice! Go Rock KC!!
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=slc&sid=SGU&num=48
Yo Mikey