Am I Marathon Ready?

I have less than 4 weeks until marathon day! The anticipation is building, and I feel incredibly anxious about it. It is the first thing I think about when I wake-up, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed. I have done my best to prepare.

Could I have done more? Could I have trained more?

Yes.

Absolutely! 

But I have done my best, with my circumstances, and my best is just going to have to be good enough.

There have been times I missed a scheduled run, because I am a mother, and I have 4 children. But I have been very consistent, and determined. I have not missed my long runs on Saturdays, and I feel those are the most important runs of the training... to build that endurance both mentally and physically.

I have run hundreds of miles, in all sorts of weather. I have come home weary, and felt all sorts of pain and interesting physical responses to the intense training. I have lost 15 pounds, which might have been more, except for the insane carb-cravings that running has given me. (Running is great, but it makes me ravenous.) I feel physically and emotionally stronger, though at this point I am pretty weary of running, and I look forward to different forms of exercise after the marathon is over. (I will never stop running, I just need to shake it up a bit!)

The crazy thing is that somedays I go out, and 5 miles feels like the biggest challenge ever. Other days a 15 mile run seems less challenging than the 5. That is what makes running so great: it is always a challenge. You can always push yourself harder, or run faster, go up steeper hills, or add other variations to make it more intense.

At this point, I am just ready to do it. I don't know if I am really ready, but I am ready to go for it. The waiting for game-day is making me a little crazy. I get super anxious about any sort of performance, and the fact that it is a physical performance makes me horribly nervous, because you never know what the body will do on a particular day.

Right now, I am really trying to hone-in on positive mental thinking, and I need to actually believe that I can finish. It is even recommended to visualize yourself crossing the finish line. I am working on that one.

I made a little video about being marathon ready....

For mobile devices click:  HERE



Here is the marathon course...



Here is a peek at the Utah Valley Marathon... it makes me cry every time I watch it. It will be so fun and insane at the same time! :)

For mobile devices click: HERE


If you live in Utah and want to come cheer us on, that would be AWESOME!!!!