back to the blog

So I started this blog in a blur of excitement regarding my upcoming marathon.
Of course, I promptly forgot to write anything in it for 3 months.
Well, I'm back-and it is really getting down to the exciting part!

I have just over 6 weeks to go.

As a 'beginner runner' (I have been jogging/running casually for a few years but never in a goal-directed or intense fashion), I am working up to a long run of 20 miles. . .
and that's it!

The idea of going out to run 26 miles while only having ever run 20 at one time is quite scary to me. But apparently it is quite common for beginner runners. . .and I didn't make my schedule, my coach did. . . and he reassured me again this week that yes, I will be ok.

In other news. . . man, the past few months have been quite an indoctrination to the world of 'real' running. I now possess:
- a watch that has a GPS system (me? with fancy technology?)
-more synthetic material than I ever cared to own
-blisters! and callouses!
-a fancy 'FuelBelt' that lets you carry 4 little water bottles around your waist. i feel so ridiculous out there in my space-age-belt, but it's useful.

-and possibly. . .a real life running injury.
That's the main thing that's got me concerned right now. On my long run last week, I got what felt like a cramp in my right posterior calf. . .except that it didn't resolve like a cramp. Eventually it went away, but during my run on Wednesday, after about 4 miles I started feeling the same pain. And during Thursday's run it was definitely there the whole time; had to slow down my pace quite a bit.
I've rested for the past 2 days and have a 14-miler in the AM. . .I hope and pray that with my use of NSAIDS, ice, heat, stretching, and REST over the past 2 days, that tommorrow's run will be problem-free!
Check back here for more updates soon!