2 Weeks!

That’s right….two weeks from tomorrow is race day! 2 weeks from today I’ll be pickin’ up my number and gettin’ my race gear ready. I am excited for the race.  They are always fun in their own special way…usually the most fun is when they’re over and you can grab a beer :). I haven’t ran Eugene before but I’ve read good things about it. My main concern actually is the crowd! I feel like the crowds at races make a big difference in how you perform. It helps so much to have a crowd of screaming people cheering you on. I specifically remember times during the Chicago Marathon feeling tired and frustrated and my spirits being lifted back up by music crowd members were blasting. If you ever get the chance to run Chicago, even the half, or triathlon, whatever, I highly recommend it. It’s such a great race with great spectators, a nice tour of the city, and a flat course.

At this point in my training, I’ve done all I can do. Whatever happens on race day happens. I trained to the best of my abilities (except for my 2 week break in Thailand :), and I’m looking forward to taking Eugene on! I’m actually also really looking forward to checking Portland out. We’re flying into Portland since that’s where my brother and sister in law live, then driving to Eugene on Saturday. I’ve heard such great things about Portland I can’t wait to explore!

Okay, on to the last long run of my training: 20 miles. How ridiculous is that? Very. Very ridiculous. Just ask my butt which is currently in an insane amount of pain. I did it! I got up at 7 and luckily the weather cooled down today to the 50’s so it was perfect outside!

The first 10 miles were pretty good but I think I ran them a little too fast. Those last ten were rough! I’m getting more and more pain down the back of my right leg which is not good. I just need my body to stick with me for 2 more weeks, then go crazy and shut down! That’s fine! Just two more weeks!

My legs were definitely feeling tired as I got closer to 20 miles. But I tried to stay strong and completed all 20 miles. Here were today’s stats:

Marathon Training: Week 16

• Distance: 20 miles
• Time: 2:44 hours/minutes
• Pace: 8:12 min/sec
• Calories: 1,570

There’s one perk of running such a long distance: calorie burnage! Does that mean I’m free to eat anything I want today? In all seriousness, I try not to do that. I think that’s one of the reasons why some people actually gain weight during marathon training. They might have the mindset that, “I run so much….I can eat whatever!” So, I try to eat normally (healthy and until I’m full) and just stay hydrated.

Pretty good workout today! Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here!!

Have a great weekend!