Slacker is my name-O!

Marathon training requires allot of discipline. More perhaps than most are willing to dedicate and sacrifice their time in pursuing the goal of running a marathon. I understand this more fully now than ever. I love the fact that I am pursuing this goal and that I am able to see my progress, however slow it may feel.

August is proving my most difficult month thus far in my training. Every weekend has a social engagement, a weekend getaway, or some other event of which I have promised my attendance months previously. This normally inspires excitement and anticipation from me. I am, by nature a social butterfly. But with my long runs on the weekend becoming more and more demanding of my energy and time, I find that I am forced to breakup these runs into two separate runs to accommodate my time and energy. I fear that these mini-long runs are a poor substitute for the intensity of the true long run of 13+ miles that is scheduled for me. Another side effect is that I am missing my rest days, if not all of them during the week, then at least one. I was very excited for this past weekend. I was going to run with the Portland Marathoner Training – 5 hour group. Their run, which was scheduled at 8:00 AM, was an 18 mile run. Since they are more advanced in their training than I; I was planning on only running 13 miles.

This plan was perfect; however I decided to go for a run Friday night to make up some miles I had missed earlier in the week. When I came home about 9:30 PM, I found I could not fall asleep and was restless, but tired. When I finally fell asleep, it was 1 AM. When my alarm went off at 6:30 AM for my run with the Marathoner’s group, I was so tired, I felt nauseous. I made an executive decision. I was miss the run and meet up with the group the weekend after next. Unsure of where to run and having a commitment later that day, I completed a 5 mile run along the waterfront in downtown Portland. On Sunday, I ran another 8 miles in my neighborhood. Sunday night I was exhausted. Exhaustion, I am learning will make my sometimes less than smooth social skills even less effectual; case in point – completely forgetting at the bridal shower the bride-to-be fiancée name was Page and loudly asking what a “page” had to do with a wedding. Ouch!

Tired, I can manage. Exhaustion is something I am beginning to understand requires rest to recover sufficiently from. Gumption or sheer force of will, will only take me so far.

I am blessed to have so many wonderful friends. I wouldn’t imagine missing someone’s wedding, bridal shower, or some other once in a lifetime event. But honestly, I can not wait for September. No plans, no commitments – only running. Lots and lots of running.