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| Intense Yum!! |
1. didn't have enough salt and was therefore cramping
2. Accidentally moved my calf muscles up my leg and glued them there
3. Got punched repeatedly while sleeping by tiny little trolls who aimed at my calves
Which one is right? Honestly, it's anyone's guess. They felt a lot better after some foam-rolling, but I am a little weary of how they will hold up on my long run tomorrow... I always include hills, so this could be a painful one!!
Actually, today I was thinking about what makes me push through the painful runs. I honestly chalk it up to my marathon; being able to complete that at the age of 17, after only 6 months of intense running, was an awesome personal accomplishment, so now, whenever I am trudging through a run or am in a world of pain (rare, but it happens), I call back on mile 18 of my marathon, where my legs cramped and I couldn't go on and I started tearing up. I stopped, walked, then, after meeting up with another runner who was also hurting, decided, 'Hey, I trained for this, I paid for this, I am FINISHING THIS.' He helped me through those last few miles until the finish, where I mustered everything I had to go up the mile-long hill and actually sprint, sprint! to the finis (note: leg pain returned immediately after finish). I didn't give up, so I remind myself during those tough runs that if I can handle 26.2 miles, everything else is a breeze in comparison.
You're probably thinking, marathon?! 17?! Shouldn't you have been watching Jersey Shore and eating Five Guys like the rest of your grade? (Well, actually, if you are reading this blog, hopefully you sort of understand the ambitions of a runner, albeit a young one...) Yeah, I broke the cardinal rule and ran a marathon before the age of 18, but I wanted to do it and I made sure I did the best I could to train well and train smart. Plus, I sort of already had a pretty good fitness base from the half I did in October, so a November marathon seemed doable. My naive self figured I'd do that one, then another, and another, and that would be my distance. WELL!! Not so much. I loved every moment of it, but afterward, decided I wanted a full year before the next one. Have I picked one, you ask? You bet!!! I have my heart set on the Goofy Challenge in Disney next year: a half one day, a full another. I have never been to Disney, so it'll be a chance to see the park AND do some cool races! (Yes, I know I am insane).
So, what gets you through those tough times? Is it a special moment, quote, or song? You already know of my Superwoman fantasies that I use to help, along with the stuff I've mentioned, but I'd love to hear what gets everyone else through those rough miles!!
Tonight, I leave you with an adapted quote from Lance Armstrong (I think...): [Run] like you stole something, Floyd.
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