9.27.2012

post marathon blues: minus the marathon

I was totally intending to post a glowing review of my 2012 Hood to Coast experience.  It was going to be great, a recap of each leg (including elevation charts), funny (if somewhat tangental) stories about the adventures we had.  Including how I ran 7.5 miles of the hardest run in my van on stress fractures, how my teammates were awesome but had a penchant for taking a hit just before running, how I fell down a mile into my third leg (it's the strangest experience...you're running, and the next thing you know you're on the ground in blinding pain and bleeding everywhere), how 6 strangers huddled on a tarp to sleep in the middle of a field of sleeping people, and how they almost refused to let me into the beer garden at the end because the bouncer thought I had a fake ID (sir please, I am almost 30).  It was a grand experience.  I even had picture of Baby Troll at the top of the mountain to share.  Oh well.

Internet I have been in a funk for the past month.  At first I thought it was because I had to massively cut back on my workouts, everything I seemed to do was super painful.  I'll be the first to tell you I'm much happier when I get any kind of workout in. 

Then it occurred to me....post-marathon depression.  I've been planning and training for this marathon since January, it's been in the back of my mind.  Encouraging me, keeping me off the couch and up and active.   And then, suddenly, I'm NOT doing the marathon and I'm not exercising at all.  And I'm sitting on the couch....and bam.  No wonder I'm a cranky mess all the time.

Is it possible to have post marathon depression without having run the marathon?

I should be in the best shape of my life right now, but instead I've spent five weeks sitting on the couch watching all kinds of bad television.  (Yes. I am now completely caught up with the Kardashians.)

I should be running a marathon in 8 days. My body should be coursing with endorphins, instead I feel sad and empty.

I should be running per the training schedule that's on my fridge, instead I glare at it as I get food out of the fridge.  AND I'm gaining weight because my eating habits haven't changed. 

I am a grumpy person.  All will be better on Oct 8.  That's when I can resume the run. 

Hooray.

9.15.2012

ARGH!!

So. 

Here we are, a mere three weeks from the Portland Marathon, and I haven't been for a run in, oh, two weeks.

What?

How can one possibly expect to run a marathon if they haven't been running?  Am I insane?  Am I just blowing caution to the wind?  Do I expect to be one of those crazy people who never trains for a marathon, and yet can miraculously finish?

No.