And let the taper begin! Three weeks to go until Boston and I've thrown my gear into neutral and am hoping for a seamless ride to April 19. Before I could do that I had to brave the longest run in my training program, 22 miles. Fortunately, the run could not have gone any better but to best honest, I was terrified of the mileage beforehand so I had to pay special attention to my mentality before I hit the road.
One thing I mastered during my OBX training was my outlook before each run. Thinking 'I'm just going for another run' made a world of difference. I would erase the intimidating numbers, like mileage, time and pace, out of my mind and only focus on going for a simple run. This allowed me to find a comfortable stride and have some peace of mind as I set out on some of those longer runs. I applied this technique to my last training run of Boston, and luckily, I was successful. Mentality is EVERYTHING!
Starting at a relaxed pace, I let my body naturally pick up a speed that was fitting for that day. Something else that always sets me at ease is good music and I downloaded a few handfuls of new music the night before so I was set. I also knew that I had my sister, Kate, waiting for me at mile 12 to finish out the last 10 miles of the run. Who doesn't love running buddies?! Needless to say, odds were in my favor that day. I felt and finished strong and that's all I could ask for to begin my taper optimistically.
Before the run I was nervous about the blisters I've been getting on my feet during my runs. I went into the Raleigh Running Outfitters (one of my favorite places) and asked for advice. They told me to use Body Glide on the problem areas. Shocked, but I gave it a shot. To my surprise it worked like a charm! Thank you Raleigh Running Outfitter guys! :-) Oh and thanks for all the GUs, the Mizuno shoes, the 50 percent off running pants, the sports bra, and for letting me kill time during my lunch hour.
Stay tuned for my Boston Marathon mix - coming in the next day or two! Thanks for the continued support!
- merebrown01
- Raleigh, NC, United States
- Ex-field hockey player turned runner! After school I started running to keep in shape. I ran a few shorter races until I played a hand on a marathon. I qualified for the Boston Marathon on the first shot and then qualified again. There's nothing like pushing yourself so hard for something that not everyone has the guts to do ... and experiencing a rewarding accomplishment. These are my thoughts when I'm hitting the pavement.
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