November 10, 2011

Oddly Apathetic

So apparently I have a half marathon this Sunday.

Yes, I am registered for the Silver Strand Half Marathon, a local race that I've never done. And I'm feeling oddly neutral about it. Usually before a half marathon I am feeling all sorts of emotions---excitement, nervousness, anticipation--but for this one, I just kind of feel....meh.

I wasn't even supposed to be running this race. Months and months ago I had expressed interest, but my husband, J, told me HE wanted to run it. At that time, he had just purchased a (used) treadmill from Craigslist and was using it a few times a week in the garage. I told him he could run it, and instead signed up for the Long Beach Half Marathon as my fall race. Well, flash forward a few months and J hadn't trained at all; in fact, he was using the treadmill so infrequently that he sold it last month. He asked me if I would run it in his place, and so we sent in the form (and $15 fee) to transfer the bib from his name to mine.

So, here I am, 3 days away from the race. And I don't really care about it. Why?

  • I've recently read a few race recaps from previous years that talk about how boring the course it. Although it's supposed to be beautiful---it's on the Silver Strand, which is a highway that connects Coronado Island to the mainland--it's mostly super straight. One blogger wrote to be prepared to see the next mile marker waaaaay before you get there.
  • It's supposed to rain! I have run in the rain before, which can be fun (and in fact once did a 10 mile training run in the rain) but I have never done a half marathon in the rain. I have done a few 5ks in the rain, and know from experience that it's not the running part that made me miserable, it was the hour or so waiting around beforehand that sucks. Just standing around, getting wet and feeling freezing, is not fun.
  • My foot and leg has been bothering me. Although my plantar fasciitis is MUCH better, mainly due to a new therapy I have been doing, I have been re-learning my running form, which is causing new pains during my re-adjustment.
  • I have been feeling a bit burnt-out lately, probably due to doing so many back-to-back races.
I am planning on using this race as a training run for my next "A" race, which is in a few weeks: Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas. I am not planning on pushing myself this weekend; I only want to finish happy, uninjured, and with a smile on my face. It is odd, though, to be feeling so emotionless about a race. I hope my sense of excitement, or at least anticipation, grows this weekend before the race, as I really want to have fun! I am proud of myself though, as this has been a fitness goal of mine---to be fit enough to be able to run a half marathon at a moment's notice. It may not be my fastest time, but I will finish---and that in itself will be an accomplishment, since I'm not even training specifically for it!

8 comments:

  1. I've found when I have low/no expectations, I can be pleasantly surprised -- I hope you have fun!

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  2. Have a great time. I would love to be running in SD right now!

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  3. I, too, have found that when I don't expect much, I often get surprised. Good luck and I can't wait to read about it.

    PS: I LOVE your cookie Monday idea!!!! What a great idea! I think I may have to steal that idea, or come up with one of my own.

    Also, thanks for your support about Gracie's school issues. I don't know what I would do without my blog and supportive blogger friends!

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  4. Good luck this weekend! I'm running the SB half tomorrow. Also in the rain. :(

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  5. I started *trying* to jog last spring. Was up to about a mile without feeling like I was in heart and respiratory failure.

    Then I smashed up my foot and haven't been able to jog since.

    I love when the Universe tells me I'm not cut out for something.

    Good luck!

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  6. Sweetie, go into it with a POSITIVE attitude. Going into it feeling "meh" is not going to make it any fun.
    Rain? Seriously? Since when does the maker of HTFU wimper at rain?
    I hope you read this comment before your race!
    Good luck, go get it!

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  7. Good luck & enjoy yourself! I will be thinking of you in the morning and looking forward to your post race wrap-up!

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  8. How did you do? I hope you still had a good time. P.S. I'm kinda jealous that you're running the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon. I wanted to do it SO bad this year, but I just couldn't afford it.

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