Hi all,
On Wednesday, I got the news that I am healthy. My blood tests came back normal or excellent and I am feeling like me.
My allergy/migraine issues started in 2003, but they did not really kick off until 2009, when my other systems decided to join the fun. Fast forward to May 2017 (yes, that is last year!) and I learned that supplements work best for me. I do have to eat chocolate (I know, isn't life tough!) and/or bananas on a regular basis, but my body deals with it pretty well. I also learned not to mess around with the supplement dose or I will have issues. I am so happy to be healthier than I have been.
Tomorrow, I will run the Kalamazoo Half Marathon. I have trained hard and, for the first time in a long time, achieved 100 miles in March and April. Those also happen to be the months when work went insane, but I still managed to get out and do it. My goal became work, get in the training, and move on to the next day. This is the best I have felt going into a race. My coach gave some ideas for times to hit. I will review those a final time tonight and then use the nerves, which started appearing a bit yesterday and are in full force as I type this, to focus and give it my best tomorrow. This truly is my "redemption or come-back" race and it is fitting to be in a new place with hills at the end of the course. Why? I love hills and I grew up training with them. Now, I get to celebrate by propelling myself up them with a smile, because I could not have done this a year ago.
Per usual, I will use the #nowatchme approach. If the first mile is timed, excellent, but if not then, I will be fine. I might glance at my watch between miles 1-3 just to be sure I am not hitting a sub 10 minute pace. Beyond that, I will use mile markers to indicate only when I should eat my Honey Stinger waffles. I am packing extra, just in case I feel a crash coming, but I will like take them only at miles 2, 4, 6, 8. I eat half a waffle at each mile. Yep, it seems silly, but my body tolerates them amazingly well and this works so much better than my first attempt at fueling last fall, when I felt and sometimes got sick after every long run!
I am not expecting to beat my half marathon time of 2 hours set in 1998. Instead, I will enjoy every single mile and celebrate the times I can push. Never ever take your health for granted. For 9 years, I did not appreciate how much good health impacts how I view the world. Now that I am doing better, I plan to enjoy every little accomplishment and I will be working on reframing my view on the point in the race, which inevitably comes, and I question, "Why am I doing this?" Instead, I plan - at this stage - to say, "Look, I can do this now and I am enjoying it."
Starting now until post-race tomorrow, I will not be on social media much if at all. Why? I am taking the time to focus, relax, and get in the race mentality. I will be reading the Deena Kastor book, completing my pre-race shakeout run, and then foam rolling and using my spikey ball to keep loose.
To everyone racing in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati tomorrow, enjoy and give it your best. I will be asking the same of myself tomorrow and post-race I will be catching up on your accomplishments.
Happy Saturday!
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