I want to start with a disclaimer. On 10/17/10 I finished the Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon (walking, people!!!!!) without proper training. If you want to start any exercise program you should consult your physician first (I did and was given the OK to train) and if you want to participate in a half-marathon you need to prepare adequately. If you continue reading you’ll see that I made sure that at NO TIME was I in any physical danger.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way here’s my tale…..
Back in May I posted of my plan to walk the Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon. Yes 13.1 miles, more than I’d ever walked at one time in my entire life. I did lots of research, printed out the perfect training plans, found this great running store to buy custom fitted shoes, etc. and so on. Then I took that information, put it neatly in a folder and let it sit for a few months while the only practicing I did was my regular routine of procrastination.
Right in the beginning I told a high school best buddy my plan. She’d already run about 8 or 9 full marathons and was going to attempt her 10th, the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10 (which she accomplished…look at that date!). We hadn’t seen each other in over a decade and she’d always wanted to participate in the only marathon that crosses international borders. Plus she thought it would be a fun way to see each other and catch up, so she decided to join me in walking.
By now everyone is excited, my co-workers, my high school chum is filling out her passport application (needed since we’re crossing to Canada). Fun times lay ahead.
So the summer rolls around, school lets out, life happens, am I exercising? Randomly, I put in thirty minutes at the gym, a walk during lunch, or one after work with the little one and even that tapers off closer to race day. Soon I’m a month away and getting nervous. All of the plans I’d checked advised to allow a minimum of twelve weeks to properly get ready and now I have four. I have a doctor’s appointment at this time where I’m sure when I mention that I’d be trying to prepare for such an event in such a short period of time he would save me, tell me I wasn’t healthy enough to train in a few weeks. Nope! I get his full support to give it a go. I have no doctor’s note to present to all of these people I’d hyped myself to - that I’d be ready with bells on for this race.
Now it’s crunch time and I actually start getting sick…migraines one weekend, a cold another, lazyboneitis the other and I’m getting seriously worried. As the weeks before the race turn into days I express my doubts to my co-workers and my friend. It goes something like this:
“I’ve been getting headaches lately.”
“I was sick this weekend.”
“I don’t know…..”
“I feel exhausted.”
“My training sucks/is almost nonexistent.”
Michelle, the expert, assured me that I’d be fine since, although she’s a marathon running vet, when she walks, she walks very slowly. My co-workers just aren’t hearing my nonsense at all, they are confident that I have the physical ability to participate and finish.
Now I’m lamenting in being weaksauce, chastising myself severely. Instead of trying to get some cardio, walking, doing any kind of last-minute preparation, I spend the final week curled up in a fetal position whining about all of the wasted days I let pass by, trying to figure if I should fall down the steps or have someone hit me across the back with a two-by-four so I can have a legitimate way out. (Not seriously, but I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind.) The Friday before the event I’m in full blown anxiety attack. Was I really going to be lame and be a no show? It was only because of me that my friend signed up and even got a passport!!! She’d be bringing her husband and kids driving 5 hours from Chicago, staying in a hotel just for this event!!!
The last thing one of my co-workers, Renee, said to me before she left work on Friday was, “You’d better show up!”
At that very moment I made a choice. This quote came to mind: “A loser is someone who’s so afraid of not winning that they don’t even try.” The fact is I’d neglected my training program and I couldn’t change the past, but I was reasonably sure that I could complete at least 3 or 4 miles of this race (which I’d done at the gym before). I’d attempt more miles and if my body gave me any symptoms that it was overly taxed: lightheadedness, wheezing, pains around the chest area of any kind, I would bow out and take the “Bus of Shame” back to the start, actually called the Last Chance Bus. Not that it’s shameful to get on the bus, which takes participants to the end of the marathon if they can’t finish from either not feeling well, or not keeping up, but I knew I’d be getting on it because me being trifling and my ridiculous procrastination.
So I get my head together determined that, if I wasn’t physically strong enough, I’d at least have a bit of mental toughness. Saturday I spent the day loading up on the carbs needed to keep up my energy throughout the race. I went down to Cobo Hall, picked up my race packet and then went on to buy race gear. You’re not supposed to try out new things before a race. Everything, from pants, to what you’ll snack on while you walk, is supposed to be tested prior so there won’t be any surprises and you can make adjustments if necessary. Obviously I hadn’t done this. Everything I purchased was brand spanking new, the shirt, hat, pouch, pants were bought that day. Even the most important piece….the shoes, the day before a 13.1 mile walk I’d be walking in new shoes, shoes not broken in…who does this? Me.
I took my rest that night, excited and nervous about what was to come on Sunday and very happy to be seeing my old friend, Michelle. There was no turning back now!
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
I CAN Do It!
I CAN do it!
Henry Ford ~ “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”
Getting philosophical on ya!
October 17, 2010, I will join thousands of participants in the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Yup, a marathon.
Now let me clarify as I’m no uber-athlete. I’m doing the half-marathon and I’ll be walking. A few of my co-workers have participated for the past five years in a row. The other day, Lovica came in the kitchen with this cool looking medal, being nosey I asked her about it and she explained she’d received it from walking the Martian Invasion Half-Marathon (green ribbon with a martian in the middle, neat!). Ok, being the sci-fi geek that I am, I thought the name of the event was awesome by itself so I began to question and compliment her, praising her for such a feat and she encouraged me to join them. She said that with some training a half-marathon is a challenging and completely doable goal.
When it comes to physical activity, I’ve come a long way. Some years back a bad experience at a gym convinced me that working out was impossible for me. Then one day my job held a health fair where I explained my issue with the trainer who was signing up members at the same local gym. He apologized for what happened previously but stressed that regular activity is not beyond anyone to handle. I joined that day and quite frankly, I love that gym and have been a member ever since. A trainer customized a workout plan for my fitness level which I gradually increased. I was in the gym all the time at one point and having a blast, taking classes, working with weights all of that.
Since then I’ve fallen off the wagon, but I’m still a member of that gym and haven’t forgotten how good it feels to sit in the sauna after a long walk on the treadmill, or a vigorous step class. I learned that I can push my body to fitness.
So after talking with my co-worker I started mulling over the prospect of me doing something I’d never dreamt of undertaking. Even with an increased fitness level, a half-marathon, really? As I’m in the habit of doing with everything, I immediately started researching. Obviously, 13.1 miles is not as hard as 26, but it’s still no joke and I didn’t want to spend money on registering for something I had no chance of completing.
Turns out there are plenty of training programs for walking the half-marathon. Programs aimed at the beginner such as myself. They run from about 12 to 15 weeks in length, start and increase moderately and stress consistency. Since I have about five months before the race, I know I can do this!!!!
Now I’ll need to invest in a suitable sweat wicking outfit (to keep moisture at bay) and some decent walking shoes (usually the same as runners wear) and get them from store for runners so I can be fitted properly. Then I just have to get my physician’s bill of health and follow the program! It will be a challenge because consistency is very difficult for me, but with my co-workers cheering me on, walking during lunch, etc. I should be ready by fall. I’m looking forward to the health benefits, weight loss, finishing with a medal and the sense of accomplishment I’m sure to feel.
Hmmm, I’m not so jazzed about the portion of the race that crosses the bridge, but with the crowd of people with me I should be OK. Oh, and this isn’t a “fun” walk. You have to finish within the allotted four hours because they have to open up traffic eventually. If you’re lagging too far behind, a bus picks you up and takes you to the finish line. I do not want that to happen!
I’m excited and will update periodically.
Henry Ford ~ “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”
Getting philosophical on ya!
October 17, 2010, I will join thousands of participants in the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Yup, a marathon.
Now let me clarify as I’m no uber-athlete. I’m doing the half-marathon and I’ll be walking. A few of my co-workers have participated for the past five years in a row. The other day, Lovica came in the kitchen with this cool looking medal, being nosey I asked her about it and she explained she’d received it from walking the Martian Invasion Half-Marathon (green ribbon with a martian in the middle, neat!). Ok, being the sci-fi geek that I am, I thought the name of the event was awesome by itself so I began to question and compliment her, praising her for such a feat and she encouraged me to join them. She said that with some training a half-marathon is a challenging and completely doable goal.
When it comes to physical activity, I’ve come a long way. Some years back a bad experience at a gym convinced me that working out was impossible for me. Then one day my job held a health fair where I explained my issue with the trainer who was signing up members at the same local gym. He apologized for what happened previously but stressed that regular activity is not beyond anyone to handle. I joined that day and quite frankly, I love that gym and have been a member ever since. A trainer customized a workout plan for my fitness level which I gradually increased. I was in the gym all the time at one point and having a blast, taking classes, working with weights all of that.
Since then I’ve fallen off the wagon, but I’m still a member of that gym and haven’t forgotten how good it feels to sit in the sauna after a long walk on the treadmill, or a vigorous step class. I learned that I can push my body to fitness.
So after talking with my co-worker I started mulling over the prospect of me doing something I’d never dreamt of undertaking. Even with an increased fitness level, a half-marathon, really? As I’m in the habit of doing with everything, I immediately started researching. Obviously, 13.1 miles is not as hard as 26, but it’s still no joke and I didn’t want to spend money on registering for something I had no chance of completing.
Turns out there are plenty of training programs for walking the half-marathon. Programs aimed at the beginner such as myself. They run from about 12 to 15 weeks in length, start and increase moderately and stress consistency. Since I have about five months before the race, I know I can do this!!!!
Now I’ll need to invest in a suitable sweat wicking outfit (to keep moisture at bay) and some decent walking shoes (usually the same as runners wear) and get them from store for runners so I can be fitted properly. Then I just have to get my physician’s bill of health and follow the program! It will be a challenge because consistency is very difficult for me, but with my co-workers cheering me on, walking during lunch, etc. I should be ready by fall. I’m looking forward to the health benefits, weight loss, finishing with a medal and the sense of accomplishment I’m sure to feel.
Hmmm, I’m not so jazzed about the portion of the race that crosses the bridge, but with the crowd of people with me I should be OK. Oh, and this isn’t a “fun” walk. You have to finish within the allotted four hours because they have to open up traffic eventually. If you’re lagging too far behind, a bus picks you up and takes you to the finish line. I do not want that to happen!
I’m excited and will update periodically.
