I’m not burnt out on marathon training as much as I am… tired.

Every part of me is tired, from my toes to my brain. I can’t think beyond 9pm because my brain is so fried from working and training numbers. My knees – or the places where my knees used to be – are throbbing pits of achy tenderness. My calves burn for the first mile of every run and swell up after I’m done. My shoulders and biceps quiver when I lift anything heavier than an iPhone from daily strength sessions. And I’ve had to rinse out every pair of socks I’ve worn on a run for the last 2 weeks because of all the blood coming from the one or two toe blisters that won’t heal. Not to mention the fact that I only have 9 toenails. In short, I’m a mess.

BUT. Even though I’m tired and in shambles, I actually feel… strong. Fit. Hopeful, even! Where 2 weeks ago I was struggling through a 7 mile long run due to poor nutrition, lack of sleep, and inconsistent running in the week before, I’m now looking forward to my usual sushi dinner/9:30PM bedtime for my 13 miler this Saturday.

So how did I get here? Let’s backtrack.

In my last progress post, I had finished 7 miles (barely) and had a pretty solid training week overall. I was building my mileage back up after an almost 3-week slack period of illness/injury/vacation: a measly 11 miles one week, 14 the next, and I was staring a 22 mile week in the fact. It may not seem like it, but that’s pretty high mileage for this turtle. So I started off Monday with 3 miles and added one mile with each progressive run, and ended every session with short speedwork bursts just for funsies.

So I logged 3 miles Monday, 4 miles Tuesday, a rest day Wednesday for our wedding anniversary …

yay true love!

… followed by 5 strong miles Thursday and strength/cross training Friday, capped off with a delicious Indian buffet for lunch and lots of bad food for dinner Friday night.

You can see where it all falls apart, right?

Saturday morning I woke so excited to run. 10 miles, yay! New hydration vest, yipeee! New running route, woohoo! Terrible intestinal issues due to 24 hours of horrible fueling… hooray? UGH! I had to stop three (yes, three) times to use the bathroom and my average pace was about :45-a minute slower per mile than I had hoped to hit, all because I can’t say no to unlimited mattar paneer for lunch and disco fries for dinner.

On the plus side: the hydration vest worked out fantastically, the rain held out until I finished, and I can now say with 100% certainty that the folks at the South River CVS on the corner of Main Street and Old Bridge Turnpike are very forgiving if you come running into their store frantically asking to use their bathroom at 8:30AM on a Saturday.

Done and DONE.

I also learned that the new running route brought with it a LOT of uneven terrain. I ran on the pavement where I could but there was a lot of space with no sidewalk or pavement space to share with the cars, so I was on and off hilly, spotty grass and dirt for a good 4+ miles. My calves are still paying for that. Live and learn!

Sunday the hubby and I took our bikes out to the local park and banged out a solid 5 miles for some cross training and fresh air, and it was fantastic!So after that 22-mile week, I rolled right into Monday (yesterday) with 4 miles. They weren’t very pretty because I waited until after dinner and felt my turkey burger coming up every half mile or so, but it got done. It also gave me the opportunity to try out my new safety vest!

Safety third!

According to my mom and my husband, I am no longer allowed to run after sunset without my vest. I guess they’ve heard one too many horrible stories about joggers being attacked or hit by cars, and I have to say I agree with them. It’s good to be safe. It just feels a little weird at first. Not physically – it’s actually very light and I forgot I was even wearing it a few times. But weird in a more existential way. Knowing that I’m glowing in the night is kind of like announcing to the world (including the planes in the sky above me) that I AM RUNNING, LOOK AT ME AND HOW I GLOW! Which isn’t really my bag. But, I know it’s good for me, so I’ll keep doing it.

But I draw the line at carrying mace. I’m a klutz enough as it is, and the last thing I need is to accidentally spray myself in the face when I scratch my forehead or something. Just NO.

So enough about me. How’s your training going? Tell me everything!