Refilling the Tank

To recap: as I continue prepping for the Marine Corps Marathon, the training runs get longer and longer.

On the weekend of October 4th, I was scheduled to run 20 miles.

I didn't make it.

I was wiped out at 16 and didn't meet my goal. Part of the problem, indeed, was diet.

But that sort of failure really messes with your head, and as you probably know, marathon training is an extraordinarily mental exercise.

Thus began a psychological spiral of self-doubt that had me questioning whether I have what it takes to do the marathon.

I consulted a friend and former colleague, Steve Dolge of Second Wind Training. He told me, in no uncertain terms, to chill out, eat right, rest, and try again. He gave me numerous tips for getting through the toughest part of the run, from diet suggestions to coming up with a mantra.

I've taken his advice to heart. My husband is making sure I eat more carbs (blech) so I'll have enough energy to make it all the way to the finish line. I'm pacing myself. I've shed the iPod, PinkBerry, water belt and "emergency supplies." I got back to the basics: running shoes, wrap the knees, hydrate. That's it.

The most powerful advice Steve gave me really flipped a switch in my brain. I'll share it with you now:

Getting to the finish line of a marathon is not the hard part; getting to the starting line is. You've already done that work. Go get your medal.

Wow. "Go get your medal."

That applies, by the way, to just about anything you ever set out to do. Tuck that thought away, and pull it out when you need it. I really needed it around mile 17 during that long training run, and it helped.

My mantra started out as, "Settle in. You're here for a while." About 15 miles in, I switched to, "Go get your medal."

It works. It is a mind game you play with yourself, and it works.

Mile 18 was my wall. Without even realizing it, I had stopped running and was about to sit down on the side of the road, when coach/hubby jogged up to me and shouted, "What are you doing? Why are you stopping? Two miles to go! Let's go!!"

I guess running for so long makes you a little delirious. That's when I called upon another bit of advice from Steve:

When you are really struggling and wondering if you are going to make it at all, dedicate your suffering to someone else. Dedicate each mile to a friend or family member who is ill or needs some good luck. If no one comes to mind, dedicate a mile to a soldier who left his legs in a foreign country and would give ANYTHING for the chance to suffer like you are doing now.

Miles 19 and 20 were for my dad, who - with my mom - plans to drive all the way from South Carolina just to be here for me during the race. Daddy's retired military. He used to run, but can't anymore. Those last two miles were all his.

So, you just might be surprised how strong you are when you dedicate that strength to someone else.

With Coach/Hubby by my side, I ran those 20 miles in 4:16:00.

I got to the end of the run and burst into tears.

I did it.

I finished the longest, hardest part of my training.

Now all I have to do is run the Marine Corps Marathon itself.

13 days and counting . . .

I'll see you at the finish line!