My Email May 10th

"Attention Runners:  CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We would like to congratulate you on being selected for the 2011 St George Marathon.  This year you were 1 of the 7400 runners to be chosen out of 10,000+ registrants. We will be hosting runners from 47 states and 17 countries. We would like to thank you for your interest in our event and we look forward to seeing each of you cross the finish line in October!"


With just 19 days to go--I am pumped!  I can't believe it's almost here.  The timing is pretty crazy for my family though.  I am having so much stress!  My husband is interviewing for his dream job and if he gets it, we could be moving very shortly after the marathon...like days or a few weeks!  Not down the street like I would have liked, but from California to Arkansas.  It sounds ridiculous doesn't it?  Who would move from sunny Cali to Arkansas?  That would be us.  Steve broke the news today that things look good...we are 90% there.  (He is such a great interviewer.  In all the times he has interviewed, there has only been one time that he has not gotten the job.)  I figure that I can be happy anywhere--it's all in the attitude!  Still, I know I am going to miss CA and the people in it!  


Going on vacation for 10 days did not do my diet or running schedule any favors to say the least, but hey, it did get me excited and refocused.  While I was on vacation to South Carolina, we stayed in a condo at Myrtle Beach.  The first two days I felt as if I were in a sauna.  No desire to run whatsoever!  Not to mention the hellish plane ride that preceded or stay.  We missed our connecting flight in Chicago so we flew to Baltimore, stayed the night and flew in to Charleston that next day.  Such a waste of time and so awful on the legs!  Of course the food made me sick...ugh!  Traveling is tough when you are in training.


I ran three times in 10 days and it was rough except for my last run on the beach.  It wasn't humid.  It was cool and breezy.  Dreamy really.  I had such a good time.  I have no idea how many miles I did or how fast--I just ran.  When I returned back to the homestead I realized I'd been gone for almost 2 hours.  Those good runs make everything worth it!  


So the day I tried to do 20 miles was the worst ever.  I barely made it to 10 on the treadmill.  The gym in the complex was so bad.  And no one was there.  As I was running and staring at the ocean, I was like--"What the crap am I doing in here?"  The beach was calling...


Returning home was ok, but man did I feel bloated like a balloon!  I fasted on Sunday just to clean my system out--it's good to be home again!


Today I attempted to do my last 20 miler before the big cahuna.  Only made it to 14 and had to get Ella from the daycare at the gym.  They suck!  They only stay open until 12!  Haters!  


So, I'm headed into the marathon, the one that I've been training for almost a year, without even running a full 20 miles.  I feel a little unprepared.  I did a run where I did the elliptical the last 8 miles but that doesn't really count as the real deal in my opinion.  Still, what can I do?  I guess I could jump on the treadmill now and pull out 6.  But nah, I'm already in my PJ's!  


I've decided I need to get my mojo back and start doing some heavy duty mental exercising in order to wrap my mind around 26.2 miles.  I gotta have the eye of the tiger!  I have to believe!  (Thanks Jodes!)  I need to enjoy every minute of it...and just DO IT.