(From the music video to the song We Are Young, by Fun Source)
Taking a rest day today, I went to a corrective massage session called Hot Spot Therapy to help with my calf. It was great and my calf is feeling a lot better! I’m planning an east 4 miles tomorrow to get my legs warm for Sunday.
Goodness! To all you marathoners out there, I seriously give you props! Here’s why, besides the obvious fact that you all run a half marathons in the time it takes me to run a 10K, running a marathon or half marathon at a particular level of athleticism is WAY more complicated then I thought.
So I’m embarking on a journey at the moment to becoming a 26.2 athlete. And, when I first began said journey, I got really excited! How much FUN will it be to run a marathon?! And THEN, when I’m already having the most fun of my LIFE, let’s run a marathon in under 3:30hr! Yeah.. fun? Maybe/Maybe Not, depends on your definition of “Fun”.
Over the past week that my calf has had a little friend named Hubert, a.k.a the knot in my left calf, I’ve realized many a thing about the journey and the reason why I chose to torture myself with 26.2 glorious miles in just 22.2 months. At first, I believed that it would be a fun experience, frankly because all my favorite running blogs depicted this. Don’t get me wrong, any running blogger/runner can agree that running IS in fact one the most fun things you can do!
But there is another side to running, that can sometimes take awhile to realize- training for a marathon is HARD! Okay, I know what you are all thinking. “Thanks, Captain Obvious, like we didn’t know THAT one.”
But, here me out.
When beginning something new, like a new job or T.V show, I tend to be overwhelmingly excited, without thinking about what the new commitment actually means! It’s the same with marathon running. I’ve never run more then 13.1 miles in my lifetime, and like I said when I began this journey, there is a HUGE difference between 13.1 and 26.2 miles.
Running a marathon takes a LOT of consistency with your training, and many other training aspects that I honestly never realized. I train hard, for sure, but I don’t know if my effort up until this point has been going in the right direction. It also requires a solid and intelligent diet, no cutting off any corners or slacking (unless it’s a long run day 
). & RECOVERY!!! HELLOO KAYLIIEE (I’m not yelling at you, I’m yelling at myself- don’t be freaked). I hardly ever recover right, I just love working my butt off all the time. (Just kidding)
But on a serious note, today made me realize that I need to appreciate and take care of my body every step of the way for the next 21ish weeks- and the rest of my life, yo! Recovery doesn’t mean waiting 12 hours before I work the same muscles group or only running a REALLY fast 3 miles instead of a moderate 6. IT means yoga, sleep, water, relaxation, stretching, foam rolling, and all the other solid players on my team.
Workout Graffiti:
If I do good for my body, my body will able me to reach my fullest potential!
Let me pose a serious question….
Do you ever try SO hard that you forget to rest and recover?
….& a NOT so serious….
Which do you like better- yogurt covered raisins or dark chocolate covered raisins?
