It’s safe to say there’s been a lot going on. Due to heading back into the jaws of another semester of work, I’ve been off the writing train for several weeks. The challenges that Chris and I have each faced in our training over the past several weeks fall into several different categories. But I’ll start with some positive news.
I ran a half marathon at goal marathon pace…and it went great!!!
Last weekend, the end of Week 8, I toed the line at Willamette Valley Half Marathon suited up in all my marathon gear. The intention was to practice going 13.1 wearing everything I plan on wearing for 26.2. Yes, everything. I wanted to know if anything rubbed the wrong way, created hot spots or chaffing, or just flat out didn’t work. I wore the exact singlet I plan on wearing (repping GODO), shorts, socks, underwear, bra, shoes, and fueling gear.
I decided that I will be racing the marathon wearing my hydration pack. This is because, after watching countless YouTube videos of people slogging uphill at Athens, I know that every aerodynamic detail for speed is no longer my goal and I’m not worried about the pack slowing me down that much. I also noticed that their aid stations have ONLY water bottles, and no cups in sight. I would much rather wear my water than just take a couple sips off a bottle and then carry it in my hand or ditch it. It’s also just very convenient. I have extra storage for carrying things like my phone and keys, and I can take a drink whenever I feel like it. I won’t have to stop at crowded aid stations or wait for one if I’m thirsty.
I also wore my fueling belt for easy front access (my hydration pack doesn’t have front pockets). I’m carrying Gu and Clif Shot Bloks, in a mix of caffeinated and uncaffeinated. They both work well so far, but I shamelessly take walk breaks when I eat them. The walk breaks help my knees and make it so I don’t immediately just burp everything up. Speaking of knees…
Injuries (grrrrrr)
The knees aren’t getting any better, but they’re also not getting substantially worse. They ache at random intervals and I train through it. I know, I know. It’s not great. But at this point I just want to be fit enough to finish the marathon in under four hours, or 8:50ish pace per mile. I ran the half around 8:00 minute goal pace for the BQ, but I'm not sure if that's sustainable for the marathon. To help preserve what’s there and make running days more enjoyable, I’ve been biking my easy days. I go hard enough on the bike to bring my heart rate to an easy run pace for 30-40 minutes and pray that is preserving my aerobic fitness somewhat. I’ve continued to run a hard workout, a hilly run, and a long run each week.
Chris has been out of commission for a couple weeks due to a groin strain. The epitome of a sneaky running injury. Hopefully he’ll be back out on the road soon, but for now he’s resting up and doing more strength training.
The training cycle isn’t really going how either of us wanted it to, but the beauty of planning to run in Greece is that no matter what, we’ll be in Greece. Yamas!
Navigating Nutrition
This is an update that is more difficult to talk about, but I think that it’s important to shed some light on the importance of eating enough during training, and the obstacles some athletes face in doing this.
For a few years, I have struggled with a form of disordered eating connected with OCD. It’s known as contamination OCD, and is an uncontrollable, often irrational fear of food contamination or food poisoning. Up until about a month ago, I had this relatively under control, and was eating regularly. For some unfortunate reason, my brain has chosen this moment, at the peak of this training cycle, to kick the contamination OCD into full gear. I often find myself throwing away perfectly good food, and skipping meals because I don’t have enough on hand that I’m not afraid of at that moment. During marathon training is the time when you should be eating everything in sight, especially fresh foods that are high in nutrients. Unfortunately, it’s those fresh foods that are currently instilling the most fear.
Many of us know a decent amount about the dangers of bulimia and anorexia, but there are many forms of food avoidance and disordered eating that affect athletes. There are no easy answers and quick fixes, but I have a strong support system and am connected with professional help as well. If you or anyone you know struggles with disordered eating, I encourage you to seek help as soon as possible. I try to remind myself that the importance of eating enough outweighs the much smaller risk of food poisoning. Everyone deserves to eat well, and if you are an athlete, it’s non-negotiable.
Despite these setbacks, Chris and I are so excited about the approaching date of our trip. I am grateful that I was able to complete my half with very few issues, and was able to run it with my amazing friend and supermom, Rebeca! Here’s to good friends, more meals, and more runs.
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