First, I’d like to thank everyone who has reached out to me so far with their support and/or kudos for deciding to take on the marathon this year. It’s awesome and kind of humbling to have marathon veterans cheering me on – and it definitely makes me want to push myself harder to see what I’m capable of. THANK YOU!
And fellow rookies – you are equally awesome and I look forward to becoming a marathon finisher with all of you. If my klutzy ass can do this – then I have total faith in the rest of you!
Second, I know that I hinted in my last post that I’d be weaving you the tragic tale of my sneakers this week – but there are still a few elements to that story that need to be sorted out before I can talk about them. The primary missing piece to that is the happy ending from a proper sneaker fitting…which I had every intention of doing this weekend until the temperature plummeted and I refused to leave my house. Well I DID leave once to get my run in on Saturday, but when I came out of the gym and that icy wind of death came in contact with my face…I headed home and res
olved not to leave for the rest of the weekend. Which my cat totally loves – she has been extra cuddly and adorable (which kind of makes it hard to want to leave anyway lol.)
So the battered sneaker diaries shall come to life another day.
Oh and I knew there would be a catch to week 3 looking so easy – not just the mileage that has been revealed for training in weeks 4 & 5 (those are going to be some LONG days in the gym boys and girls…) – but for week 3 my body decided to throw an extra curve ball in there and add my feminine condition into the mix. I know, I know, kind of an overshare – but a struggle just the same. In the past I’d cease most physical activity, and sometimes most contact with other humans, until it was over with and then carry on per usual. I hadn’t taken the time to think how it may impact my training…or possibly even race day (I may have to look into that a little more closely…) It was kind of easy this week with all the “extra” rest days to manipulate the training schedule to fit my needs – I doubt I will be so fortunate farther down the line.
So my fellow feminine-condition-afflicted running ladies – do you have any advice? I’m not doomed, right?
Let’s hope not.
Now that I’m starting to spend more time than EVER before in the gym there are a couple of things I’ve noticed that I hadn’t really paid much attention to before. …Kind of hard to make any sort of social observations in a place when you only spent 20 min there maybe once a week. Okay fine, once every 2 weeks. …Maybe once a month. Hey, I was still THERE wasn’t I?
Anyway. Here are some of my fitness observations:
- (This one comes first because it irks me the most…) Some guys in the gym are wearing too much cologne/body spray/whatever the hell causes that overpowering smell. I know, I know, you don’t want to smell like sweat because it’s gross. I can say for sure that it smells gross because, let’s face some facts here, I can smell ME during a workout and sometimes it is sooooooo not beautiful. But if you can TASTE the smell of what you’ve put on your skin in the air around you? Too much guys. Less is more ;)
- Whenever a machine has an out of service sign taped on to it – people will still step on, get all their stuff situated, and press a few buttons. Just to be absolutely sure that it’s out of service I guess?
- Sometimes the person running next to you will use you as a pacer and adjust their speed according to yours – I don’t know if I should be creeped out or flattered that it happened to me, haha.
- The TV(s) always seem to be playing the exact same thing over and over. I’m starting to get convinced that it’s not a live feed.
- Maybe it’s just me…but it’s too hot in there. I feel like I’m sweating out an additional 30 lbs during my workouts.
- THE FAN DOES NOTHING.
- I used to think that if I went to the gym everyone would be staring at me. Judging me. Mocking me. Turns out the only time someone really looks at you is when all of the machines are full and they’re trying to sort out whether or not you’re about to enter your cool down and get the f@*# out of their way.
- Sometimes, and this is gross, people will leave used tissues/paper towels in the cup holders on the treadmills. I’m baffled every time this happens because I know that whoever left them there would be absolutely appalled if they were the ones who found them, you know? Of course I don’t want whoever gets on the machine after me to think that they were mine, so when I’m wiping down I’ll use the towel coated in cleaner to pick them up.
- Treadmill dancing during your cool down or warm up will definitely attract attention – I’ve learned to tone mine down quite a bit. Before I joined this gym, I lived in an apartment building that had a small gym (2 treadmills, a bike, an elliptical, and weights) and since I was often the only one in there I started busting some serious moves during my cool downs…which was naturally the exact moment that someone else would walk into the gym and catch me at it. Lip-syncing and dancing and all.
- I feel like no matter where I stand in the locker room I am in someone’s way…and maybe I am. I don’t know. But still – I shouldn’t have to feel so frazzled about trying to shove my bag into a vacant locker.
- Maybe I’m just spoiled from my workplace when I mention this…but shouldn’t there be a filtered water bottle filling station instead those drinking fountains made popular by elementary schools everywhere?
- Due to some twisted law of physics, or some other branch of science, I have on occasion found myself getting little electric shocks IN MY EARS from my headphones. This may not necessarily be the gym’s fault, but since it has only ever happened to me there – they get the blame. (Or should I be more worried about my headphones? That will give me a much larger nemesis…)
- Having to stare at a screen with my distance, time, and speed messes with my head. I find that a lot of negative thoughts form from staring at that screen: “I’ve ONLY run this far…I’ve ONLY run this long…I’m running slower than usual…” all focused on my limitations. I’m trying to get better about that and switch those thoughts to more positive things.
- I need a bigger gym bag to carry all of the necessary gym gear – it’s bad enough that my car already thinks that my current bag is a human not wearing their seat-belt when I put it on the passenger seat…I can just imagine what it will do when I get a bigger bag. Probably deploy an airbag or something.
- Women will take the time to compliment something you’re wearing even if you’re sweaty and gross when they see you – pink and black knee high socks are a big hit from my wardrobe apparently.
However! Even with all of these things I’m still keeping at it. Which makes the score in the battle of me vs. treadmill slightly higher in my favor.
And now to completely change the subject:
With the mileage about to increase significantly over the next couple of weeks I have also purchased a wall calendar to hang in my room to help keep track of training. I plan to write in whether or not it’s a rest day or how many miles were expected and also a few notes as to how I felt during/after the run. I still have to color it and add some artwork and make it fun…but maybe once that happens I’ll take a pic and show you guys.
I was almost tempted to ask New2-26.2 trainer Sam for more of the schedule in advance, just so I’d be able to fill my calendar lol, but I think it’s kind of nice to only be given 2 weeks at a time. There’s a chance that if I saw the full schedule I’d let out a few expletives, let the negative limiting thoughts take over, and decide to quit.
So instead I’ll stick with the illusion that 2 weeks’ worth at a time supplies: marathon training isn’t a daunting task after all.
Until next time,
Sarah
(Whose new [concurrent] mission is to get herself onto ShipRocked next year. Who else wants to come with?)