Friday, July 24, 2009

Marathon Appetite

My sweet friend Kathy asked me in a comment how my marathon training is going. Well, would you like to know?

My training schedule involves 3 short runs during the week--usually I do those Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday--and 1 long run on the weekend--which I usually do Friday or Saturday. The training schedule I use is really gentle; it's quite gradual. (Oh--here it is, in case you're wondering. Scroll down; I'm Novice 1.) For instance, my long runs tend to progress like this: 6-7-5...9-10-7...12-13-10. So before my long runs increase, my body gets a little break. (And oddly enough, 7 miles feels awesome when the last weekend's run was 10.)

I'm almost halfway through my training! I have 18 weeks of training, and this weekend will close my eighth week. Very exciting. My body is finally starting to complain--that is to say, it has started complaining more even when I'm not running. My hip hurts, my knees are not much better, and sometimes my shins take a beating, too. (I need new shoes.) I sometimes feel like an old lady! But on the flip side, I'm feeling good, fitting in my clothes a little better, and sleeping like a champ. And I'm proud of myself! Every time I do a long run, I surprise myself. I start to realize what I am capable of, and it's at once exciting and overwhelming. Sometimes after a long run I don't really process what I've done. And then 45 minutes go by and I call Phill just to shout, "I just ran X miles!!"

I had ambitions of losing a couple extra pounds through all of this, and for the first few weeks I was weighing myself vigilantly. Well, way too much, actually. Phill let me know he was worried, and that if I continued at that rate that he would throw away the scale. I didn't improve; he threw away the scale. When I realized what he had done, I had a moment of panic....and then realized that it was good he had thrown it away--because I was panicking. Who panics when they can't weigh themselves all the time? People who have a strained relationship with food and weight, that's who! I'm so glad he did that. Now I am able to focus on my effort and my fuel. My view of food has changed--I see it as something healing, something restorative. And I don't feel guilty when I indulge in a comfort-food-craving. (Chocolate chip cookie dough.) I know this sounds strange, but....I respect food now. I'm grateful for food.

On that note....I am constantly hungry! CONSTANTLY. My stomach seems to be a bottomless pit, and most days I can't even tally up what I've eaten; it's too much. I'm in love with Horizon organic chocolate milk. I'm crazy about Great Value all natural Vanilla Bean & Chocolate ice cream. I could eat two cantaloupes a day, although today I've only eaten one. I keep making whole wheat bread so that I can slather it with apricot jam and devour five pieces in one sitting.

But wait, folks, that's not all! Apparently, I'm even hungry while I sleep, or at least my subconscious is. Last night, I dreamt I had a huge ball (9 inches in diameter) of coconut chicken on a stick. In my dream, I said, "I don't know WHERE this delicious coconut chicken came from, but I don't care! I'm going to eat it all!" (Someone in the background, some Voice of Reason, said, "But what if it's poisoned?" My answer? "Oh, it's not.") Then I pause mid-chomping and say, "Phill! You've really got to try this!" He takes one bite and says, "Rae....this is just a cantaloupe on a stick. This is gross. And weird." I take it from him, shrug, and continue to eat voraciously. When I woke up, all I could think was, "What?! A chicken ball on a stick? Cantaloupe on a stick?" And my stomach was growling.

So that's how my training is going. :D Tomorrow I run 13 miles. Wish me luck and a tempered appetite!

10 comments:

Lara Neves said...

Wow. I love Phill's follow through. I'm excited for you. My asthma would never allow me to do a marathon, but I think it would be so good for me. I need to do something.

Unknown said...

Wow Rae, you make me laugh! Good for you!

The Taylors said...

HAHAHAHAHA I am SSSOOOOO proud of you!!! AND VERY VERY jealous! Where ever you bought your motivation, I need to go shopping there! I love you and I loved you dream. I am actually on the other side of the food scale, I feel guilty about EVERYTHING that I eat, and unfortunatly that doesnt stop me from eating it... Ugh!! I love you!!!

camilla said...

oh, you are so cool! I'm so jealous! I got new running shoes a while back and I LOVE THEM BAD. They are Pearl Izumi's. I never heard of that brand before, but I will never go back. They are like $110 bucks and fabulous!
I totally know what you mean about your body protesting to NOT exercising. This is like week 3 or so on the couch for me from my morning sickness and my muscles are aching SO BAD. I try to stretch out, but I am usually too sick.
You are wonderful and I will live vicariously though your marathon training!

MariePhotographie said...

You amaze me!! You're probably so hungry because your metabolism is working so wonderfully. I remember when I was pregnant with Maggie, I was constantly hungry and I honestly miss that feeling so much! It's long gone. Now I don't have an excuse to eat so much! haha

Heidi said...

I am inspired and in awe. :)

chucknorris said...

oh Rae, I am SO PROUD of you! I wish that on the day of your marathon I could be on the sidelines shouting "That's my sister!!" Haha maybe that's corny but I don't care! And I'm jealous tooooo! Man, one of the reasons I love to work out is BECAUSE of how it changes my outlook on food. I'm like you... I adore food... so that's great that you can eat like you do, it sounds like your little body needs all that coconut chicken and cantaloupe! Haha. I miss you...
And good for Phill! I'm glad he threw away the scale... you wouldn't be happy weighing yourself all the time, come on now...
Anyways, thanks for keeping me updated! I love your blog, especially now that I'm isolated from everyone here in Hawaii! :)
I think what you're doing is just awesome.

Kristy said...

That dream made me laugh out loud! Great job. You are AWESOME! Keep it up...

Kristy said...

That dream made me laugh out loud! Great job. You are AWESOME! Keep it up...

Anonymous said...

Rae!!! I am soooo proud of you and impressed by you!!! Get your new shoes now so you can have them broken in for your marathon (and by them a half size to big, I didn't and my toes were in so much pain for days after the race). Eat Eat Eat, I don't think you can over eat at this point and this is the time when you can indulge a little :). You are doing awesome, I wish I could be there for the big day, I would love to be there to cheer you on.