It’s raining today. I have to run a marathon. The suckiest part about running in the rain for 5 hours (let’s face it, more than two hours it starts to suck) is that NO amount of balm/lube/grease/powder is going to prevent you from chaffing if you don’t have a chance to re-apply. I’m going to Aquaphor every inch of my body the moment I step out into the rain and hope to GOD that if I chafe I at least don’t notice it until AFTER the race.
Me in the shower after a long run that produced chaffing: La! La! Great run today! Turn on the water! Turn around and let the water cleanse my body and HOLY SHITBALLS MOTHER OF PAIN CRAP ON A STICK!!!!
That kind of chaffing is okay because you don’t realize it until AFTER. If I start to feel it while I’m running? That’s bad. Because A) That means it’s going to be the BAD kind of chaffing, maybe with bonus bleeding! and B) You have to push through it WHILE you’re running. On race days like this? Running at the speed I want to run at is entirely mental. My body can do it. EASY. I’ve proven it time and time again. But my brain will be SO unhappy that it will take that much more to push forward at the speed I want.
My goal today is to beat my Chattanooga time of 4:58. According to pace calculators, I should be able to run my marathon at 4:30 based on my half-marathon time. I’m not ready to try that yet. In Chattanooga I started with the 5:15 pace group and caught up with the 5:00 pace group by mile 13. Today? I’m going to start with the 4:55 pace group and try to catch up with the 4:40 pace group by mile 13. And if I can’t hang with them? I just won’t let the 4:55 group pass me, I’ll at least try to finish with them.
Here’s to hoping that the rain lightens up a bit (It’s POURING right now) and that my mental power is stronger than I think it is.
Bring it on.
I hope you had a good run.