"Are you a runner?!?!?!" & Other Potentially Stupid Ideas

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I’ve been taking the physical therapist’s advice to heart and wearing my old Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s for my commute to and from the office despite how ridiculous they look with my summer attire.

 

As I was getting off the train, a man who I stand by in the morning while waiting for my train noticed my shoes. He asked me if I’m a runner. In my morning haze, I replied honestly telling him that I am. In retrospect, I should him told him that I got them at a garage sale.

 

Now, I know he runs because I’ve overheard him chatting with his train ride companion about running. And, by the looks of him, I feel like he’s fast.. definitely faster, fitter and more hardcore about running then me.

 

So, we chatted for a bit. He told me about his running group and why they are better than the one that I’m currently training with due to having more water stations.   Later on, he asked me how many 20 milers I am planning on running before the marathon.

 

Um… what??  You think I need to run more than one 20 miler?!  No way!!  I politely informed him that I will be aiming to run one 20 miler since I failed to complete one last year. I thanked him for his advice, he wished me luck and I was on my merry way.  He gave me a hearty hello when he saw me this morning.  I dread the conversation that I foresee coming post marathon.  I will not be starting it unless I achieve my time goal.

 

*shakes head*

 

Sometimes, you just have to take the advice you’re given with a grain of salt. I’m sure his intentions were good and not to make me feel bad about myself. I think I’ve just been comparing myself too much to other runners. Sometimes, I look at my training’s progress and feel bad myself since I feel like I had so much potential to become a better runner and it all went downhill.

 

But… it is what it is and I know why I am where I am.  I have some ideas in the works for what I’ll do with my running post marathon especially if I fail to hit my goal time. Stay tuned for that.

 

To double up or not to double up?

 

So, I have to run 16 miles this week before Saturday's 16 miler.  I'm only at 4 miles this week.  Ugh... total fail at getting up early once again.  No excuses this time - just plain didn't do it.  So, I thought maybe I could run 6 this morning and 6 at night after work.  *chuckles*  Who am I kidding?  So, I'm going to run 4 tonight and 4 tomorrow morning.  I'll have a total of 28 miles if I run only 16 Saturday and that's more than I ran last week.  Yep... that's the game plan.  Hope I stick to it.  *sigh*

 

Lastly, I'm really itching to run another race.  I used to race a few times a month before marathon training.  The run for the last week of August is just 12 miles, which should be easy peasy.  *crosses fingers & knocks on wood* 

 

The following day, there's the Buffalo Grove Stampede 10K or 5K at 8am and the Libertyville Twilight Shuffle 5K at 6pm.  I kinda want to run both races.  First, it'd be a good test for me to see how I run on tired legs.  And, I would have run a total of 9.3 miles so I can knock that off my weekly runs.  Second, I think I can do it so long as I don't actually try to go all out at these races. 

 

However, knowing me, I'll want to race them both and risk further injury to my ITBs by going all out.  So... eh... IDK what to do, but I definitely want to run a race again soon.

 

Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Is my idea really foolish?  Have you ever run or raced in the morning and then again at night?  How do you handle it when people ask you if you're a runner?  Do you like it when other runners give you advice?