Friday Feast #12 & Ogden Marathon!!!

Wow it is here already! Tomorrow to be exact! For those of you that have been following my running blog, you know I have been a little more than stressed about this race. My trip to Hawaii really threw off my training schedule and so I am not feeling as prepared as I was hoping. Then as if that wasn't enough, I got in a car accident on Friday and I am still feeling the soreness from that. I am running the half marathon which translates into 13.1 miles. The farthest I have ever run so far is 10 miles. I am stressing big time about my ability to endure that distance. For more about that you can check out my running blog here. (I just posted some photos there taken this afternoon at the registration). I have had to really play a lot of mental games with myself this past week because I am not feeling as confident as I had hoped at this point. I think if my training had been able to stay on track, then I would be feeling much more relaxed. I am doing everything else I can though (I think!) to make it a good run.

I have been training with my friend Jen who is running the full marathon. The plan is, I will meet her at the half way point and we will finish it together. Most of the half runners will start at the half at the same time the full runners start and so they will finish before the full. I wanted to cross the finish line with her and so I decided to do it this way. The only drawback is I will have to wait for a couple of hours for her to arrive. Not bad, except that means I have to leave my house by 4:15 a.m. to catch the runner bus by 5 a.m. that transports everyone to their beginning destinations. I am trying to figure out a way to work out all the logistics so I can get a ride to the halfway point before they close the canyon. That way I wouldn't have to leave so early or have two and half hours to kill. Not looking too hopeful right now though.

I am trying to really focus on the positive and keep telling myself that I can do it. I do okay until I start to think about the time I ran 10 miles and felt wiped out for two days. That was mostly due to the fact that I hadn't eaten real well and I didn't keep hydrated. I plan on doing some heavy duty carb loading today as well as drinking tons of water all day. I just need to think about the great feeling of accomplishment I will feel when I do cross that finish line. Even just a year ago, running only mile was a major feat for me (as well as giving me major "feet" pain! ---sorry!) So today I am only going to allow myself to focus on how far I have come and the fact that I am usually stronger than I give myself credit for. Hopefully that will get me through the nerves I have been experiencing this entire week! I think I can...I think I can....NO!!!!!!! I KNOW I CAN!!!! But just to be safe, will you ALL PLEASE SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR ME? Thanks so much!

When I was looking for motivational and inspiring thoughts, I found some of a slightly different kind of motivation. Like this one:

Oh, that's a comforting thought! Like I didn't already KNOW that!

Or how about this one......

So glad to be reminded of that!!!

But I did find some other ones that REALLY are motivational like these:

This is one of all time favs:

I have had such awesome friends supporting me the whole way! Thanks guys!

And the best one of all:
If I do my best I will be happy. I am NOT focusing on my time for this race at all. It's all about the journey this time. Besides I am sure since we are running together, Jen and I will slow each other down some. We will each have to wait if the other needs a potty break and evidently the porta potty lines can be bad and I am sure we will not be able to coordinate to do that at the same time! Undoubtedly one of us will have a surge of energy when the other one needs to slow it down some. But there are a lot of benefits too. I do so much better with my endurance when I have a running partner. I know my adrenaline is going to be so keyed up at the start when Jen has just run the first 13 and so hopefully she will help me pace myself better rather than watching me take off like a crazy like I did in my last race. It is just so much more fun to run with a partner. We will be able to encourage each other along until we cross that finish line. I'm thinking about taking a rope along so I can tie it around my waist and Jen can just drag me across. If I can finish without having to be taken off on a stretcher, I will consider it a successful run! Tomorrow is all about the journey, NOT the destination. And it has been quite the journey so far! Now lets hope I can remember THAT when my nerves start wiggin' out on me! WISH ME LUCK! I will for sure need it!

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FRIDAY FEAST #12

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?

Salt Lake City

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

I try really hard to keep confidences even though it's not always easy for me. I'm not as good as my hubby (he would be about a 15!), but I would say I'm about a 9.

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

Blonde, dry, and just past my shoulders. The only time I have had short hair was when I was in about 2nd grade. My mom took me to the beautician and she asked me how short I wanted it but I had on the cape and so she couldn't see I pointed to my shoulders. I walked out of there with a total butch! I looked just like a boy! When I got home, I took one look in the mirror and locked myself in the bathroom and cried for hours. I guess I never got over that because I have had long or medium length hair ever since.

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

This would have to be a question THIS week!

I got in an accident on Friday and totaled my car. It was NOT however my fault! For that post go here. I am pretty courteous, but get really ticked if the other driver is not! I can also be aggressive at times (aggressive as in I get frustrated - NOT aggressive as in drive them off the road!) if I am behind a stupid driver, but not usually ever slow. My church girls think I am a crazy driver. Who wouldn't be when you are driving with 8+ yakking loud girls! The accident shook me up some and now I am a little afraid to drive at all. But I still do and still will. I am just a bit overly cautious now. It was just kind of a wake-up call how fast things can happen that you have NO control over.

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?

Well considering the above story about my wreck, I would have to say THIS one! And depending on what happens at the marathon tomorrow, it could be this week for sure! But since I am thinking POSITIVE only...tomorrow will be so great that it will erase anything else bad that has happened! Right?☺

For more of my Friday Feasts click on the label at the bottom. To check out other's feasting go HERE.