Running 26.2!

The Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim; 112 mile bike; and 26.2 mile full marathon. To do the whole thing you have to be able to do each one, so for my second race of 2011 I chose to run Grandmas Marathon in Duluth,  MN.

For my race preparation I had to compromise, I was more focused on triathlon and less focused on the marathon, thus my longest runs during the spring and early summer had just been 10 mile easy runs. I had two weeks between the Buffalo tri and Grandmas to get ready for a whole 26.2 miles so I decided to do an 18 mile run with 8 days to go... This was a gamble with being so close to the race but I needed to know where my body was, I vowed to maintain a very easy pace.

The run was a comfortable and relaxed out and back. I made sure to stay above an 8 minute pace for the first half and then let fatigue govern my pace on the way back. I began to notice the rubbing of my shoe was getting to my foot after about 12 miles. I forged on and got back to my house in just under 2 and 1/2 hours with a huge bloody blister on my foot. Perfect... just what I needed: a minor injury that could just be the end of me for a 26.2 mile race.

I spent the next few day cleaning the blister and helping it to heal and avoided running until the final two days leading to Grandmas. I did an easy 30 minute jog both days, the first day making me realize there was no way I could do the marathon without help for my blister. I found some old corn bandages that divert the pressure to the other areas of your foot that the bandage doesn't cover and then wrapped my foot for the next day's 30 minute jog. Considerably less pain. It would have to do.

The night before the race, I was nervous. It was such a daunting distance and with pain in my foot I was so worried that I would end up going too hard and getting tired or just not being fit enough to run the whole thing. I was talking my girlfriend on the phone when she assured me "I know you, you are going to be running that race and realize, 'I don't need to stop, I got this.'" That small assurance completely settled me mentally. Sometimes the little things make all the difference.