26 days left til the Chicago marathon... can that be right? Does that really even matter to me? Will I even be running it? Can you train and complete a marathon in 26 days?... I guess we're going to find out!
I went for a "long run" yesterday... my first "long run" in about 7 weeks... I covered 8 miles... Is it a bad thing when you experience DOMS from the first couple miles during the last couple miles? :)
The great new is... even though I'm sore today, I'm not injured sore... just extremely out of shape sore... although, I guess I can't be in that bad of shape if I can run 8 miles, Can I?... now whether or not I should be even considering running a marathon in less than 4 weeks?
...and now for something completely different...
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Hitting rock bottom...
So I'm feeling better than I have in quite a while and I think it's because I finally hit rock bottom of my fitness decline on Saturday night. That's right... I went to Cold Stone Creamery for the first time...
So I step inside and the place is packed! The girls behind the counter are running around bumping into each other trying to keep up with the orders and ice cream is flying everywhere... I'm not gonna lie... I really enjoy ice cream... but Cold Stone Creamery takes it to a whole other level. CSC* is a place for ice cream addicts!!!!
So I finally get up to the counter to order and I realize that instead of normal sizes, CSC lists it's sizes as 'like it', 'love it' & 'gotta have it'... Now in the past I've been opposed to these places and their naming conventions** but I decided to not be such a crumudegeon and order a 'love it' size of the Coffee lover's only ice cream***. My wife who was with me ordered a small (spoil sport) candy apple.
We get up to the register and everything is so crazy there that they forget to ring us up (the girls making the ice cream are also working the register)... So we wait... and pretty soon the next customer reaches the register and they ring him up... so we wait, trying to catch the girls attention (without much sucess). And the customer behind us says "I bet you could walk out of here without paying"
So I turn to him and explain that even though I know I could walk out right now without paying, I pretty much want to pay anyway... an not really because of my conscious... cuz honestly (an it pains me to say it****)... I'm not really a pinnacle of morality and I'm pretty sure I could steal an ice cream cone and not lose a wink of sleep about it... but because I pretty much feel that I'm at a point in my life where pulling a dine and dash on 8 bucks of ice cream just because the poor workers were busting their asses so much would be a blow to my self-respect...
Oh to see the look on that guys face... He was truly confound! I'm pretty sure he's still sitting at home wondering why on earth I didn't walk out with free ice cream... Like I said CSC is a place for ice cream addicts!
So we finally pay for the ice cream and my wife takes about two bites and announces: I'm done... it's too rich for me...
and that's where I have an out of body experience... and I look on in horror as I take my spoon and scoop her enormous 'like it' (i.e. small) sized ice cream into my even more enormous 'love it' (i.e. medium) sized chocolate dipped waffle cone.
By the time I finish her scoop I'm already full... but if you read the first part of my post you'll know that I'm no quitter... and soon I had devoured the whole thing and was finishing up stuffing the last bit of waffle cone into my sticky ice cream covered face... belly full of cream and sugar... heart full of shame...
One nightmare full, restless night later I knew I had hit rock bottom... and that's when I decided to put an end to the pity party... I spent Sunday eating healthy and exercising and now I feel much better... and hopefully this is truly the start of my next fitness revolution!
*I'm calling CSC it not because it's my trendy new hip nickname for the joint but because otherwise your google ad sense will think that you're a CSC fanatic and all your ads will be about ice cream for the next month which might cause my readers to fall into a fitness downward spiral much like the one I've previously experienced
**Damn it Starbucks... It's 7 in the morning and all I want is a small regular coffee... why do you have to make ordering this coffee more difficult than it already is?
***and just in case you were wondering I told them that I want the 'love it' size in the most effeminate voice I could muster because a) I just spent the morning watching old clips of Men on Film from In Living Color on YouTube... and b) how could I not?
****Not really
CSC is big around here too! You were very chivalrous in finishing your wife's ice cream. Just sorry you had to suffer the consequences! I'm sure you'll make the right decision about the marathon.
ReplyDeleteBe careful with the marathon. Especially if your fitness isn't where you want it to be. Don't want to see you end up injured and not functional. Having done a major event last year, not prepared, I have to advise to err on the side of caution.
ReplyDeleteI went through a major bout with PF and it was mostly my fault.
CSC has to be awesome. Have been to a similar place. Its kind of high for ice cream but is kind of worth it.
This is too funny! My girls always ask to go to Cold Stone...but I think it is too rich as well...which says alot... because I LOVE rich sweets.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the marathon...I say ...Don't push it! If you can finish without injury, then go for it! Otherwise, there are lots and lots of marathons! =)
I'm with your wife...love ice cream and all but CSC is too rich..if there is such a thing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you finally hit bottom!
They don't put it on the menu, but they have a child's size that's smaller than the "like it." That's what I get the ONE TIME A YEAR I go to CSC.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you gingerly pick up caution, handle it gently and throw it to the wind.
ReplyDeleteDude, you can totally run it and PR at that.
I'd say get your long slow run up to 18ish and leave the final 8mi as a surprise during the race. Keep your other runs short, but intense.
And it's gonna be tough to pass up CSC tonight after the detailed account of your experience.
It reminded me of those skits where instead of leaving without paying, you instead pay and intentionally leave without the food. Jokes on you!
Crap, I'm glad I'm not the only one...
ReplyDeleteThere are so many of us that had to face this dilemma, to run or not to run, this summer and in the end you will do what you want, but I ask you this: Is the same pride that doesn't want to give up prepared for what is surely to be a painful and less than stellar performance? Give your body the time and rest it needs to make a full recovery and come back next year better than ever with a shot at a PR. It's a tough decision to make, I know having had to make it myself but in the end a race is a short term goal if your life long goal is to always be able to run. There will always be another race, another Chicago... do what's best for your body. Good luck my friend, in what ever decision you make I'm be rooting for you and if you end up toeing the line on 10.10.10 make sure you look for me at 22.5, if not this is an open invite to join me. I'll be there with cowbells, signs, balloons, music, etc... When you can't be an athlete be an athletic supporter!
ReplyDeleteWait, so eating ice cream is hitting rock bottom? I guess I was there Sunday. I think I'll go back. Congrats on the long run. No need for ironic quote marks. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI truly hope you completed your 'Love It' order with two snaps in a circle.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in Chicago. Something tells me you'll be running it.
you guys are wimps. i can easily put away a love it with 2 mixins and hot fudge. BRING IT.
ReplyDeletei would've only walked out due to frustration, but i guess a little patience and understanding for them being so busy wouldn't have been so hard either. way to be honest. karma even instantly repaid you by giving you more ice cream when your wife didn't want hers :)
alright. i am the master at not-training for marathons and running them anyway. however, i've never had any injuries in the process so i can't speak from that perspective. my first marathon i typically ran 3-5mile runs and had like one 12 miler and one 14 miler... (i blogged about it somewhere if you really care). so it can be done, but i am just leary about your injury situation. i guess i would recommend - try to get in one or two 12-16 mile runs between now and 10/10? if those go pain free, go for it?
Now I wanna go to CSC. After all, I haven't been there in months, and my brother is visiting from out of the country. I have to show him what the US has to offer, no?
ReplyDeleteGreat, I was entertained by the post. I learn more things on it. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteBLEHHHHHH. I think I am the one person in the world that doesn't like coldstone. I feel like it is like licking a cow. Seriously.
ReplyDeletehave fun with making that decision man. As far as ice cream goes, I use to deliver to CSC a few years ago up in NY, it's a cool venue, but not my style. Ill' stick to my venti coffee. lol. Not paying for starbucks either. I don't like ice cream and I don't like paying for starbucks. Have fun and happy training.
ReplyDeleteCold Stone is addictive - be careful!! Haha. Hope things work out with you for Chicago. I had to bail so I know it's a very tough decision.
ReplyDeletePreaching to the choir... on every point of this post. Good luck with your training... When it comes to that time, "to thine own self be true". Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your race!
ReplyDeleteMore power! GOD Bless!
How'd it go?
ReplyDelete