I woke up today thinking about the 10 miles I would conquer in the afternoon. I prepared myself mentally throughout the day, listened to my favorite "get ready to run" songs, and then got on the treadmill about pounded out 10 miles. I realize that these are not ideal miles since they were done on a treadmill, but I got them done. And, I was pretty happy with how they went. The first 5 were done at an easy 7:53/mile pace. The second 5 were done at a progressively faster pace each mile, finishing at 37:59, a 7:35 pace. It felt great to run that far. I also did other cardio (biking, walking, and stair climber) to round out my workout. Tomorrow will be my rest day for the week.
I was thinking about my upcoming half today while running. I realized that I put so much pressure on myself for running, among other things, in life. I used to be much more of a perfectionist than I am now, but I still have those tendencies. During my 5k on Saturday, I was so full of adrenaline and energy that my blood sugar skyrocketed. About 30 minutes before the race my blood sugar was 219, with active insulin on board. I didn't eat anything or take any bolus, as I wanted to be in the 100s for the race. After the race I tested at was a disgusting 418. I'm not sure about you, but when my blood sugar is that high, I feel like absolute crap. I came down eventually, but I think a lot of it all the pressure I put myself under for a race. When I ran the ORRRC half in Ohio 2 years ago, I went into it with no expectations. My blood sugars were better than I could have ever dreamed. Since then, it has all gone downhill.
Maybe I should just run the half on March 26th and not worry about time? Go out and have fun, enjoy the scenery, and the other people on the course. Life is about the journey, not the time it takes you to complete the journey, right?
My life as a runner, perfectionist, athlete, 20-something, and type 1 diabetic.
It's all about what's going to be the most fun for you.
ReplyDeleteI believe you can get your nerves, and your blood sugar, under control enough to race well and feel good.
But there's no reason to feel any pressure about it.
It's something you're trying to figure out, and it's not easy. Don't stress ahead of time. Don't get down on yourself after, no matter how it turns out.
I think if you did nothing else, just the length of this race would keep you from going as high as you did after your 5K.
Whatever. Have fun with it!
Good luck!