A MESSAGE FROM Whitney is Running a Marathon! 🏃🏾♀️
UPDATE 8/19/21: BIG OOF TODAY! I messed up badly!! After last week's successful long run, this is the week you start to reduce your mileage so that your body can recover. My training plan reduced my mileage from 21 miles to 16 miles. The problem is, this is my first marathon, and according to other sources it's better to reduce even more to about 5-6 miles at marathon pace. Soooooo, I ran this obscure trail and at about mile 5.5 my body said, ENOUGH!!!
My knee started hurting so badly I couldn't continue. I stretched and tried to rest but my legs couldn't run anymore. That was fine - you have to listen to your body! What wasn't fine was the only way to get back home was to walk..the 5.5 miles I just ran! There was no public transportation so it was my only choice. It took me 3 hours to walk home! 😂😂😂😂 But at least now I know..for the next 3 weeks, lots of resting and easy runs. I can't risk hurting myself. Geesh! 😆
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UPDATE 8/12/21: Today was the big day!!! Well, not THEE race day, but the 2nd most important day! It was the longest run before the race and it will give me an idea of what to expect on Marathon Day in 4 weeks. Eeek I was so nervous!! So today I ran *drum roll* 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 21 MILES! TWENTY ONE MILES ALL AT ONCE (ok, I did stop when I had to wait for the traffic lights to change), but I did it!!! The most I've ever ran in MY LIFE!! It was quite the experience. Here's a breakdown:
🏃🏾♀️MILE 1: I realized my biggest problem running is the mental block. When I started running and before I even got to 1 mile, I already felt exhausted. I have 20 more miles of this to go? So I put on some good music to keep me distracted and that really helped.
🏃🏾♀️MILE 7-9: I have been struggling with feeling mentally and physically good at these miles and finally I overcame that struggle! I felt strong in my running. I took a new route so it was fun looking around at new things. I felt GREAT and pumped to keep it up!
🏃🏾♀️MILE 10: And just like that, 1 mile later, I started to crash and burn! Haha 😂 When I got to 10 miles it all hit me at once: "I'm only half way? I have to do this again for another 10 miles? This is BORING!!!!" Haha I was very much over all this running! For this mile, I was a bit crabby but I put on a funny Conan O'Brien podcast and went straight back to running.
🏃🏾♀️MILE 13-16: For the first time, I ran the loop at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. If you haven't been there, it's a GORGEOUS park. The course was really easy to run and I started to enjoy myself and feel motivated to keep going.
🏃🏾♀️MILE 17: "OMG! LAST TIME I WAS STRUGGLING TO RUN UP TO 17 MILES, BUT I'M HERE NOW AND I FEEL GREAT! I'M GETTING STRONGER AND MAKING PROGRESS!"
🏃🏾♀️MILE 18-19: "I'M A LITTLE TIRED, BUT I CAN KEEP GOING! I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF! I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE MARATHON!!"
🏃🏾♀️MILE 20: "I'M CRASHING AND BURNING SO BAD RIGHT NOW. OMG I MIGHT DIE ON THE STREETS OF BROOKLYN!!" (So dramatic! haha 😂)
🏃🏾♀️MILE 21: "IT MIGHT TAKE ME AN HOUR TO FINISH THIS MILE!" I've read runners' stories about feeling good up until mile 20 and struggling the last 6 miles, and I felt it first hand. Finishing mile 21 took seemingly forever!!! There were several people walking faster than I was running. Boy, it was hard but I REFUSED to give up! 🥳 I finished!!
I was so so so tired after but after sitting down for about 15 minutes, I had more than enough energy to take the subway home. That's a great sign! I am confident that in 4 weeks, I'll be even more ready to add on 5.2 miles to a total of 26.2! This has been a challenging journey but overall, I am truly enjoying it! 4 WEEKS LEFT! 🏃🏾♀️
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UPDATE 8/30/21: I RAN 17.1 MILES TODAY. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW, BUT I DID!!! 🥳🥳🥳
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UPDATE 8/21/21: Today I ran 15.5 miles!! I'm finally making some progress. After a tough half marathon 3 weeks ago, I just stuck to the training plan and here I am finishing 15.5 miles today! It was TOUGH! I had to walk a little because of cramp in my leg. While running, I questioned how am I ever going to finish the actual marathon race if the training is so hard. However, once I finished, I felt so PROUD of myself! I didn't give up!! I ran more at once than I've ever ran in my life! I CAN DO THIS! JUST KEEP GOING! 😁
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UPDATE 8/1/21: I RAN MY FIRST HALF MARATHON RACE - 13.1 MILES!!! And boy, it was way harder than expected! I was really hurting afterwards. So much that I questioned if I should even continue with the marathon but I thought about why I'm doing this - for myself and for people in need, so I will keep pushing forward! I can do it!
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UPDATE 7/21/21: My parents have been so gracious to buy me lots of running gear. I had no idea I would go through running clothes and shoes so quickly. And no idea how expensive they can be! 😳 My parents also helped me buy energy gels, hydrating drinks, and other miscellaneous items! Really grateful for their support!
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I'M RUNNING A MARATHON YA'LL! 26.2 miles all at once!! Pray for me! 😆
Seriously though - like so many people during the pandemic, my career plans, travel plans, and personal goals were all put on pause. It really got me down and I felt defeated for months. At my worst moment, I decided to start running to literally "get back on my feet."
I signed up to run the Chicago Marathon to prove to myself that I could bounce back from a difficult year. I needed something to motivate me! Training has been challenging but it has helped me become more disciplined, inspired, and in better shape than I've ever been!
I'm so honored to run and fundraise with Team Salvation Army! I worked at The Salvation Army as a teenager with the youth program and to this day I'm a frequent shopper on the weekends! I'm very proud to raise money for an organization that I know first hand does some amazing work!
All donations will be used in the greater Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and northwestern Indiana to help relieve hunger, provide shelter, combat addiction, prevent evictions, nurture children, and more to help our neighbors in need.
Any donation no matter how small or large is so greatly appreciated! I'm nervous about race day but with your support, I know I can get through it!
Thank you!
❤️Whitney
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