Triple Thoughts

Needless to say, I've been thinking a lot about the triple challenge next weekend. I feel confident that I can do it. I feel worried I can't do it. I think about blisters and tired legs and plain old exhaustion. I remind myself that I've almost done a double by running 50 miles, so this is just a bit more, with a lot more rest thrown in. So here are my plans going into the week:

• Eat good food every day.
• Drink lots all week.
• Get to bed early every night.
• Run easy - five miles or less, no major hills, no more than 15 miles by Friday. I've got to recover from last week's 50K completely.
• Plan to carry food and water on all three marathons, and plan to eat and drink on schedule.
• Run slow, take walk breaks. This is not the time for a speed record. Plan on 6-7 hour marathons.
• Take Rob's very excellent advice: the minute I finish one marathon, start fueling for the next. Eat lots, eat protein and carbs. Drink tons. I'm going to have post-run food ready each time so I can start eating as soon as I'm done. He also wants me to take an ice bath (no promises on that one - that's just crazy talk!)
• Get to bed early each night between runs. We reserved a room in Seattle so we can sleep later on morning #3.
• Lorri is worried about a depressed immune system afterward. She knows that catching something like strep is a real risk for my heart and worries this will take too much of a toll on my system. I listened, Lorri, I really did, but I want to take on this challenge. So here is my plan. Follow each run with my traditional zipfizz, take my vitamins and something like airborne each night, and for a couple days following. And as always, wash my hands a zillion times a day. Plus, I'm getting a sub for Pilates on Monday so I can sleep in, and I'll give running a couple days off for more sleeping in. Hopefully that will give me some rebound time.

I think it's good planning and will carry me through the weekend.

As for why I'm doing this? I honestly don't know. Once the seed was planted, I found I really wanted to take it on. Maybe I need a distraction right now, or a challenge that is in my control. The current economy is threatening our college, and is a very real threat to my program. Long and stressful days at work need to be balanced by something new, exciting and fun, and yes, challenging. Maybe I'll get to learn a lesson about failure, or maybe I'll learn one about success. Either way, I get to spend time doing something I love with people I love. That is exactly what my heart and soul need right now, so that is what I'm giving it.