Things I Can't Control....

12 days before the marathon, my mind becomes fixated on the things over which I have zero or minimum control.

On the plus side, next week I'll do a good job of focusing on the things I can control, but for now, there's no time like the present for needless worrying. In no particular order:

1) I might be getting sick. I have one of those tiny tickles in the back of my throat... Now, it could be the cold, damp weather or it could be the fact I ran five miles in the cold, damp weather. And even if I do get a cold, I'm still 12 days from the race. But still: I worry that I'm getting a cold.

What I can do: Eat chicken soup, OD on Zicam.

2) The weather might suck come race day. I've said it before: early November is an iffy time in Central PA. It could be 50 and gorgeous, 65 (like last week) or 40 and rainy (like today). I'm on the BQ bubble here and anything less than the meteorological median has the potential to derail my dreams.

What I can do: Don't pay attention to weather reports for a week. Pray.

3) My blood sugar. Saying I can't control my blood sugar isn't exactly fair, but I think controlling your blood sugar is a lot like controlling a horse would be like, except I don't know much about horses. In my head, though, horses usually do what you want them to, except on those occasions when they don't. And when they don't, it's not like jerking a puppy on a leash. It's a damn horse for crying out loud. So anywho - I think I know what my blood sugar will do come race day, but then again...

What I can do: Test, test, test... have faith in the training. And test.

4) My training. Truth is, though this was all I had control over for the past several weeks, the proverbial horse (while I'm feeling equine-like) has left the barn. If my race is a failure due to anything that's not my blood sugar or sinuses or the weather, I'll blame it on my failure to do any mid-long runs in the middle of the week. Prior to my post-race criticism, I can tell you that's one piece of the pie I'm a bit short on.

What I can do: Not a tooting thing, really.

And that's about all I got to say about worrying.

Comments

  1. Anne Findlay3:06 PM

    As I heard at a marathon once, "You've done the work; the hay is in the barn." Now go out and have a great race. I can't wait to hear how it goes... in 12 1/2 days. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. W. A. Whittaker, Writer11:07 PM

    Forget traditional chicken soup. find a good Thai restaurant and order Tom Yum as spicy as you can stand it. It is like supercharged jet fuel chicken soup. It will knock a cold out of you in less than 48 hours max.

    ReplyDelete
  3. lauren10:41 AM

    Nice to find someone else that we be at Harrisburg on the 9th! I have to admit that I have been worrying about the weather ALOT. My father ran this race one year and it was windy, rainy, and cold. But you are right - out of our control! I will still hope and pray for an overcast, 50 degree day with no wind.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bill1:18 PM

    It sounds like you are stronger than last year, have more experience, and the Wildwood hills shouldn't be a big deal since you've been doing hill workouts. My money is on you punching your ticket to Boston.

    ReplyDelete

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