A Solo journey of 26.2

I am very use to doing things alone. Shopping alone. Going to movies alone. Running alone. No biggie, right? But training for and running a marathon is something I have never really done alone before. And it's kind of something I don't want to do on my own. As someone who usually prefers doing stuff solo, this is not a journey I want to go on completely by myself.

I have run five marathons before and always had someone by my side in almost all aspects of the experience. I had training partners, someone to go to the expo with me, someone to at least start the race with, and always my mom when I was done. (If it was a Chicago Marathon, I even had my dad there too when I was done.)

There are so many aspects of running a marathon that many people might not realize. Clearly its not a wake-up and run 26.2 miles deal. There is a lot of preparation and planning that goes into running the distance and its not always the most fun. Shocking, I know. For this marathon, I have other friends I know that are running, but they are way faster and are part of an elite running club so they have been doing all their marathon-related stuff with their running club teammates. I knew I'd be going at this marathon by myself, but that hasn't made the process any easier. You'd think with 40,000 in the same shoes as you that you wouldn't feel lonely, but guess what? You still do.

Training. I run by myself in the mornings before work and love starting my day off that way. It clears my head, gives me energy, and generally is a wonderful way to begin the day. However, for the long runs on the weekends, it can be quite boring (and sometimes miserable) to be alone. Yeah, there are tons of other people you pass along the way, even some of the same faces week after week, but pretty much anything beyond eight miles is better with company. I don't even really like talking to someone when I run (it wastes too much energy in the longer distances and messes up my breathing), but just having a companion, or two, by my side enhances the run. We push and encourage each other when we might ordinarily slow down or give up. You don't want to let your partners down so you have to pick it up and continue. This is the first time I have ever had to do all my long runs by myself. Although I am self-motivated enough to get going in the early morning, it does take a mental toll to run by yourself for 3-4 hours. It is boring with a capital "B. I am just glad I have some great music on my iPod to give me some mojo. Thong Song anyone? Oh yeah.

The Expo. Ever been to a pre-race expo for a marathon or a half-marathon? If its a good one, its usually pretty awesome. (Shout out to the Chicago Rock and Roll Half for having one of the best expos...ever.) There are usually good freebies, even better samples, and cool clothing to look at or even buy. And great photo opps as well. And I certainly love a great photo opp. Going to one of these expos is definitely something you want to do with at least one other person. You want to walk around together and check it out. I am hoping that one of my non-marathon running friends will come to the expo with me this year. 

The Pre-Race. You don't just show up to a marathon, line up in the corrals and go. For races this big and this important, there is a whole process. You have to show up hours in advance and just sit and wait around. I have never done this part alone before and am dreading this. I mean, what am I going to do for 2 hours in the (presumably) cold weather? Who am I going to bond with over the bathroom lines? Whose hand am I going to hold when they play "New York, New York" at the starting line? Who is going to laugh at me when I start tearing up during "New York, New York?" (Yes, I am huge loser for this, but it gets me every time.)

The Race. I have run a marathon by myself before. But I have always, always started the race with either my friends or my mom or even both. We usually get a good mile or two in together before parting ways. Having those that I care about around me and vice versa really helps me get in that positive mentality from the get-go. If I don't have anyone to run with, I do expect to at least see friendly faces along the race course cheering me on. In the past, my fam and my friends have been REALLY good at it and you don't know how excited I get to see you!! Get ready to do it again. And get ready to see me cry when I do see you because we both know that will happen. 

Post-Race. So after running 26.2 miles, all I want to do is hug my mom, let out a good cry (are we seeing a pattern here?), and go home and be taken care of. I can't imagine not having anyone at the finish line waiting for me. This actually frightens me. After running 26. 2 miles the last thing I want to do is walk home alone and be by myself. Ugh. The thought even makes me tear up. I want to be able to celebrate with my mom. I NEED to have her there. I have flown her out the last two times I ran the marathon in NYC and intend to do it again. Mom, you are coming. End of story. I need you. Yes, I am 30 years old and I need my mommy. I don't care. I'll say it again: "I need you there!!"

I didn't think this would happen this year, but I am actually starting to really look forward to the marathon. I have had my reservations and hesitations to run this marathon because of my health this past year and just my general lack of motivation. Things have been going well lately and I most recently nailed a 17 mile run which gave me a much need confidence boost.  The cooler weather has also helped. A lot! I hope I am not jinxing myself, but I may actually be, dare I say, excited for this. Once I do a 20-miler I will make my definite decision on running this race. Until then, I am not 100% decided, but I am def leaning toward having a date with the five boroughs on Sunday November 4. Until then, me, myself, and I will be running, and running, and running some more.