Wanted to share this because I think it's important to include both the positive and negative parts of training for something like the FIRE & ICE ULTRAMARATHON. And the last couple of weeks almost everything having to do with the race have been...bad. Like, really bad.
My bestie Megan (my Trouble Twin also doing the race with me) officially reached the part of the training and preparation where everything just sucks.
Everything hurts.
Everything causes a panic attack.
Everything brings out a curse word.
Physically, it's a nightmare: Blisters, black toe-nails, toe-nails falling off, pinched nerves in our necks, chafing, raw spots, sunburn.
And sore freaking EVERYTHING.
Mentally, it's not much better: mile after mile after mile of just putting one foot in front of the other. Over and over and over.
It requires huge mental stamina to force yourself to get out there and do it. And then do it again the next day. Plus, you know, we both have jobs that don't exactly give us time off just to go galavanting around with our giant backpacks.
Emotionally... well hell, emotionally we're both just basket cases. The worry, y'all. That sh*t is real:
Will we have enough food?
Will we be too cold?
What the heck will we do if it rains the whole time?
Can I sleep in my sleeping bag without having a panic attack? (ahem, see here)
How will we make it through Day 4 -- the 40 mile day?
What if this is more than we can actually do?
Meg and I are very aware that we are no longer in our 20s.
And that we paid to do this.
And that We. Are. Stupid.
Here's the good news: every endurance athlete reaches the point we're at (and have been at for the last couple of weeks). When you're just DONE. If your timing is right, you reach that point just as you're going into your taper (which we are next week--we're both giving ourselves 8 days off).
If not, then you just wonder LONGER why you don't make better life choices.
So if any of you have kept track of all of this training and thought: MAN, JANIE IS JUST AN IDIOT.
Congratulations, I now agree with you.
Edited to add: All the above is true BUT, the good news is, we won't quit and (hopefully) we'll make it through the entire race in one piece. Will we learn our lesson and not sign up for anything stupid in the future?
THAT is much less likely.