Well, my
friends, today was the final tune up before running the Philadelphia
Marathon. My final long distance run was
a short eight miles, but the temperatures were extremely cold; this temperature
will be similar to the start of the marathon next weekend. When I left the house, it was in the mid-30s
and a bit windy. During my run, my
fingers had become cold and even breathing on them could not warm them up.
I began my run
with two layers on top (including a long-sleeve shirt), my gloves, high socks,
and leggings to keep my lower body warm.
Even when running, my body can still feel cold, especially when the wind
is blowing heavily. After running along
the river for the majority of my training, I have grown accustomed to the wind
blowing either at me or moving me forward.
Along the Schuylkill River, the wind never seems to be blowing sideways
(East to West) but always blows forward or backwards (North to South). When running along the river during the
marathon, I will hope to get a nice tailwind running towards the Art Museum and
finish line. I know I can run the first
leg of the second half of the marathon against the wind, but I could use a
little assistance when finishing.
8 Mile Running Route (Credit to MapMyRun.com)
My eight-mile
route took be down the Schuylkill Banks to the South Street Bridge, and back
along the Schuylkill River Trail to the Columbia Bridge. The Columbia Bridge is about a mile north of
the Girard Street Bridge and is right before the grandstands for rowing
regattas. Once I reached the Columbia
Bridge, I turned around and returned back across the Spring Garden Bridge and
back to the friendly, warm confines of my own home. This route is the typical eight-mile run I
have done throughout my training.
The last time I
ran eight miles as part of my long run was in week four of my training. I remember that run vividly: I had gone out the night before, had work at
7:00 am, then went on my run still a bit hungover. After that run, I had bad stomachaches and
cramps for over a week until they finally went away. A nursing friend of mine believed that I had
a bad case of gas that had stemmed from what I ate prior to my run, which included
ice cream and other junk food. This was
before I was taking extremely good care of my body and carefully watching what
I was eating.
Early Morning Philadelphia Skyline (Photo taken by Micah Sokolsky)
With less than a
week left before the Philadelphia Marathon, I feel prepared and ready to run
the full 26.2 miles! I tentatively have
my running outfit picked out, but it will likely change day of depending on the
weather. I would prefer not to wear the
leggings, but if Mother Nature wants it to be freezing, then so be it. I will still be ready to take on the
challenge!
