This week marks my 19th week of training. Seems like only yesterday I started this crazy journey. I’m 100% kidding. That was the epitome of sarcasm right there. It feels like I started a year ago! Can anyone tell that I just want this race to be here!? Anyway, the thought process behind my training schedule was to increase 1 mile every Saturday. And yes, I started at mile 1. I’ve had a few rest weeks when I haven’t increased a mile, but I added another mile onto my next Saturday’s run (if that makes sense?). For instance, Week 6 I ran 6 miles. Week 16 was a rest week (I ran 12), so the next Saturday I ran 18. Today, you guessed it, 19 miles!
This was yet another week when I got up at 6 a.m. and immediately checked my e-mail to see if practice was canceled. Nothing. I then checked the weather to see what conditions awaited me in Wellesley. Here’s what I read on WBZTV.com:
“According to the National Weather Service, this nor’easter could be one of the heaviest rain events since the spring of 2006 for eastern Massachusetts. According to WBZ meteorologists, we can expect to see 3-to-6 inches of rain in eastern Massachusetts by the time the storm is over. There is also a high wind watch with gusts of up to 55 miles per hour expected.”
Since practice wasn’t canceled, I figured we wouldn’t run as far today because it was raining so hard. I’m such an amateur! Quote from one of the coaches before we started: “Today’s run will make the actual marathon seem easy.” Maybe he was talking about a different race and not the Boston Marathon? Today we ran from Wellesley to Cleveland Circle in Boston, around the BC reservoir and back. 19 miles. The wind was blowing so hard, there were waves in the reservoir! There were a few moments that I was basically running in place because the wind and rain were straight in my face.
And if today’s run couldn’t get any worse, I ran the last 8 miles with this on my heel:
After we finished and everyone was stretching, a girl came over to see how my leg was. I asked her how she knew about my leg. She said “I was running behind you and noticed the blood on your shoe. Hey, you know you’re a true runner when your shoes are soaked in blood.” I guess it’s official now.
Mike's Marathon Blog 
Holy Crap. Today would have been a day that I ran 19 miles staring at a gym wall on a treadmill. You are amazing!
Ask Jacky to snag some duoderm from work for you for that heel.
See you tomorrow. I’m gonna bring some brownies. Hope it doesnt ruin your marathon diet 🙂
I still don’t have this replything down, geez. I wrote that last post about brownies.
Don’t worry Mike we have an ancient Mexican remedy that we’ll bring tomorrow.
Gross.
Can I ask you a few questions about your experience with training for a marathon? I hope so my e-mail address is rielie@live.nl.
Greetings
Cyriel
Whatever happened to my cousin that couldn’t make it 2 “superlaps” around the pelham high fields!!!!?? I’ll be there cheering you on Marathon Monday – you’re awesome!!!