Saturday marked our last long run before the Chicago Marathon.
Back when I created our training plan, scrutinizing every week, every mile, every detail, I remember looking at that date: September 29.
…and thinking, damn — I can’t even fathom what *that* will feel like.
Knowing that all of our long runs were done.
…including two 20 milers and a 22 miler.
Knowing that we left nothing behind but hard work, dedication, and more than a few laughs along the way.
…for 18 weeks.
Knowing that in less than one week, we’d be toeing the starting line *in* Chicago.
…thisclose to becoming a marathoner.
At that time, 18 weeks ago, I had a hard time fathoming any of it. I just couldn’t visualize it. I couldn’t quite grasp that our bodies would get “there” — to that point where running longer and farther and harder would somehow, over time, feel shorter and shorter, ‘easier’ and ‘easier’ (‘easy’ being a relative term, of course).
But yet, September 29th arrived:
…we stepped outside at 7am.
…it was raw and chilly and a little bit rainy.
…but off we went.
…chugging through those miles.
…10 miles that felt effortless.
…our legs were so happy, so rested, so joyful out there.
…it hardly mattered by the end that it wasn’t exactly a beautiful fall day.
…it was a beautiful day to be running. For no other reason than we’d hit our stride. Made our way through every single one of our long runs. Every single training run. Every single week of our schedule.
Our bodies told us one thing on Saturday: “we’re ready.”
Both of us lamented at the end of our 10-miler that we SO could’ve kept going. Kept chugging along, happy as ever. We smartly did not, don’t worry. But to know that our bodies could go farther and longer and actually *wanted* to go farther and longer? Amazing.
…guess this whole taper ‘thing’ works, hmm? Legs that are itchy to run more? I’ll take it. If I could just bottle up this feeling and re-release it again next Sunday around 8am? That would be fab. Let’s see if we can make that happen, mmk?
#26point2in6days
(omg)
EatDrinkBreatheSweat 
this gave me chills!! i’m so excited for you! love those READY FACES!
YEAH for READY FACES!!!
It’s soooooooooooooooooo close – ahhhhh!!!! Be sure to REST UP this week. Someone once told me that you want to feel like a caged animal come race day – begging to get out there and eat it up! 🙂
That’s EXATLY how I want to feel on race day. SO ITCHY to run that it’s not even scary to fathom 26.2 miles (well *less* scary anyway)! Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!!
You are totally ready!
And somehow this post just reminded me that I need to give Murphy his heartworm medicine. I forgot it was October 1st!
LOL I love that my post reminded you to give the pup his heartworm meds!! haha
I love this! I remember so vividly a run in Maine that we did just before you started marathon training. your eyes were a million miles away. you were thinking cantcantcant scaredscaredscared and then shortly after, something snapped and ever since, you have OWNED this sis. I am so proud and so incredibly impressed. Cannot wait to celebrate and cheer you on next week!!! XO
That moment is seared into my brain, like whoa. I remember thinking “did I really look or seem that stressed?” when you mentioned it after the run. But clearly I was in denial at how badly I was feeling about going into training mode. I was NOT in the right headspace at all, I was totally OATT-ing, totally afraid, totally unsure of myself or my abilities. It feels so incredible to be as far away from that feeling as humanly possible as I am today. I owe it all to smart FUN training but also to the most incredible support system in the world, thank you sis for being a GIANT part of that. love YOU
Yipee!!! So excited for you. You guys have kicked some serious ars. You’re so ready.
Have a blast this weekend!! XOXO
Ahhhh thank youuuuu friend!!! xoxo!
love Love LOVE this!! you ARE ready, you guys are going to race GREAT! what an exciting week…
It’s crazy exciting to think that THIS is marathon week, OUR week to get ourselves as ready as we possibly can for the big day. I can’t even describe the whirlwind of emotions going on up in here!
OMG I am so excited for you two! Even though I won’t be there, I will definitely be there in spirit cheering you on!
I KNOW you’ll be there in spirt my dear! Team Sutera hearts you, my #runsherpa friend!
Good luck on Sunday. See you at the start line! 🙂
YEAH!! Good luck to you too!!
SQUEEEE!!!! Good luck on Sunday! I’m *thisclose* to driving in and cheering you all on, just don’t know if I can pull it off.
Ohhh I would LOVE that!!!! Otherwise, you can totally be a virtual “TEAM SUTERA” cheerleader 😉 I’m thinking the #teamsutera hashtag ought to work out nicely!
So so close! I’m so excited for you! Chicago here you come!
Do I really need to tell you that you’ve got this??? I think you already know it. ❤ I need to put my phone on some sort of notification thingy where I get every tweet that happens between 8am and whatever time you make it to the finish. (Is that possible? lol) I'm so proud of you and how you can make marathon training so real…the requirements – dedication, consistency, hard work, persistence, etc. and yet make look so effortless. (Does that make sense?) I've loved reading every bit of the last 18 weeks…and I can't wait to read the before and after posts. ❤
Oh wow the time is nearly finally here. So excited for you, you’ll do wonderful in the run in Chicago and so lovely that it’s your birthday weekend too. Sorry I’ve been missing in action, it’s been a very busy but exciting time. Have a good rest this week and will be thinking of you this weekend. Over in London so may not be online but will be thinking of you and cheering you on xx
You are ready. That is all.
You put in such SMART training! Your marathon is waiting for you my friend! GO GET IT! 🙂
I read this humming the Rocky theme song:) CANNOT wait to hear all about it!
Ahhh so exciting Jess! At what point do you reach “runner’s high?” What does running 14, 18, 20 + miles feel like? Soooo incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to hear your recap!
Congrats! I look forward to reading all about the race. I would love to run a marathon some day but I’m like your previous self. I just cannot imagine how my body will get there.