Putting in the miles

I love to run.  Love.  This hasn't always been the case, but that's a different story for a different post.  This amateur love seed was planted when I "trained" for my very first race, a half-marathon, last fall.  That seed began to blossom as I trained {this time I actually did a training program} for and ran my second half-marathon with one of my best friends this past June.  The training program we were doing, however, wasn't for a half-marathon.  No, no the training program I was talked into doing {by said friend} was for, everyone hold your breath, a MARATHON.  Man that word is scary.  Don't remember how, why, or who, what, when, or where for that matter, that I agreed to train for a marathon.  I had plans to run a marathon in March 2012 with my dad, but never once did I think I would be running one in two and a half weeks.  

According to many fitness experts, a person only needs to train up to 10 miles to know they {their body} can and will finish a half-marathon.  A person training for a full marathon likewise only needs to train up to 18 or 20 miles to know they can and will finish a full marathon.  Last wednesday, I completed my longest run in my training program.  I ran 20 miles in 3:05:15, averaging a 9:15min/mile pace.  How did I feel when I finished?  Incredible.  I was thrilled, I couldn't believe it.  It was a great feeling of accomplishment and it gave me energy and hope for future accomplishments.  On a different note, I was also incredibly hungry and sweaty.  I couldn't wait to make my protein shake, stretch, and take a 25min shower!  Following a nice relaxing shower, I unfortunately had to take an ICE bath.  Ever heard of them?  They're wonderful and you should be jealous you haven't taken one.  Kidding.  Step 1) fill up a tub with the coldest water possible until it will cover your thighs when sitting in the tub.  Step 2) Once in the bath, dump bags of ice into the bath. Step 3) grit your teeth and just dump the ice in already! {you are allowed to scream while dumping the ice}  The ice bath is taken to help prevent injury.  And, believe you me, I have a testimony of ice baths {all thanks to my Aunt Lydia who made me do it}.  I'm convinced they help more than I may ever know, and I'm glad I won't have to find out how my legs would've felt otherwise.  I even decided to share the picture taken of me freezing my buns off in the ice bath {no worries, I have shorts on}.  I was just starting to dump the ice in...