The Marathon Diaries: What You Got Is What You Got

We are two weeks out and it is down to the wire. I met Sid for our Thursday morning workout. As usual, he put me through the paces (pun intended) on pace and drills. Asteria, the technician, had a watchful and correcting eye on my stride.

It’s still a little iffy but in the three months I’ve been working with Sid and Asteria, there is no question I have improved. My progress was noted and that made me feel good. No matter what happens race day, I can feel good about the training process and the work we’ve done and all of the fun we’ve had … rain, shine, or hurricane …

Saturday, I did a two-hour run (more like 1 hour, 50 minutes; had to get to Zumba) which is the last long training run of the season. Hallelujah!!! As a final kick in the keister, Saturday morning, it was COLD. Seriously, I was not prepared for the temperature drop and was running around my apartment in the morning looking for my face mask (never did find my gloves).

I slogged through that run alone, in the dark, in the cold and started out with a less-than-cheery attitude. No matter. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that with every step, my mood would improve and I would eventually get to a good place. And by the time the sun came up, I was.

My right hip had been bothering me the day before (an old injury that flares up) so I took the run extra-easy and got some physical therapy later in the day. Staying healthy is the most important thing I can do now. In the words of the great Sid, “What you got is what you got.”

To explain: at this point, there is nothing I can do that will help me get a faster time; I can only do damage. So, the goal is to stay healthy, get some rest and take it easy. Achieving this goal was somewhat challenged on Sunday, when much to my chagrin, I woke up with a head cold, and spent the day sneezing all over the apartment and on my Maltese, Max (sorry Max).

So, that’s it. We’re basically there. The tapering begins. It’s mile 25 and we’re on the other side of the last hill. Now I just have to chill and wait until I can show the world (and myself) how much I really got.

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Jennifer Turner is a veteran television executive in New York City. A certified group fitness instructor and self-proclaimed "fitness activator," she believes that everyone has ability, with the right tools, social support, and inspiration to be able to connect to fitness in an emotional way. Her mission is to activate that ability and to inspire communities across the country. Jennifer blogs at madcoolfitness.com.

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