Love. Laugh. Live. Run.

Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.
Michael Johnson

It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse.
Ann Trason

Tough times don't last, but tough people do.
A.C. Green

The gun goes off and everything changes...the world changes...and nothing else really matters.
Patti Sue Plummer

Anything worth while will not come easy.

I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first with your head, the middle with your personality, and the last with your heart.
Mike Fanelli

It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.
Emil Zatopek

Pain is temporary, quitting is final.
Lance Armstrong

My last of 3 marathons is this weekend, the Hard Corps Marathon at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. I should be very nervous right now, but I'm not and that is making me nervous.

I'm coming off of two amazing marathons, not based on time, but based on the overall experience and how my body felt. Pasadena was long and hot, but I didn't feel an ounce of pain when I was done. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. It was as if my body had erased the memory of it the minute I crossed the line! LA had it's share of torture, but it was the most amazing I'd felt at a race and certainly the most fun I've ever had racing. So should I expect the Hard Corps Marathon to be the same? Or was God just being nice so I could make it to this last race and complete my goal?

There is a part of me that wants to go all out this weekend. Considering how I've felt after the last two races, I kinda think I could go all out and shoot for a PR. I don't have to protect my body and reserve anything for a future race so I could really thrash my body and be okay with it. The course is questionable, it's paved roads could kill my knees and foot and the out-and-back may freak me out (it's best to not know what lies ahead). If I could get a PR this weekend, I could really enjoy the Rock N Roll Marathon in June. I have tons of friends coming out for that race and I have hopes that it can be as fun as LA. I really want to enjoy San Diego.

The other half of me is saying Just finish the damn race and get that yellow jersey! Come hell or high-water, you will crawl across the finish line if you have to. I don't have to worry about my time, I just have to finish and then I'm a Maniac. Enjoy the day, soak it all in, and go 3 for 3!

I guess I'll be spending the week weighing these two options. I guess my body will determine how things pan out. I'm leaning towards a PR race, but I think I'm too scared to commit to it. I better toughen up. No wussies allowed at the Hard Corps Marathon!

As I perused some new blogs this morning, I came across a race report from a marathoner's first 50K. Not gonna lie, very intrigued.

A 50K is 31 miles. That's only 4.8 miles more than a marathon. Of course, my first thought is Pshhh, that's like 50 more minutes. I can do that. It's just one more hour. HAHA Oh, Tania, so confident, so forgetful. Yes, that is one more hour - ON TOP OF THE 4+ HOURS THAT COME BEFORE IT! Really, I have a problem people! I began to immediately scan my calendar and see when I could start training for one. Fall sounds good, right? No races planned then? And I searched the local race calendars. Seriously, people! I'm crazy, right? Who would do this?

Alright, alright, let's put the brakes on here for just a second. Before I start jumping into Ultras there are some things I have to consider:

1. Almost all Ultras are trail runs. Although I train on trails and have done a 10K trail run, a 50K trail run would be very different than what I'm used. Marathons are entirely on asphalt. It is literally a different playing field.
   
2. Although 4.8 miles doesn't seem like much, I hear that once you do a 50K you realize why it is an Ultra and not just a Marathon Plus. Somewhere in that 4.8 miles you cross over and it's very distinct.
   
3. Ultras have a whole different culture that I would have to learn about. Hydration is major! Aid stations have real food and you should be running with a Camelbak. You have to take in 1000+ calories during and monitor your salt intake (ie. taking salt tabs). Lots to learn about there considering I go 26.2 miles with just 8oz of oatmeal and 3 ClifBoks in my belly.
   
4. Heat factor - being this is California, an hour longer on the course, on a trail could get blistering! My finish time would be close to noon in the middle of the desert! Yikes!
5. Am I bored yet? I am loving marathons right now! Do I really want to fast-forward or should I enjoy the honeymoon phase until I need a new challenge? This could be the perfect post-baby challenge to get me back...I'm just saying.
   

I'll sit on this for awhile. I'm itching, but I'm going to hold off and see how the next 2 marathons go. What do you think?

I've been keeping it for months now and have only divulged it to a few people. I have not made this public because well, I doubt myself and don't want people to judge me if I fail. So here it is....I'm trying to be a Marathon Maniac. Yeah, I know I've been running a lot lately and seem like a crazy person who loves to run, but I'm talking a legitimate "Maniac" - there's a club!! With members!! And matching jerseys!! Beautiful, hard-earned, bright-yellow jerseys....
Sometime in the Fall I heard about the "Marathon Maniacs" - a club for people in love with running marathons. Being a little bit strange myself, I was instantly intrigued and looked into it.

To be a Maniac, you have to meet the criteria for at least 1 of the 9 levels of insanity. The lowest level is Bronze requiring 1) 2 Marathons in 16 days OR 2) 3 Marathons in 90 days. Hmmmm.... I could do this. I could TOTALLY do this. And so the obsession began....

I had already had my eye on the Surf City Marathon (it got sold out so I did Pasadena instead) and started training. As I got closer to Pasadena and kept thinking about this whole Maniac thing, I looked around for a March marathon to consider. The obvious one was the new and improved LA Marathon. When Shawna mentioned her interest, I was thrilled! I would have a partner and I would be 2 for 3.

I have been dead set on this whole Maniac thing for months now, but still unsure because I had no clue what running back to back marathons would be like. Luckily, my body still loves me and I am just 1 marathon away from being a Maniac. In exactly 2 weeks I will running the Hard Corps Marathon in Oceanside and it will be my 3rd marathon in 60 days! That's right, I don't need the extra month, I'm doing it in 60! I'm thrilled to be so close to accomplishing this! I really didn't think I could do this and I'm so excited how well it has all gone. I LOVE LOVE LOVE racing right now. I especially love all the reactions I get from people when I tell them I have another marathon coming up, I really am a Maniac. Well, at least I own up to it!

Under no circumstances am I allowed to eat the following before a run:

-GU Chomps
-Bananas
-Peanut Butter

It does not end well.