20 weeks to the New York City Marathon and I have completely lost my motivation. I did so good for 3 weeks of training, but the last 2 weeks have been horrid!
I run a 10K race last Saturday and I haven’t run since. I just don’t feel like it, just a blah I don’t care about doing this get me out of it feeling… someone come to my rescue!
Tomorrow I start my group training, 18 weeks of long runs is what I call it. But my gloomy self is not looking forward to it. I’ve been receiving emails for the past week and instead of being full of happy anticipation, I am just freaked out about the whole thing. What if they are too hardcore, what if they put me down because I’m so slow, what if they tell me to my face what I already know: that I’m way over my head if I think I can run a marathon by November!
I hate myself for thinking like this. I just need to snap out of it! Get Miss Negativity out of my head and hope for the best. I bet I’m going to find super encouraging people ready to cheer me up! We are all nervous the first day with new people, right? It’s normal to be a little worried…
For the next two weeks I’ll be dog sitting and these doggies have a full gym at home, so I have no excuse not to exercise. I can hit the stationary bike and the elliptical while watching TV! So here goes my promise to get out of this gunky state and start being happy and positive and exercise, exercise, exercise. To quote one of my girls: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t!” — Elle Woods
But wait! Before I turn into happy Andrea I have to share this with you. Disgust! LOL
andrealinares 
I’ve been there! You’ll get thru it if you really want to do it! There’s always the half! 😉
I’m training for the NYC Marathon too. Is this your first marathon? And what group are tyou training with?
My second, I ran the MCM in 2013. I’m training with Potomac River Running 😀
First of all, no self respecting group will ever put you down.. So don’t worry about that 😊 you should take that nervous energy and fuel your runs with it. Remember, your body goes through actual metamorphosis when you start running, but it can take at least 3 weeks before you start feeling it. It takes me generally 6-8 weeks. So it will feel hard before it gets easier.. Hang in there and look forward to that one week where you feel strong and like a different person. It happens and it will happen to you so hang in there!
Seems to me you are looking to comit to something you already comitted to when you first signed up! You are aprehensive becauseyouareentering a phase of long runs and rightly so – you dont want to underestimate things. Your long runs will be fine, you will get used to thedistances and will love marathon day.
Keep with it, there’s room for a little rest before the big miles need to kick in! I’m just starting my ‘pre (s)training’. The early June heat is making it tough, but I know it’ll be so worth it on Nov 1st. Good luck!
You’ll be just fine! My running goes through ebbs and flows too and I also had taken it down several notches before starting my group marathon training last week. It was my first time with a group so I was super-nervous, but, when you stop to think about it, have you ever met more positive, upbeat, encouraging people than runners? You’ll have a great time! I was worried about being the slowest one in my group too, but everybody feels that way! Good article about all that right here: http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2014/04/training-tips/if-you-run-slow-who-cares_22791
You can do it little lady! What helps me the most are the words of Deena Kastor who once said “The moments that challenge us the most, define us. ” I use her words as an inspiration on most of my Runs because I know how difficult it is to not only lace up my shoes and get out the door, but more importantly to do the most difficult thing…to Run, and prepare myself for the task at hand…crossing that Finish Line. You’re going to do great, just don’t give up 🙂
I hope your training is going well and you are enjoying the new group. I have never known a runner to put another runner down. Good luck with your training plan and marathon.