Marathon Training Woes - Part 1

In my short running 'career' I have learned a lot over the course of 5 years and going on marathons 5 and 6 within the next few months...things that somehow I forget about for a short period of time...till I am reminded.

The first one being:  You get REALLY  REALLY hungry...

Now this is, as I have mentioned before the first time not only did I NOT gain or remain more or less even, I actually lost weight/size/fat.  Was easy enough to do.

Up until starting this past Sunday.  After the 19miler, I wasnt that hungry, never really am for quite some time, and honestly I was fine up until about oh...2pm on Sunday.  Thats when it hit me and its been smackin' me around ever since.

So I have eating a bit more, if I look back.  Eating actual dinners at night...and then yesterday I felt like crap.  Bloated.  Fat.  Gross.  All day.  I havent cut my mileage so its not that, but I have just been eating more I guess?  I have been 'trying' not to, but I guess...well...

So...What just days previously was plenty of food, has left me wanting more...my stomach feels like its in a constant state of hunger...hard to describe but ... you know like its just empty and kinda crampy because you are so hungry?  Yeah that...

So back to yesterday...because I felt so awful, I...who NEVER does this unless its a bad day ...wore a full length shirt on my run!  And it was about 93 deg out.  WTF?  And honestly I could 'feel' the difference in my short 3 mile run too. 

So its back to reality Little Red Running Hood...you cannot eat until your stomach thinks its had enough.  Because then you will end up like you did before that first marathon...gaining...

Last night after the run, I did eat about a cup of leftover orzo and that was it.  I had said I wasnt going to eat at all...which I guess to some, that cup of orzo doesnt constitute eating dinner.  I went ahead and made my breakfast to bring to work so I didnt splurge in the cafteteria like I had been all week for breakfast...made some scrambled egg whites, spinach, mushrooms and a bit of cheese. 

This morning when I woke up sure enough I felt a bit more like myself.  Yes after my breakfast I still wanted more...so I had a packet of grits.  No mid-morning snack (which lately has been a cookie or something)...because for whatever reason I am CRAVING oatmeal raisin cookies...or any cookie for that matter..

Bottom line is that I had forgotten how excruciating the hunger pangs can come at you full force...and exactly how difficult it is to ignore.  Because honestly I am eating enough...I know that I am. 

Fighting the desire to eat is overwhelming at times though. 

As I child I never had to 'go to bed hungry', was never even threatened with that (although it couldnt have hurt back then)...but here as an adult...a grown woman with perfectly good sense in her head...I am sending myself to bed hungry pretty much every night...

Its 6 weeks to race day in Chicago.

Gonna be a looooooooooooooong 6 weeks...for those of you training for your first marathon...get ready...not only is it bad during the last 4 weeks of training, but the taper? 

Oh good Lord...the taper-worm is just around the corner...