A Crazy Week in Review

I finally got a few minutes to post. Things have been crazy since Monday, between starting the new job and visiting my family in Oklahoma City for the Thanksgiving holiday. I cannot believe how fast the week has gone by, but it has been a good one.

The New Job. This is definitely going to be a nice change for me. I started on Monday and spent all day in orientation, learning about everything from insurance to computers. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I actually got to focus more on my actual job. I think I will be busy and have a lot of interesting and challenging work. The office was pretty quiet because a lot of people were out for the holidays, so I haven't met everyone yet. However, everyone I have met has been helpful and nice. I am looking forward to getting into the job more in the weeks to come.

The Traffic. I think the commute will be the biggest adjustment for me. Time wise, it is not much different than my commute to work in Amarillo. However, there's more bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic in Fort Worth, so it just takes longer to get places, especially in the evenings after work. I usually leave my house around 7:15 a.m., so the morning traffic is pretty easy. The company I work for has a parking garage downtown, so I don't have to fight for parking in the mornings. Our apartment is probably on the busiest highway in the area, so we probably won't live anywhere near it when we buy a house.

Running. There's been plenty of time for me to run. Unfortunately, this time of year, it is dark when I leave in the mornings and dark by the time I get home from work. That means lots of time on the treadmill on weekdays. My outside running is done on the weekends. I hate the treadmill, but my runs are getting shorter since the marathon is so close. Once the marathon is over, I will probably mix it up and take some spinning classes and maybe even a swimming lesson. Maybe a triathlon is in my future? David has started these, and it looks like fun. Who knows? I will wait and see if I ever want to run again after the marathon.

David and I did 6 miles on Thanksgiving Day here in OKC. It is hilly around my parents' home, so I got some good hill work in. We are going to do 13 miles around a lake near their house today or tomorrow before we leave to go home. That will be my last long run before the marathon. Two weeks from tomorrow, at this time, I will be running White Rock! It seemed like it was taking forever, and now it is almost here.

Thoughts on the Marathon. I truly do not believe that I am ready for this race. Between all the moving and eating over the holiday, I am scared to death that I am not prepared. Now that my runs are tapering off, I am nervous that I am not fit enough to run a marathon. Apparently these are typical thoughts during tapering, but all those articles I have read on this subject aren't making me feel any better. Basically, I am freaking out. I know I can run 20 miles at once, but it seems like it will be too long between that run and the marathon. I know I have been training for a year, but now I am afraid I haven't trained enough. Regardless, I am going to be out there in fourteen days running, whether I am ready or not. I have been told that if I run slowly, I can run forever. That's what I am hoping for. That, and to finish this stinking thing and still feel decent at the end. I hope that isn't too much to ask.