The One Where I Discuss Being a Fat Girl Who Is Going To Run A Marathon

Tonight we had another Team in Training, uh, training. It was interesting. There was a lot of running mixed with different skill things, like skipping, grape vining and such. Afterwards we had a workshop for women. It was a chance for us to ask questions relating to women's issues and running a marathon. For example, always carry extra tampons, and when running at night, never run alone, ya know the standard stuff. I had questions like, where is a good place to buy a decent sports bra around here? Can I still strength train the way I am now? Then when pregnancy was brought up, I stumbled asking what would happen. All in all I felt like a total idiot. They know I have played sports before, and I would like to think that I am athletic enough to do this, but training for rugby is so different than training for a marathon. I know you are thinking, duh! But I am used to training in a way that I have always trained, to get as strong as I can, and get my cardio as good as I can. Now having super massive thighs can be a bit of a detriment, (not that they are super massive yet, ie as in really strong, but I'm doing well-ish) I have to lift weights differently, and even run differently. I have always run on my toes, leaning forward somewhat, because when I would run in rugby it was more of a hard run, sprint if you will. Now I have to be able to really settle into a run, and hold that pace. I need to be able to land on my foot neutrally, and not use my upper body as much. On the other hand, from training the way I have been, in the past for rugby, I have taught myself how to recover quickly, which is helping me now.
Also when we all signed up they said that anyone can do this, like people straight off of a couch, with the imprint of the remote still in their hand. So yeah, no one is straight off of the couch, a lot of them have already run a marathon, and a lot of them are really fit and have no issues with it. Then there is me, I am so slow, I keep running, but I am so slow. It was nice today a couple of the mentors ran with me and the other really slow ones, and kept encouraging us, which was so nice and made it not as painful.
Now on a positive note, when we had to do a hard run, like at 80%ish of a sprint, I could do it and I didn't die, and I was able to recover in the proper distance. Then I did it again. I was proud of myself. However when we had to do another lap, my shins were going to explode. They were so sore that walking was hard, but they are better now, I do have exercises for them and I'm doing them. I've iced them tonight and they feel better. And the hard part, I'm resisting the urge to have a hot bath, goodness knows I love the hot baths.
Well, long story short. Fat girls aren't meant to run marathons, but I am too bloody stubborn to quit, 'cause then I would really be that fat girl. I will, however, keep complaining, and hopefully in the weeks leading to my Feb 15th or 14th run (I can't remember) it'll get easier. If not, the 13.1* miles might kill me.

*I like to say marathon, but it's a half marathon, a full 26.2 miles would kill me, I am sure of it.