Motivation

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but my dad and I are training for the Chicago Marathon. We are 86 days from the race and I am excited but scared. Let me explain... I started running for "fun" and fitness to get back in shape and lose weight while I was in college. I completed many 5K races and last fall, I trained for a Half Marathon and completed a 10 mile race. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and after that race I swore that I'd never be able to run a longer distance race like the Marathon.... Well, my dad and I have always talked about how we would like to run a Marathon before we are too old, so I did some researching on the best marathon for a novice and found two results: 1. San Antonio Marathon in November and 2. Chicago Marathon in October. Both races are pretty flat (which makes me happy, I do NOT like hills). It seems logical that we would chose the San Antonio Marathon since it is within driving distance of my house. But, my dad is a basketball coach and basketball season begins at the end of October, so he would miss out on the most important parts of the training. Chicago is a place that I've always wanted to visit, and the weather is definitely better there! Chicago it is! I did not think about the sweltering 100+ degree temps that would be going on during the majority of my training. Since officially beginning training in June, I had to join a gym to run indoors because the temperature at 10:00pm was still 98 degrees at my house!!
Well, running on the treadmill is definitely NOT the most exciting thing in the world, so it has been challenging to complete my training thus far. I have wanted to quit many times already, but I keep going. I have to remind myself that I am NOT a quitter. I may have to modify my workouts, run slower, but I will not quit! I have this mental block in my head that says that I cannot go past 6 miles straight. Six miles straight is the farthest I have run in this training and it was not easy, so how can I run longer? Then after I finally finish my runs, I feel horrible. My costrochondritis flares up and I have chest pains and I feel nauseated. I don't want to kill myself while training and I keep thinking that I might die while training. I need help, I need encouragement. I find myself constantly going to running sites and message boards to hear how other people overcome this block in training and I have read my friend Jenny's marathon experience many times this week already. I want to write my own story, but the road to that point is HARD!