Pass the Pickles

Right now, I feel consumed by my training.  It's not all together a bad thing.  Its a special kind of awesome to devote yourself to an endurance goal and work, work, work to meet it.  I feel focused, centered.  motivated....tired.

It occurred to me last night, however, that I've felt like this before but for a very different reason.   I now present:

2 lists

List the first:  Ways in which marathon training is uncannily like the 2nd trimester of pregnancy:

1.  I am hungry ALL. THE. TIME.  I will eat anything and everything put in front of me...

2.  ...except for things I won't.   Such as cilantro (GROSS), and cheesecake (GAG) and super heavy, fatty things the night before a run.

3.  I can't drink (much).  While I technically can drink more than I would allow myself in pregnancy, any more than one or 2 beers WILL be felt in the next morning's run.  And not in a good way.

4.  I am tired ALL. THE. TIME.  I can and will sleep anytime, anywhere.  If only I got more opportunities.  Stupid work.

5.  I mostly feel really mentally energetic and motivated and don't really have the time or brainspace to devote to feeling sorry for myself, except for...

5.  ...the mood swings.  Exhaustion/hunger/burned-out-ed-ness manifests itself in some crankypants.  Occasionally.

6.  People who have done something similar or know someone who has tend to react to my "condition" with advice or horror stories about their brother's wife's cousin's daughter who had some totally fucked up thing happen.  People who have never been there just give me strange looks that imply that I'm probably not right in the head.



List the second:  Ways in which marathon training is definitely different from 2nd trimester pregnancy:

1.  I am losing weight, rather than gaining it. 

2.  I'm not spending crazy amounts of money and time shopping for nursery items/clothes/toys/slings/carseats/etc.  Although I am replacing my running shoes more often.

3.  My "due date" will not involve medical bills.  Hopefully.

4.  My husband does not have that constant look of abject terror in his eyes.  Mostly he just rolls them and tells me to make sure I get enough rest so that he and my son can stand to be in the same house with me.