10 days til #tcsnycmarathon = 10 days of self care!

November 5th is almost here (insert: panic & excitement! AHHH). For those running, I’m sure you are going through lots of different emotions right now- I know I am. After spending 5 months focusing on one thing, one goal, one day... the realization of all of that’s about to happen is starting to sink in. Marathon blues, are definitely a thing. I used to think they’d just pop up post-marathon, but I have been feeling them this week. Tapering is different for everyone, but I spent the first part of this week feeling highly unmotivated- not getting out of bed in time to get the miles on my training plan in, and then beating myself up about it. I realized Tuesday of this week that I was being a bit silly. I’ve followed my training plan (for the most part, very closely), had a great 20 mile run & even felt really good about running the last 10 miles of the course on Sunday. However, for some reason Monday-Wednesday this week felt like I had lost all focus & motivation.

So, with 10 days left to go, I’ve decided I’m going to focus (even more than usual) on SELF CARE.  I’m a big believer in self care & also know that most of us do not do it enough. Living in this city is hard enough. It’s been an incredibly hard year in the world. People have jobs & family & responsibilities & so many stressors... all.the.time! Throw the insane idea of training for & running a marathon on top of that. It’s a bit crazy. So, yes, self care- it’s important & necessary! And, trust me, it doesn’t just happen naturally (unless you’re some sort of magical human with lots & lots of resources). But for most of us, it’s extra time... extra money.... extra focus.... and all of that can be hard to come by most days.

So, for the next 10 days leading up to the TCS NYC Marathon, I’m going to focus on one thing (self care-related) each day. And I encourage you to do the same!! I’ll be posting on Instagram & Facebook. I love the running community & think it’s a great place to get support and connect with others! So, if you’re down for the self care challenge please post along the way and add the tags:  

#therapy4runners

#10daysofselfcare

#nycmarathonselfcareclub

I hope with using the hashtags, people will be able to get new ideas of self care! Either to do in the next 10 days, or even better- to turn into a sustainable self care practice. (Remember: nothing new on race day!!)

What if...
I’m not a runner but want to join in....
I’m a runner, but not running the NYC Marathon this year...
I’ve never focused on self care before & this is scary and weird....
I have no time/money/energy to do something self care related each day....

PLEASE JOIN US!
...start small (5 minutes/day counts!), support others, try something new... and, best of all, take care of yourself!!!

And for the 50,000 rockstars doing the marathon next week... enjoy the next 10 days! Enjoy every moment (and every delicious carb) that will get us to the Verrazano bridge.  

If 10 days of self care seems like a lot... know that you've already come this far, you are capable and strong and determined, and fully deserve to treat yourself to some TLC!

Happy tapering, folks! I look forward to sharing (and learning) new self care tips & ideas in the next 10 days!

Finish strong! 

~katie