Happy Friday! I’m finally in the taper phase so I thought I would share things I love about marathon training.
Let me start off by saying that when I started running, I NEVER thought I would tackle a marathon. It just seemed like a very daunting task but after volunteering at the NYC Marathon, I knew I wanted to run that particular marathon. I’m really looking forward to toeing that starting line in about 2 weeks!
Eliminating “I Can’t”
When I first looked at my training plan, I had a few thoughts:
I can’t run 16, 18 or 20 miles. Why did I commit to doing this?
I can’t run 40 miles in one week. That’s insane!
I can’t do 7, 8 or 9 miles during the week. I consider that a semi-long run!
I’m happy to say that I have turned all those “can’t” statements, to “can” statements. Every week I would surprise myself and that would give me confidence going into the next week. Now in week 14, I feel confident that I’ve done the training and can complete the marathon!
Racing and Long Runs
I’m going to write a blog post about this topic, but I really enjoyed incorporating races into most of my long run. Since the NYC Marathon is in November, I was lucky enough to incorporate a bunch of Fall races into my 16, 18 and 20 mile long runs. Unfortunately my town doesn’t have a running path, so it’s hard to get uninterrupted miles in for my long runs, and I HATE waiting at stoplights constantly. At least with a race I know I’ll have the chance to run without too many stops (except for my walk breaks).
A few of my races/long runs this Fall
Marathon “Chatter”
Fall is a great time for runners because I feel like we all have several races this season. I have really enjoyed connecting with other runners on social media and discussing marathon tips, discussing our training, etc. It’s nice to talk to someone who is going through the same thing as you!
Feeling Like a Badass!
I don’t know about you, but I felt like a total badass after I finished my first 16, 18 and 20 long runs. Because each distance was new territory for me, I felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment. Granted I didn’t want to do much the rest of the day after a long run, but at least I felt like a badass for a little while, lol.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some not-so-great runs during training, but overall it’s been a really great experience for me. While I’m certainly not the fastest runner by any means, I do feel like a stronger runner, and that’s what’s most important.
Do you have any favorite things you love about marathon training?
NYC will be my second marathon, and I love having the structure of a training plan. It makes me get out the door and keeps me accountable. And that bada$$ feeling ? I completely get it and agree !
Sounds like you are ready.
I really like the structure of a training plan as well. I think it really keeps me on track as well.
I ran my 8th marathon a few weeks ago and each one has been different. What I love about marathon training is being able to hang on and do a run longer than a half marathon. I feel like a bada$$!!!
You’re amazing for doing 8 marathons! I don’t think I’ll ever do that many, heck I would be happy with just completing 1, lol! I think I’m definitely going to have that badass feeling once I cross the finish line in 2 weeks!
You are a badass.
Cannot wait to talk to you on Thursday night about race goals and a specific NYC race day plan.