Running my town - the joys of marathon training
When I ran my first marathon in the fall of 2010, I swore I'd never do it again. The race itself was one thing, but the training was just out of control. When some time had passed and I remembered marathon training as "not being that bad", I decided to sign up for marathon number two - the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon in May. Upon making this decision my husband reminded me how much I hated the training, and also said he didn't want to hear me complain. I assured him that I wouldn't.
Fast forward two months into training. I ran 15 miles on Friday, and I was exhausted and grouchy on Friday night. I showered, put on my pajamas and refused to do anything all evening. I was productive all weekend, but only in between complaints of sore quads and my new bruised toenail. I have never been able to recover quickly from long runs. I need at least 2-3 days to feel normal again once I get above 10ish miles. This training cycle appears to be no exception. Then there's the scheduling. If we go away for the weekend I've got to get in a long run. And not just a fun 5-6 miler. It really starts to take over our entire lives.
Yesterday was a gorgeous, sunny day in Lansing, Michigan, so I decided to head out in the early afternoon for a run. After only about a quarter of a mile, I was struggling. I felt like I was wearing cement shoes, and my legs were screaming. I ran two (yes TWO) miles and called it a day. I couldn't believe that I rocked out 15 miles two days earlier, and yesterday two miles felt like a marathon. It was brutal. Ah the joys of running.
One of the most frustrating things for me about marathon training is that I love doing races - particularly half marathons. But once you dedicate yourself to 26.2, you don't have the freedom to just jump into races. I have to log the miles in my training schedule. I could do a half and then add a few miles onto the end, but it's not the same. I find that what I love most about running - consistently racing - gets put on hold during marathon training.
On Sunday I am running a 10k - my first race since last months 15k in Pensacola. After my struggle yesterday I'm a bit anxious. I have to run 12 miles on Friday and then run 6 on Sunday. I'm not sure how my body is going to handle it.
In the mean time, I am still logging lots of miles, and I'm pretty familiar with the Lansing River Trail these days. I know exactly where the flooded parts are, I know where the most geese will be (those mean buggers will chase you) and I know every curve of that trail like the back of my hand. I'll be running Green Bay in just a couple of months, and then I'll be back to running more towns. I've just got to get through 26.2 first.
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| All smiles after the Detroit Marathon - just glad to be done |
Yesterday was a gorgeous, sunny day in Lansing, Michigan, so I decided to head out in the early afternoon for a run. After only about a quarter of a mile, I was struggling. I felt like I was wearing cement shoes, and my legs were screaming. I ran two (yes TWO) miles and called it a day. I couldn't believe that I rocked out 15 miles two days earlier, and yesterday two miles felt like a marathon. It was brutal. Ah the joys of running.
One of the most frustrating things for me about marathon training is that I love doing races - particularly half marathons. But once you dedicate yourself to 26.2, you don't have the freedom to just jump into races. I have to log the miles in my training schedule. I could do a half and then add a few miles onto the end, but it's not the same. I find that what I love most about running - consistently racing - gets put on hold during marathon training.
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| 26 miles isn't a problem. It's the last .2 that really does you in. |
In the mean time, I am still logging lots of miles, and I'm pretty familiar with the Lansing River Trail these days. I know exactly where the flooded parts are, I know where the most geese will be (those mean buggers will chase you) and I know every curve of that trail like the back of my hand. I'll be running Green Bay in just a couple of months, and then I'll be back to running more towns. I've just got to get through 26.2 first.
I ran my first half marathon last year. I'm running two halfs this year. I know what you mean when you talk about the training involved. Because of the required training, I may run a full marathon someday but not until my son finishes high school.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to cross off the bucket list, but I prefer the half distance. It's easier for training, easier for recovery and it's still a huge distance! Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteEntraînez-vous en toute confiance et partez à la conquête de tous les sentiers grâce à des conseils d'experts adaptés aux coureurs de tous niveaux. Traineerz vous apporte des enseignements précieux, des stratégies pour développer votre endurance et un accompagnement axé sur la performance, afin d'aider les athlètes à exceller dans les courses de trail et les défis d'ultra-distance.
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