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.

All smiles after the Detroit Marathon - just glad to be done
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.

26 miles isn't a problem. It's the last .2 that really does you in.
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.

Comments

  1. LambertsOnlineMarch 13, 2012 at 11:11 AM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SamanthaMarch 13, 2012 at 11:14 AM

    It'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.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Reasons Why Diet Culture is Garbage: I Poop a Lot and I'm Always Hungry

Image
It was the spring of 1996, and my mom and I were at the mall shopping for my senior prom dress. I had decided I was only going to eat 500 calories a day over the weekend. It was track season, so I couldn't starve myself on practice and meet days, but in my mind it seemed perfectly logical to basically starve my healthy, 17-year-old body on less physical days. I was in the fitting room trying on dresses, and I heard the sales person say to my mom, "Your daughter is so tiny!" I was light headed and nauseous from not eating, but that overheard compliment made me feel like it was all worth it.  Senior Prom 1996 I've struggled with my body image since I was a pre-teen, and in the 30+ years that have passed it's still something with which I struggle daily. I spent years punishing my body so I wouldn't gain weight: eating very few calories and working out for hours, purging, taking laxatives, only drinking alcohol until I threw up so I wouldn't gain weight. It
Read more

Here's a Shortcut: Do the Work.

Image
I have a confession to make: I don't think I'm my best self right now. I've been thinking a lot about being my best self overall (including fitness which is a huge thing for me), and I've come to a simple, unalienable truth: there is no shortcut. To be the best version of yourself (whatever that means) you have to do the work. I'm not the same version of myself at 46 as I was at 26. (Man could I give that girl some good advice though.) I spend a lot of time reflecting on who I am and who I want to be. While doing the work all the time seems daunting on its surface, it's not. It doesn't mean life has to be a grind 24/7, but it does mean that there is effort in whatever is important to you (which of course is unique to each of us). Where am I willing to do the work to be the best version of me? Fitness. I love exercise. My husband says I'm "obsessed", and I retort that there are way worse obsessions. While I'm logging way fewer miles than I
Read more

Why Do I Talk About my "Stuff"?

Image
A few months ago a friend told me someone we knew was venting that I share too much about myself in my blog and on social media. She said (I'm paraphrasing) something like "We all go through stuff. There's no need to share it." At first I was irritated until I realized this person has zero impact on my life. And it's true: we are all going through things. But since then I've been thinking a lot about why I am so candid about things in my life (in particular my struggle with Crohn's Disease).  I was 19 when I got sick. It was so embarrassing. No college girl wants to tell people they're dealing with bloody diarrhea and nausea and horrible cramps. That's the thing about a chronic illness: it's easy to feel like you don't have anyone to lean on. I had my colon removed 5 weeks before I started law school (the delightful adventure chronicled in this blog ). I began law school having lost 30 pounds in less than a month, with steroids puffing up m
Read more