Tag Archives: Marathon Training

San Francisco Marathon Training: An Update

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In 3 months I will be running my very first marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the USA. 10 weeks of training for the San Francisco Marathon have completely flown by. Between work and the time spent training, it’s beginning to feel like I have a part-time job on top of my full time job. Not that I think of running as a ‘job’ — just as far as time put into training goes…

Which has left very little time to sit down and write a blog post. Okay, that isn’t entirely true… I’ve had time but I’ve instead enjoyed the brief moments of relaxation or socializing. Sue me ;)

With 15 weeks left of training there are only 2 more weeks of base building before my mileage starts entering territory I’ve never been…. Quite frankly I’m getting a bit nervous about it! My body is still adjusting to running 25-30 miles (and only increasing) and working 50+ hours on my feet a week. There are days that I really don’t know if I’m remotely cut out for running 26.2 miles. But I just tell myself that the time on my feet is going to benefit me in the long run so long as I rest properly and don’t get injured.

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This is what happens when your feet are always in work or running shoes…

I’ve been playing with my training and rest days the last several weeks. Trying to find something that works for me and my schedule. The last thing I want is to have my long runs set for the day of or before I work a double shift or have to close the restaurant at 3 in the morning….(Which is typically the weekends… when normal people do their LRs ;) ) Something tells me when I start hitting those big scary numbers the last thing I’m going to want to do is work on my feet for 12 hours after. 

With a majority of my training still in front of me, I have still thoroughly enjoyed and learned a TON from these early weeks of marathon training… It’s also a huge adjustment to run in the warmer weather… I lived in Dallas for several years, but I wasn’t a distance runner at the time. Heck, I wasn’t a runner at all back then… So adjusting to the increasingly warmer and humid weather is fun. While it certainly got warm in Maryland, it was a lot more dry. After this weekend’s 90 degree and humiiiiid 10 miler I solemnly swear to never go out for more than a few miles without wearing body glide between my buttcheeks.

Life lessons you learn during marathon training, y’all.. Life lessons. ;)

 

You musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling - Inception

I may cross the finish line on June 16 and decide that marathon running isn’t for me. However, I’m going to put every ounce of passion and energy I have into the next 15 weeks and push through all of the pain, because after the pain comes the euphoria. I’m going to train hard, have fun, and come my birthday I will be a marathoner! :)

Are you training for anything right now?

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone: The San Francisco Marathon

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No one ever went to the moon without stepping outside of their comfort zone. While, I certainly don’t plan on going to the moon any time soon ;) I do have big, scary, life changing goals for myself. These goals are not something that I can just wake up tomorrow and accomplish. They are goals that take hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I let fear get in my way. Even allowed fear (equal parts fear and knowing my body) come between me and running the Austin Marathon in February. I am absolutely done with that. I am ready to look fear straight in the eye, and laugh in its face.

I WILL be running the San Francisco Marathon on June 16th (my BIRTHDAY) with so many other baller runners like Pavement Runner, Josephine, Krissy, Lauren,  (hopefully) Jane and so many many many others that I hope do not feel offended by me leaving them out!!!!!

I even started training THIS week. The day I signed up I went out for my first training run… Which granted, was 28 weeks away from the race. However, if I have learned anything from this last half-marathon training cycle it is this:

I know my body. I know what it is capable of. Some people can go out and train for 12-13 weeks for a marathon and ROCK it… I, am not yet one of those people. Someday, I hope to be able to say that I am in that group of bad ass runners. But, I am not there yet, and that’s perfectly okay. It will take me the next 6 months to get 26.2 ready. I have NO shame in that.

WHY do I have no shame in that??? Because I am strong enough of a runner and human being to know my limits. I know that I need to step out of my comfort zone, but I also know where and when my body says OK ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I need 28 weeks because quite frankly, I need more cut back weeks than a lot of runners do.

My right hip will taunt me for the rest of my life. I have learned that in the past 2 years. I trained too hard, too intensely, too long as a gymnast… As an adult I am paying the price. Am I sorry for the intensity of my training as a teenager? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Do I wish that it was easier for me as a runner, now? Absolutely. But, I have come to terms with the fact that I have done damage to my body. I have come to terms with the fact that I am not as natural of a runner as some people out there.

I work hard to run a FIVE FRIGGIN K. I work ridiiiiiiiiiculously hard to run a half-marathon. I know several people who have the the ability to wake up on a Friday and decide they are running a half marathon that Sunday. I am not, and very well may NEVER be that person.

There was a time (in fact that time was NOT that long ago at all) in which I felt SAD that I wasn’t that person.. However, I have realized in the last few months that everybody is drastically different. Everyone’s body was built drastically different. More importantly, everybody’s life has determined whether or not they can be that runner as an adult.

I have come to terms with the fact that my body may not have been built to run. But, that does not mean that I can’t run. That doesn’t mean that I can’t train it (in a healthy way) to be a runner. We have the ability to be whoever and whatever want to be.

I WANT TO BE A MARATHONER. I will be a marathoner, in 27 weeks. On June 16th, my 25th birthday, I will be a marathoner. I will have earned the title.

While some of the runners I know won’t start training for SF for another 10ish weeks, I am proud to have started last week. I am proud of the fact that I pushed my fears aside and said I CAN DO WHATEVER I PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO.

There is no going back for this runner. I have registered for the race. I have booked the flights. I have even made hotel arrangements. All that is left is awaiting the ability to book a rental car… (which may take until race day since THAT is when I’ll be legal for most rental cars.. darn you guys and your 25+ year laws…pffft)

Life Is About The Journey

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I apologize if you came over to my corner of the web today looking for a Rock n Roll San Antonio recap. That is not what you will be getting.

With half-marathon under my belt I have come to this moment, right here, enlightened. In regards to MY OWN running, that is.

You see, before this year I never thought I was capable of running 13.1 miles. I never thought I could actually run much more than a 5k. I mean marathon runners have like…. Less than 10% body fat (or ya know.. so I thought). I’ve always been a thin girl, but average thin.. Not anorexic thin. Until I became an adult I absolutely never had body image issues. Crazy, since I was a gymnast and a dancer. Both notorious for self-image issues.

I can pin the day I started having bad body images to the day I had ovarian surgery. I was bed-ridden for what felt like an eternity. I was on a diet that consisted mostly of mashed potatoes and ice cream. I needed help with everything. After a few weeks, I hated what I saw. Although even at my worst, I was never actually overweight. Actually, I don’t think anyone other than myself, including my boyfriend at the time, even noticed a difference what-so-ever. But I was growing more and more disgusted with the girl looking back at me in the mirror. I was also growing weaker and weaker every day. Truth be told, I had stopped being truly active about 2 years prior to this. Quit gymnastics and dancing entirely. My only form of physical activity at that point was waiting tables 30 hours a week.

When I began running, I saw my body transform. Not necessarily in appearance, but I was definitely getting stronger. I felt my core that was pretty badly destroyed from surgery recover with every run I went on. Even if I was running a mile with frequent walk breaks. Throughout my journey as a runner I have become stronger every day. My legs became the rocks they once were as a gymnast. After some time, I learned to incorporate other forms of strength training. Core work. Leg work. Even my arms, now…

At one point during this journey, running even taught me to love my body. It proved to me that my body is something to be proud of, flaws and all. If I’m smart about it, and put in the work; my body can do anything (within reason) I want it to. This is my body, and it’s the only one I get… Assuming I don’t get bionic parts in the future.

For this very reason, because I love my body. Because I respect my body I have decided to drop to the half-marathon at the Austin Marathon in February and postpone my Marathon debut. This wasn’t an easy decision to come to, yet it was the easiest decision of my life…

I realized there is a genius to the run-walk approach. Hang with me here, because I’m not being literal, though I really am at the same time. (Charlotte, get it together here. You’re not making any sense.)

Physical work is easier and healthier when you take breaks. This also works for learning…. There is a reason that teachers start their lessons with a brain warm-up, then dive into the heavy material, and end the class having backed off a bit.. Allowing creative and cognitive thought to replenish the brain.

After two-ish years of running, one of which was more ‘serious’ running, I have learned that my body needs me to back off after an intense training cycle. Like our brains, my body works best when given rest and variation. After 13 weeks of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, I know that my body needs me to back off a little. I never really spoke about my brother’s death. I downplayed how upset I was after the split between Zack and I. I downplayed how stressful it was to try to move to Austin after just getting back home to NY. I downplayed how painful my hip was getting at the end of training for San Antonio.

Sitting here right now.. It’s kind of silly to me that I did. I grew more than I knew possible this year. I’ve grown more in less than a year, than a lot of people do in a lifetime.

All of this. Every aspect of it. The epiphanies I’ve had, the injuries I’ve experienced, the heart ache…Wanting to rip my hair out over some of the stress; Have lead me to this comfort… I know now, that life really is all about the journey. There is no rush. I do not want to just survive this life, I want to thrive in it!

I don’t want to just survive my first marathon. I want to thrive! I want to be the strongest I’ve ever been. I want to cross the start line confident, not terrified. (Though yes, there is a certain level of fear in every marathoner, newb or experienced) I know that if I run in February, I will end up only half-way pleased. I will be proud of myself for finishing, but I will be disappointed with how poorly executed it was. I will be extremely frustrated with my body for doing something that it wasn’t prepared to do in the first place.

I will run a marathon. I still plan for it to be in 2013, it just won’t be Austin. It just won’t be 2 months from now. Instead I will be giving myself some time to back off the intensity so my body mind and soul can recover from the last several months of intense life. I’m going to find some local 5ks, pick out my favorite hole-in-the-wall bar in Austin, go to social outings and meet people, and even go on my first post-engagement date. GASP.

If you want to rain on my parade, go right on ahead. It will not bother me. I am comfortable with my decision. No, actually, I’m proud of it. Being smart enough to listen to our bodies takes a level of responsibility that only come after growing as a person, and a runner.

Why Do I Even Bother Running?

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EDIT: A lot of people have e-mailed, tweeted, commented, & FBed saying not to give up. Don’t worry I’M NOT!! EVER. I’m just frustrated ;)

Wednesday, I had one of those perfect, could not have been better, grin from ear to ear runs that only happen every now and again. The weather was perfect, shuffle on my ipod was playing the exact songs I needed to hear to fuel some speed, The wind was blowing during the second half just enough to cool down the 75 sunny degrees.

I returned home riding an endorphin high, ready to take on Rock n Roll San Antonio. I had no doubt in my mind after that run that I was going to blow my goals for San Antonio OUT. OF. THE. WATER.

Fast Forward about 3 hours and, I was hobbling around the house cursing in the name of running. My entire right side of my body was a mess. It felt like someone stuck my right calf in the garbage disposal. Like someone was lighting my right hip on fire, and tying the lower right side of my back into multiple knots.

In the matter of a few hours I went from over-the-moon-ecstatic about how far I’ve come in my running this year, to just plain pissed off that I even run at all.

Why bother? Every time I start to feel awesome my body fails me. What’s the point? I’m just destroying my body time and time again. Re-occurring pain should tell me something. But WHAT? I’ve had my gait analyzed several times, I have (fairly) decent form. I strength train. I slowly build up my mileage, and I take several cut back weeks. I rest more than a lot of people I know who run. I compress, I ice, I elevate, I do yoga, I stretch, I warm up, I cool down.

WHY DOES MY BODY HATE ME SO MUCH?

I started to get really down about my running. Maybe my body just wasn’t made for running. Maybe I destroyed my body with those 13+ years of gymnastics. I LOVE running, I LOVE the challenge, but maybe my body just isn’t a huge fan. Clearly my body is yelling at me to change something, and there seems to be only one constant. RUNNING.

I texted a friend back home in NY. One of the few people ‘in real life’ that actually understand my crazy obsession with this sport. I told him all about it, I told him I wanted to drop running entirely and just become a fat slob who eats potato chips all day on the couch. He said “Without pain, there can be no greatness“

I know it’s true.. It’s just so frustrating. I have tried so hard to do everything safely and SMART to prevent injury. I know, the pain in my back and calf are no big deal. They’re already gone. They were just sore from an intense workout. But this DARN HIP ISSUE comes back time and time again. It will not move on to the next culprit (okay I don’t wish this on anyone!) It’s like that rude cold that you think you have shook. You start to be able to breathe and function without coughing up a lung, only to WHAM be smacked in the face again and realize it never truly left at all.

WHY. I did everything right. I rested for TWO MONTHS when I was diagnosed. I went to PT, and did yoga every single day. I was a good little girl and practiced RICE RICE RICE every day. I very (very) slowly came back to my beloved running. What gives?

you mean you don’t ride around in cars with bags of ice buckled to your hip?? ;)

Am I being overly dramatic? Absolutely. But, I’m frustrated, disheartened, angry, sad, and just plain ready for those easy, nearly effortless miles I see people pounding out day after day, to be MINE. I’m ready to go out for a 5 mile run and say “man I could have kept going for days”

Maybe that will never be me. Maybe running will always be hard and painful for me. Maybe, just maybe, that is why I love it so much… Because it continues to challenge me each and every day. I go out there every day, not to beat the other’s in a race, but to BEAT MYSELF. To beat that little voice in my head that says “you’re slow, you’re not meant for this, you’ll never be good at this” But some days, like today, I feel like that voice is right.

I am slow, and maybe I will never be good at this sport we call running. Maybe all my friends are right, maybe I am absolutely nuts for thinking I can actually run a marathon.

I know that I’m asking a lot of my body, and really putting it to the test. But there are some days I just wonder why I even bother.

Are there days you ever feel like this? Please say yes, even if it is just to humor me ;)

Austin Marathon Training Week 2

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Week two of Austin Marathon Training did not start off so hot… Between moving and more moving and getting comfy cozy in my new home state.. It was a lot of big goose eggs on my Daily Mile.

But I did make up for it by the end of the week! Finally tapping out at my highest mileage thus far during RnR San Antonio HALF Training. (which is now 20 days away.. omg) HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?  Bad start to the week with such a strong finish? Good job self *pats shoulder*

Monday: Rest Day
Flying across the country is exhausting, thank goodness it fell on a rest day or else I would have ended up not doing my training run anyway. What? I’m just being honest. It is quite astonishing how exhausting it is to sit your butt on a plane for a day.

Tuesday: GOOSE EGG
Yeah, no excuses other than that I was driving from Dallas to Austin. But, lets be honest.. that isn’t an excuse at all. I did a lot of stretching though because that plane ride with my dog was absolutely horrible to my body. Everything was tight.

Wednesday: Another big fat zero.
Again I have no excuses.. I mean, I did do a LOT of walking around Austin. I mean a LOT. I have no idea how much, probably not as much as I think because as big as Austin is, most things are very centralized. But zero running was done this day… Unless the butterfly stretches before bed counts, I did nothing to help my training. Time on my feet counts for something? No? didn’t think so… ;)

Thursday: 4.5 Miles at a 10:23 pace, followed by 2.6 miles at 9:41 pace
I woke up and banged out a 4.5 mile run on the town lake trail. Soaked up the views of the city, the bridge, popped into Lukes Locker on the corner by the bridge. That I need to figure out the name of.. Carla, maybe you can help me here my dear Austinite? haha. Then later in the evening I decided even though I got my run in for the day, I was behind for the week and well.. NEW TO AUSTIN so I joined the RunTex group run and met the most inspirational man that has ever lived. I did 2.6 with them since I had a lot of running to do for the rest of the week.

Friday: Rest day.
Drove down to my dad’s house in canyon lake/New Braunfels. Gorgeous out here. I just enjoyed the scenery and adult beverages. No shame!

Saturday: 4.1 miles at a 10:48 pace

gorgeous views or WHAT?

holy hills y’all! I mean, duh obviously. It’s called the hill country for a reason. But OH MY GOSH that hurt. Not so much in a good way, either. haha. But I did it. I survived to tell the story.

Sunday: 8.3 miles at 11:57 pace
yeah.. Took a different route than I did on Saturday. BAD MISTAKE. It was gorgeous, I had the most incredible views.. But it was so hilly. I honestly am not sure if I’ve EVER run that much gain before. Maybe during Iron Girl Columbia Half, but really I think this was more than that too.. My right hip is literally screaming bloody murder at me! But I enjoyed the run a ton.. It was gorgeous, and I was just thankful to be out there! However, I can’t wait to go home in the morning and REDEEM MYSELF ON SOME NICE EASY ROLLING HILLS.

20 miles for the week

BOOM. I’m pretty proud of myself. The pace on my 8 miler was just garbage but hills make us faster and stronger, right?! RIGHT? someone please tell me that’s true! haha jk.

TWO weeks of marathon training in the bag, 17 to go. oh god. 17 left… oh dear god.. haha ;)

The Group Run That Changed Everything

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This has been my first week in Austin. My new home. I’m a texan again, and according to the rest of the state, a good-for-nothing-dirty-liberal-hippie ;) I’m perfectly okay with that generalization though. haha

Naturally, one of the very first things I did after settling into the hotel I’m staying at until my apartment is ready, was wander around the city into the local running store nearby! RunTex! (Which I just learned, that the owners of Charm City Run were inspired to open their first store in Baltimore after living in Austin and loving RunTex stores! Totally awesome. From one great running city to another! :D )

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The store was pretty massive when I walked in. A lot of space, a lot of awesome going on… But, I was instantly a fan because I was greeted by this little guy…

As I was wandering around looking at all of the running goodies that I wish I was a millionaire so I could buy… An employee came up to me and started asking me if they could help with anything. I said no, that it was my first time in the store and was just looking around. The run nerd in me couldn’t resist a new local running store. So then he asked where I was from and I went on about how I had just moved here the day before and am training for the Austin Marathon & yadda yadda. Next thing I know he’s handing me flyers, brochures and schedules galore. A schedule of all of the group runs, all of the workouts that are hosted out of RunTex, races that I need to sign up for. He was the bomb-diggity!

Of course I decided to join the very next group run, last night! Y’all…. I ran 2.6 miles and it changed the course of my running life forever.

I know! I KNOW, how can 2.6 measly miles change your life when you’re training for a full marathon? That’s NOTHING.

But it isn’t nothing. That’s what I learned on that run, and I promise to never ever take a single step for granted ever again!

You see, I met this incredible man during the group run. He was an elderly man, who at first I honestly didn’t think was even running… Until we start heading down Riverside and he’s chugging along with us. He was also the first person to talk to me. Right off the bat cracking jokes and making me feel welcome. I appreciated him immediately… After all, it can be a bit intimidating being the new girl in a group of runners who clearly run together multiple times a week.. AND ARE SUPER FAST.

He started telling me his story, and I was shook from the very first moment. He has a heart condition that makes him rely on an oxygen tank to breathe. After multiple major heart attacks he has been given a projected 3 months left to live… Out of the 10 months we’ve had so far in 2012, he has spent a grand total of 4 months at the Heart Hospital of Austin (if you combine all the days he’s spent there) Yet, every single day he’s not in the hospital, even though breathing while laying down is difficult, let alone while running, he still goes out there and runs as hard as he can, for as long as he can. Oxygen tank in toe and all.

He’s even training for the Austin Marathon in February, in hopes that he’s still around long enough to cross the finish line. It would be his 16th marathon, and his 9th since being diagnosed with his heart condition.

He tells me all of this as we’re running Town Lake… At one point I couldn’t hold it in any longer and just burst into tears. He turned around in front of me, put one hand on each of my shoulders, looked me square in the eyes and said “Don’t cry for me. I’ve accepted that I’m dying, I’ve crossed everything off of my bucket List. I’ve lived a full life and I’m ready. Don’t you shed a single tear for me.”

I was astonished. Does this man not know how incredibly inspirational he is? Does he not know how strong he is? Does he not know that in 25 minutes he completely changed my perspective on EVERYTHING?

The group took a turn to head around the east side of town, I however turned around and headed back. I had already run 4.5 in the morning, and have a very heavy training schedule for the rest of the weekend… I stopped at the bridge on Congress and just stared into the sunset and let the last half an hour of my life really sink in.

Here I was before he started talking to me, complaining in my head that my hip was bothering me. Some days my head just isn’t in the game. Some days I just don’t want to run at all. But here is this man, who is defying his genetics. Here he is busting his butt day in and day out with a ticker that doesn’t want to cooperate. Doctors telling him that running could kill him. Saying that he’s a moron for even trying to run marathons. Yet he still goes out there and proves everyone wrong.

I will never take a run for granted ever again. I will never ever complain that my hip is too tight. I will never give up. I started running because I wanted to be IN CONTROL of my body, during a time where I felt like it was failing me. Where did that drive go? Why have I let the aches and pains of becoming a distance runner get to me? Stupid. Plain and simple. I’ve let myself become weak minded, and I promise you I AM DONE WITH THAT.

I am stronger than that.
So, Jim, if you ever happen to stumble upon this blog post… Which next group run I’ll definitely tell you that you inspired me to write it, I want you to know that you changed this little runner for life. For that, I thank you. I can’t wait to see you at the start of the Austin Marathon!

Spirit Of the Marathon – Ready to DOMINATE Marathon Training

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There are people competing in marathons, and there are people completing marathons. The beautiful thing is, the sport is big enough to embrace all of us.

The New York Times kicked off its “mile by mile” series this week. One post a day for every mile of the New York City Marathon. Every day this series takes you on the journey of the NYC Marathon. The course. The people who run this event. The raw emotion.. This is the kind of sports journalism I love reading.

The series kicked off Monday October 8th… It’s funny that it worked out this way. Monday was also day ONE of Austin Marathon training for me. My very first 26.2! To say I’m absolutely nervous, excited, anxious, etc about the 19 (well.. nearly 18 now) weeks ahead of me would be the understatement of my life.

Every day this week I have hopped on my laptop to read the mile by mile post of the day before I head out on my training runs. It has helped fuel this first week of Marathon Training. But, lets be honest… The first few weeks of training for a Marathon are really just “base building”.. Yesterday I was putting together MY marathon training plan. The combined efforts of Hal Hidgon, and the knowlege I have about my own body I designed a plan I think will work for me.. (At least for now. The one thing I have learned from running blogs is that marathon training is designed to be tweaked as time progresses.)

I found myself really daunted by the 18.5 weeks ahead of me! My easy runs were feeling pretty easy, but the schedule was lying in front of me only going up up up up and UP. 12 jumps up to FIFTEEN. 16…18….20…

Those are big numbers… Yet none of them are nearly as big as the end goal… 26.2.… That is an ENTIRE 10k on top of the 20 miles most of us train for. The idea is to trust our bodies. Trust the training. The training mixed with the adrenaline and smart choices are ‘supposed’ to carry us through to the finish.

The reality of that really sank in Wednesday night. Yeah ok… The 10k. My already least favorite distance is now what stands between my confidence level, and a little over 18 weeks from now. I know by following a plan I can make it up to 20 miles… But the beauty of the marathon, the excitement, the fear. That thing about the marathon that keeps everyone going back is the unknown. The fact that even if you push your training to 22 or even 23 miles before race day… Those miles that haven’t been trained. Even that POINT TWO… That’s what gets you.

I was in “what the eff have I signed myself up for?!?!?!” mode.

A dear friend of mine (thank goodness for good friends where you sometimes least expect them, right?!) sat me down that night with a beer and told me to shut up, train my butt off, and do the damn thing. He also recommended a great movie to watch to light a fire under my ass, so to speak ;) The Spirit of the Marathon. I had heard of this movie before. A lot of runners love the movie. A lot of marathon host cities play it Marathon Weekend, even.

It did just that. I watched it before bed, had awesome vivid dreams and woke up in the morning ready to dominate these next few months. I cried during the movie. I laughed during the movie. I nodded my head in understanding during the movie… Even though no one else was in my room. (You know you’re a runner when…)

Sometimes the moments that challenge us the most, define us.

I recommend everyone who is a runner or has ever considered starting running, watches this movie. It captures the spirit of the marathon, it really does. From an elite athlete, down to a novice who has never raced before in their life.

The Spirit of The Marathon is a documentary that follows different stories of marathoners training for the Chicago Marathon in 2005.

Deena Kastor, Olympic Bronze Medal Marathoner who had a fire to win the 2005 Chicago Marathon, which would be her first major marathon win.

Daniel Njenga, World Class Marathoner from Kenya who trains in Japan. One of the all-time fastest Marathoners in the world running a personal best of 2:06:16.

Ryan Bradley, Ryan is a competitive, yet recreational marathoner who was aiming to qualify for the Boston Marathon at the 2005 Chicago Marathon.

Leah Caille, A first time marathoner who tries to make sense of her life and body through running.

Gerald Meyers, A 70 year old man training for his 5th marathon with his daughter Rona who is running her very first marathon!

Lori O’Conner, a Northwestern University Student who is taking on her first marathon after having naturally progressed from middle-distance races. She is also raising money for Genesis of Pittsburgh, the non-profit adoption agency, which matched her with a family as an infant.

When this movie ended, I was in completely awh… Yeah, there were some really cheesy parts, but it was great! The marathon. What a concept. What a challenge. It humbles and excites everyone from a brand new runner, all the way up to the world class athletes who have done it a number of times.

I was. No, I am so giddy for training now. I am confident. No, not in the sense that I’ll actually cross that finish line with any gas left in the tank… But, confident that I have the fire. I have the drive and motivation to do this.

As much as marathons are about the physical fitness, and endurance.. They also require a specific mind set. Heck, it takes a certain kind of person to even literally want to run a marathon. I mean WANT to, not just talk about doing it someday.. Getting your mind on board is 55% of the challenge! I have the right mind set now, and I am ready to make the sacrifices. This training is MINE. :D

Have you Watched Spirit of the Marathon? What did you think? If not, hop on over to HULU. The documentary is available for free!

The Week I Went Absolutely Bananas?

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Apparently I have a death wish. I was so inspired the last few weeks by my new friends down south that I met on my trip. By my step-mom who can take weeks off at a time and make a back to back race weekend look easy right after. By all of my many friends who raced Chicago or PDX over the weekend. (btw Jess. CONGRATS ON BEING A MARATHONER!! You rocked it!) By my many other friends who are on the tail end of their NYC Marathon Training.

I took a dive right into crazy land. I have gone bananas. Lost my marbles entirely.

Yeah, I registered for the Austin Marathon. Which, is exactly 19 weeks from yesterday….. *GULP* Yeah, that means I’m diving straight into marathon training.. TODAY.

But weren’t you going to run Flying Pig in May as your first full?

Yeah, that was my plan… However when Z and I split up and my life fell apart.. I quickly decided to move to Austin. Running my first full in a city I will have just recently moved to, makes so much more sense. A) Moving across the country is expensive, so is traveling for destination races. (money really SHOULD grow on trees.. sigh) B) What a great way to get to know your new city, right?! Running 26.2 miles of it…. I think so. C) The friendly folks  with The Flying Pig are letting me defer to next year… When I will have not just lost tons of money due to moving and a wedding that never happened. Heh. Flying Pig is still my #1 must run marathon, but financially and logistically, Austin makes more sense for 2013.

On top of that, I really can’t think of a better way to say good-bye to Jamestown. WNY is absolutely miserable in so many ways, but the one thing it is NOT lacking is charm, and beauty. It is absolutely gorgeous in the hilly amish country not too far from town. The winding roads, the trees, that right now are brilliant shades of color. It will be the perfect way to close this chapter.

However I am officially panicking, now. I have 19 weeks…. I am going to use the Hal Hidgon Novice 1 Marathon Plan which is an 18 week plan, so it isn’t like I’m pushing the envelope or anything. It works out perfectly. It’s sort of scary how well it lines up with my current training, actually... The week I am supposed to run 12 miles will be the weekend of Rock n Roll San Antonio half.

It’s like it was meant to be.
But I’m still trembling in my shoes and freak out a bit when I actually sit and think about what I’ve committed myself to…

I’ve been repeating that over and over in my head.

What I DO Know:

  • Yes, Austin is known to have a fairly hilly course. However having just moved from Maryland (hilllllllll central), the hills of WNY, and the fact that I’ll be running IN Austin for the last several long runs, I’ll be ready for it. My first half was insanely hilly. Apparently I’m retarded like that.
  • I don’t have any real time goals. Finishing injury-free is my only goal as of now. This could change further into training though. I’m perfectly okay with the fact that it’s going to be a comically slow finish time.
  • I have 19 weeks to say my good-byes to everyone, as I will most likely die (I joke!)
  • This is definitely going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Running doesn’t come as easy to me as it does to a lot of others out there. I have to work really hard at it, every time I hit the pavement.

Dream  it. Believe it. Achieve it.

Marathoners — How far in advance before training did you register for your first full? What advice do you have to get me to that finish line February 17?

Lets Talk About N00b Running and Waitressing

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You know what I never see people talking about? Working on your feet 8+ hours a day and training for a distance running event.

I’ve more or less always had a job where I work on my feet. Desk jobs make me CRAY CRAY!  In Maryland I was a Kitchen Manager, and now that I’m back home I’m Cocktail Waitressing. In fact, a hilarious moment in my career was the night before the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (My first ever 10 mile RUN, let alone first 10 mile RACE) and I somehow got tricked into working a double shift. We would close on a tentative schedule. If it was slow we would close up at 10pm and if it was busy we’d stay open up until midnight at the latest…. It was busy and at 11:30 I found myself crying for 10 minutes in the kitchen about how I was going to be in horrible shape for the race in the morning and how I wasted all this time energy and money on training…. (I raced fine the next morning.. So the pity party was a tish dramatic)

But, cocktail waitressing is a lot more running around than managing. I was on my feet before, but not running around like a crazy person. As a Server, I am constantly on the GO between table, POS system, kitchen, drink station, back to the tables, the bar, back again.. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. (I seriously wonder how many miles I speed walk at work.. I’m going to test this out and bring my garmin & foot pod)

Since moving back to New York I also walk to and from work every day, and to any other place I go. If I’m going out to the bars, to a store or restaurant… Etc. (I have however dropped some serious weight because of how much I’ve been on the go. Could be worse I guess ;) )

So my problem is finding time for recovery. Even my rest days are rarely a true rest day. I’ve been trying to line up my rest days and days off to be the same, but lets face it… I have more non-running days in my training schedule than I do days off… Because of this my rest days have been full of walking a ton and running around a restaurant for 8+ hours a day. I find that since upping my mileage, I am pretty much constantly sore.

At first I was kind of waiting for my body to get used to being SO active again. But I’m not allowing my body proper time to recover…. Not only am I not going to improve or perform at my optimal level, I’m also begging for injury by keeping up with all of this.

In the perfect world, I know that I need at least one day off a week with no running or work. However, as a cocktail waitress who just started not very long ago, my schedule is different every week. I can’t plan rest days and long run days for the month or even week ahead that way if my schedule is constantly changing….

The funny thing is, I think if I can just get my cranky ass hips to stop being soooo sore, it could actually be a wonderful aid to my endurance… Is that crazy? haha. I mean, I always attributed working in a fast paced environment to why running was so fascinating to me… But I know to listen to my body, and right now its telling me that 8 more weeks of half marathon training followed by full marathon training is not going to end well if I don’t figure out my long runs and rest days….

I know just like anything else, I would adapt to it over time, and eventually be in some seriously bad ass shape ;) but… I can not get these hips on board. I feel like they are sore 100% of the time. Not in a omg I’m injured sort of way, just in a IM GOING TO BE TIGHT AND MAKE YOUR LIFE MISERABLE NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOGA AND STRETCHING YOU DO. (insert evil laugh) sort of way…

Have you ever worked a physical demanding job and trained for a half and/or full marathon?
How did you arrange your rest days?