When I stop to think about the fact that I will be running 26.2 miles on November 17th of this year, I can't even believe it. I vividly remember myself saying, at least 2 or 3 times in my life, "I will never run a marathon, I can't even picture myself doing anything for 5 hours, let alone running for that long". Well, start the visualization, Suzanne. It's happening.
Day 1 of training was simple, just a quick 3 miles. I left work yesterday feeling inspired and ready to start this journey, excited for the next 20 weeks of challenging myself physically and mentally. I hadn't really given much thought to my goals or how I would really move forward to accomplish this goals. So, as I started my 3 mile "easy jog" in the blistering hot sun of what is San Diego during a heat wave, I realized that maybe I should take a few miles to think about it and maybe I should have waited until the sun went down to attempt anything outdoors. Here is what I came up with, and hopefully these goals will push me to successfully complete my first marathon!
- Blog about it: I started this blog last fall as a way to keep myself accountable for my running and to share my adventures. Clearly, I have not done so well, as my last entry was in December of 2013. So I'm going to use this logical "beginning" as a fresh start for keeping people (or maybe just myself) in the loop.
- Be flexible: Training schedules are easy to follow when the rest of your life is constant. Looking at my work, and play, schedule for the next few months, my life is anything but. I have a trip to Europe planned for work, I'm in a wedding, and I'm apparently also very good at planning every waking moment of my weekends through the end of the year. My goal is to keep up with the weekly mileage on the suggested days, but also know that if I have to swap out a day for another, it won't be the end of the world.
- Be smart about the weather: I realized yesterday, while suffering through 3 miles which should be easy, that I HATE running in the heat. In fact, I'm pretty much a baby about it. I just hate that feeling when you're running along and a blast of heat hits you in the face. Give me cold weather running any day. I'd rather not be able to feel my ears than feel like I'm stuck in an oven. So, I realized I may have to reintroduce myself to morning runs, maybe even before the sun comes up, until October rolls around and San Diego returns to its 70 degree self. Or as Runner's World said this month: "When a long run coincides with extreme heat and humidity, consider moving the run to a different day or splitting it in two and doing the second half of the run on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym." Air-conditioned gym, here I come. Yuck.
- Maintain excitement: Not only for completing my first marathon, but for running itself. Looking at my weeks in September and early October, I realize that my life will be dedicated to training. I'm excited for this challenge, and I'm excited to be dedicated to something that intensely. But at the same time, I want to be conscious of burn out. I want to enjoy every run, every mile and come out in the end excited for my next race after Philadelphia.
- Find a group to run with: My gaggle of running friends has significantly dwindled in San Diego in the recent months, and I find myself bored and lonely more often than not. Joining a running club without knowing anyone is almost as frightening as your first day of kindergarten. Will anyone talk to me? Will I be the slowest one? Will anyone like my outfit? It's ridiculous. My goal for the summer and for this training cycle, is to finally get over myself and make it to a group run with complete strangers. Hopefully, after a few awkward miles, I might make a friend!
- Continue to improve on speed: In the past year, I have improved my per mile pace by almost 1 minute. Sometimes I almost can't believe it. I want this to continue! Perhaps I should find a coach?
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