On December 31st, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. I sat on the floor with my computer open ready to register for this race. I am turning 30 in a few weeks and I wanted to run 26.2 miles to celebrate that I am in the absolute best shape of my life!! I mean that's how everyone celebrates right?! So TEN MONTHS ago this journey started and I have learned A LOT along the way. The number 26.2 is in my mind every second of the day so I thought that was the perfect way to write about my experience training for my first 26.2
26.2 Things I Learned Training for my First 26.2
1. I could not do ANY of this without this guy.
I've always said I appreciate my husband because he treats me like a queen. But that vague description does not do his love for me any justice. He has never...not one single time ever complained about my training. Maybe it's because our kids are older...maybe it's because I'm to tired 90% of the time to argue with him...and maybe it's because he's so proud of me for finishing something I never thought I could do. He sets my coffee pot for 4:00 a.m. because I still have yet to learn how to do that. He leaves me notes that give me more energy in the early morning miles than he will ever know.
He meets us out on our long runs with all 3 of our babes along with him to bring us water, fuel, donuts, and laughs. He takes our kids to do fun things while I'm at training races or out running for 5 hours on a Thursday morning. He rubs my feet almost every night. He knows once my tired body is sitting down it's not getting back up to fill my water so he brings me a cup without even asking. Training for 26.2 CONSUMES YOUR ENTIRE LIFE for 6 months. And without him and his endless support I would have really struggled to stay motivated, with mommy guilt, and I would never have had hot coffee waiting for me at 4:30 a.m. everyday. I could not have done this without him. That is why I will love him long time.
2. When you sign up for a marathon EVERYONE knows your running it but HARDLY ANYONE knows how far it is... I've actually been asked, "So it's more that a 5k?" WHAT?!?!??! Yes... It's TWENTY SIX POINT TWO MILES.
3. Chafing is a real thing. Go ahead...Google what is is. I have scars to prove it that I'm NOT going to share.
4. Aquaphor is my friend. It makes the above problem stop.
5. Training for a spring half marathon and a fall full marathon in the same year means 2 weeks of not training in 8 months. I MAY have left this little bit of information out when convincing my running partner to do both with me. We started training for our spring half marathon in February. Raced on May 31. Had two weeks of "easy running" and started full training with a 10 mile run on June 14th.
6. Having a running coach saved my sanity. I tell people what to do in 90% of my life. From training to business owning to my type A personality....it's just what I'm good at. But I knew to do this I needed someone to tell me what to do. I found Lori through a group of runners I know from our area and she has coached me through the last 6 months of training. There aren't enough good words to say about her. Every two weeks she gives me my plan...the distances...the paces...how to fit it all in my life...my only job is to do it. She solves my running problems when I don't have the space in my mind to do it myself. With Lori coaching me I have taken ELEVEN MINUTES off my half marathon time from last fall and learned SO MUCH about running. I've also cursed her name while running many, many times. But what she has done is working and I don't have to think about it...I just do the work.
7. LT = Lactic Threshold = Edge of Death Paced Running
8. To run farther you have to SLOW DOWN. This was a hard one to accept because for so long I prided myself on my ever increasing speed...But Lori would always assure me my speed is not gone...hence the 11 minute PR. But I'm not running a 5k pace for 26.2 miles. So SLOW DOWN and enjoy the longer distances!!
9. Summer running IS THE DEVIL!!!! Stupid humidity. Stupid heat. Makes you think you're never going to be able to do this. You're slow. You're hot. You have to stop all the time to drink water...with thoughts like...THIS SPORT IS SO STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10. Summer running makes you stronger. First sub 70 degree day....I was flying.
11. Never say never... Jen and I have ran together for over a year now. We trained and ran Detroit International Half Marathon last Fall...It was Jen's first half and my third. We finished that race and both said..."We will never run a full marathon." 3 months later we were both waiting for registration to open on New Years Eve to sign up for our first 26.2. Never say never.
12. Marathon training = dirt road running = learning to pee outdoors
13. Running shoes last around 300 miles. So when you're sitting at Running Fit ready for a new pair because you're starting to have some knee pain and they ask how many miles you have on your shoes and you reply, "a little over 600" They will look at you like you have 3 heads...or you're a complete idiot.
14. I made friends....Which is NOT something I do very easily. For our Spring race there was a group of runners from our small town that were doing it too so we went to the expo and dinner together. I knew them...but again...making friends is not really high on my list of things I enjoy doing so I assumed we would just support each other through the next day of crappy running (it was going to be 50 degrees and raining THE ENTIRE RACE) and then give the occasional LIKE on facebook to each others accomplishments. That is pretty much THE FARTHEST thing from what really happened.
Over the next 18 weeks these people have made us homemade breakfast after long runs,
Drove out in the wee hours of the morning to encourage us on some of those never ending miles.
Their husbands have found us almost dead on the side of the road in the middle of a 14 mile run on a 95 degree day in the middle of the afternoon and brought us ice cold water and towels. And their kids come surprise us at our houses the night before long runs.
Every.Single.Week they have sent each of us a handmade card with words of encouragement and power...many weeks it was EXACTLY what I needed to push me through.
But what's the most important thing they've done for me? They've been there. And not just with occasional words of encouragement. They truly care about me. My well being. My mental health or lack there of. My kids. My family. My LIFE.
Even if I were to completely suck at running these 26.2 miles this weekend I wouldn't care...because training for this race has given me something I never expected...True friendships.
We will all be at Detroit on Sunday...3 of us running 26.2 miles...the other 2 cheering us on the entire way...and all of us crossing the finish line together.
15. Bacon is the best post run food in the history of the world and if anyone wants to meet me at mile 25 with a hot plate of bacon and run in front of me to the finish line I will be forever grateful.
16. If you ever want to doubt your ability to do something step outside of your comfort zone. I have wondered if I can really do this more times than I would like to admit. But I just kept going...one more mile..one more workout...one more week. One foot in front of another.
17. The half marathon is my happy distance. Training for a half is time consuming but not LIFE consuming.
18. Choking down gu at mile 15 may lead to uncontrollable dry heaving if you have a sensitive gag reflex. And instead of comforting her I take a video.
19. I miss late night movie marathons with my hubby. I miss early morning snuggles with my babes. Setting my alarm for 5:00 a.m. or earlier 6 days a week doesn't allow for EITHER of those activities.
20. I will run a marathon every 5 years. I really enjoy the challenge...stepping out of my comfort zone...pushing my body and mind. It's not something I want to do every fall....but definitely something I will do every few years. I also reserve the right to try to get into the Chicago Marathon every year from now until the day I get in..........So I could be running another 26.2 next fall if the running gods allow it. (Jen's head just exploded)
21. My kids have gained an understanding of what each distance means for them.
Zack: "How far are you going today?"
Me: "Just 6"
Zack: "That's not even far...I'll still be playing games when you get back."
Zack: "How far are you going today?
Me: "22 miles."
Zack: "So me and daddy will bring you water and beans in the woods in a bit."
22. Sunrise is a great motivator. I LOVE being out running when the sun is coming up. There were days when I FOR SURE could have slept in but really wanted to be out when the sun came up.
23. I can juggle so much more life than I ever imagined. We have ran almost 550 miles training for this race. That's over 600 hours spent running. That's roughly 25 days. This is the first year I have worked since having our babes. We own two small businesses. Have 3 kids under the age of 6. And I spent THAT MUCH TIME training for this race. And that's JUST THE RUNNING...That doesn't include cross training (which thankfully is my job so it's much easier for me to do throughout the day) I'm going to have so much time for activities after this!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like searching for the next race I'm going to run :)
24. Running is a sickness. During my worst long run I'm standing on Dutch Drive on mile 15 fighting back tears because I don't think I can finish the last 5 miles of that run...if I can't finish this how will I ever finish 26.2?! I finish that 20 miles and come home to the absolute best cheering section in the world... And I can't wait to go out for my next 20 miler to show myself that I CAN DO IT...with those sweet little faces in my mind the whole way.
25: I have the best running partner in the history of the world. She has never said no to any of the crazy things I ask/tell her to do. She pushes me just as much as I push her. We have a friendship that was formed over miles of running and months of sacrificing. She knows what I'm feeling before I admit it like the day on Dutch Drive I was going to throw in the towel........she knew at mile 13 I was struggling and started to talk me off my cliff then. We cry together. We laugh together. We stay home on Saturday nights because we have a long run the next morning and drink water together. We both have a lot of life going on all the time and we help each other be better people....better moms to our babes...better wives to our husbands...better friends to our friends. She may want to kill me 90% of the time...but I know we could not do this without each other...running and life would be a lot less fun.
"Here's to the next 18 weeks of early mornings, long runs, hard workouts, and pushing ourselves farther than ever before...Detroit International Full Marathon Training Day 1!!"
26: In 5 days I am going to be standing on the start line of my first marathon. But really...it's the finish. The last 26.2 miles of a goal I never thought I would have. These last 18 weeks have taught me a lot which is exactly why I love running so much. I have learned to be strong when I want to be weak. I have learned to push forward when I want to stop. And I have learned that I am so much stronger than I ever imagined I could be.
.2: After having our 3rd babe 2 1/2 years ago I couldn't run a mile. Now I am running 26.2. I will think about my journey a lot on Sunday because fitness is not a sprint...it is a marathon but with no finish line.
Just.Keep.Going.
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