Catch Up Post

So, let's start from the beginning.

Why did I decide to run a marathon?

It has been something that I have wanted to do since I started soccer sophomore year of high school. For conditioning we had to run 4 miles every Thursday in October. A lot of people doubted my ability to run this far and actually told me this to my face. To their surprise, I was actually somewhat of a decent long distance runner and wound up doing pretty well with it. I found I enjoyed long distance running and would look forward to this time of year. I secretly decided then that it would be a life goal of mine to complete a full marathon.

Why now?

Well, why not now? I let this goal of mine slip away for several years. Heck, its been 10 years since I've been in high school. Anyways, recently I decided to shed a few pounds that I had gained since getting married. While at the gym one day, I did a 20 minute warm-up jog on the treadmill before doing some free weights. A big gym-guy came up to me as I was lifting and complimented me on my running style. He told me I had a good run and asked how many miles I did. I sheepishly replied only 2 (it was actually less than 2 to be honest). He said, "Wow, I'm surprised. You have such good form I was for sure you had run at least 10 miles." I don't know why, but this conversation really reminded me how much I used to love running and I felt a little ashamed that I was no where near in shape enough to run anywhere close to 10 miles. So, that conversation motivated me and I really got to thinking about it.

I also got to thinking about the fact that I don't have a hobby. At a pre-focus group dinner one night several months ago, the client called me out and asked what my hobbies were. ((Big gulp)) Ummm.... (I reached for my water, took a big sip, and prayed that I could come up with a hobby in the time it took me to swallow my water......nothing came to mind). At this point, everyone is quiet and staring at me. I replied, "All I do is work." My boss says, "That's right." The client says, "No, I'm serious, what do you do in your free time." I quietly mumble something about hanging out with my family and my boss chimes in that I always seem to be going to weddings. Boy, that was awkward. Eventually, the subject changes to Doug's hobbies. He has a million so we were good to go. But seriously, I can't believe I don't have a single hobby that I can identify. I need a hobby and running will be my hobby/obsession.

Why did I start this blog?

So, I'm going to use this blog to keep track of my training. I want to keep myself accountable so I will post the good, the bad, and the ugly. I will include distances and times even if they are not the best. My number one goal in all of this is simply to finish the race. I secretly hope to do it in under 5 hours, but I'm not there yet and just need to do my best. Five hours is not that ambitious of a goal, but I will revisit this issue closer to the race.

Recap of training so far:

Week 1
Tuesday- Distance: 2 miles Time: 20 minutes Comments: treadmill, easy
Thursday-Distance: 4 miles Time: 40 minutes Comments: treadmill, easy
Friday- Rest day. Got fitted/Bought running shoes at local running store.
Saturday- Distance: 6 miles Time: 66 minutes Comments: This was my first long run. I woke up early which is a big deal for me. It was hot and humid, but not horrible. I got a little mixed up on my route so it wasn't quite the full 6 miles but pretty close. I also got a horrible pain in my right foot around mile 5 which was brutal. The new shoes were not doing it for me....more on that later.

Week 2
Sunday- Distance: 4 miles Time: 44 minutes Comments: Good run. I woke up early again. I was sore from the day before so I kept a light pace. I went back to my old shoes which helped alleviate the foot pain. It was hot again but I had a good attitude and was proud of my run.
Monday/Tuesday- I rested my legs both days as they were pretty sore from the weekend. On Monday, I returned to the running store to talk to the owner about my foot issue from Saturday. The people at the store were super sweet and let me exchange the shoes for a different pair. I decided to go with a different style and brand and these are working out much much better. I also did some cross training on Monday to get my upper body into the game.
Wednesday- Distance: 4 miles Time: 38 minutes Comments: Before work I headed to the YMCA and ran on the treadmill. I had a great run and finished with a great time (for me). Had a minor snafu with the treadmill and accidentally paused it for a minute, but overall it was a great run.
Thursday- Distance: 5 miles Time: 54 minutes 30 seconds Comments: By far my biggest success of training so far. I was out of town for work. I had to wake up at 5:45am to get the run in before having to get ready and attend a focus group at 8 am. I did it on the hotel gym treadmill. I had a great attitude and great run in spite of the wine and dessert I had eaten the night before at dinner with the clients.
Saturday- Distance: 6 miles Time: 65 minutes 50 seconds Comments: By far my worst run. It was hot, humid, muggy, and drizzly. I felt like I was running through a sauna. Set the alarm for 6:30 but didn't roll out of bed until 7:20. No time for breakfast before the run so I drank my water and left on an empty stomach. Didn't get to my route until 8am. By that point it was rainy and very hot. I wore my new fanny pack/hydration belt for the first time. It was not the best. Too heavy and it was pulling my shorts down. I wound up having to carry the bottle in my hand the whole run. I also got confused about the route and had half a minute where I was literally running in a circle in a parking lot with a bunch of old fishermen staring at me like I had two heads. Eventually, I found my way and managed to have a good miles 5 and 6. The bad thing about this run is I really let the mental side of training get to me. I had a bad attitude and had to literally talk to myself out loud to stay motivated. All in all, it wasn't that bad because I finished and had a decent time especially given the weather and the fact that I got lost and ran at least .15 miles off track.

Week 3
Sunday (Today)- Distance: 4 miles Time: 40 minutes 40 seconds Comments: A lot better than yesterday. I got my motivation back. It was hot as can be as I didn't go out until 2pm, but I had a good run and a good time considering the heat and humidity and the fact that my legs are tired from yesterday.

That is it for now, assuming you made it through this ridiculously long post. Tomorrow is a rest day so I will post again on Tuesday.