August 13, 2019
So the first day of HIGH SCHOOL has come and gone and I’m proud of my girl! She’s so brave! She made friends and has been so positive about starting a new school in a new city. She’s growing up too quickly! And…I didn’t cry! Shocking, I know! It was difficult to come home and wait those painstaking hours until it was time to go pick her up and find out how her day went. But I am getting better at that!
A few post ago, I mentioned that I am training for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January! I’m really excited about this new challenge and at the same time quite nervous. The longest distance I’ve run has been 14 miles. So, there are some things that I’m trying to do to help with my training and to elevate my anxiety about the 26.2 miles that come with the marathon!
Things I’m Doing Well to Help With Training
- 30 Challenges – I find these on Pinterest and normally will incorporate core and legs, like squats or wall sits. I like that they challenge me on a daily basis and it’s something that changes every 30 days. A few of my favorites are listed above on the Workouts page above.
- Join a Running Group on Facebook – There are so many wonderful groups on Facebook for all kinds of races just waiting to be joined. I’m probably part of too many and don’t take advantage of some great conversations but I have one group in particular that I love! It’s also really cool because we’re all over the US and have so many things in common. But the best part is that we are a community. We lean on each other. We meet up at races. Some room together at races. But no matter what, if you have a question, they’re there to help, answer, or support you.
- Fun Running Related Podcasts– This one is new for me in the past few weeks. And I LOVE it! I used to only listen to music but now runs go by so much faster. It’s like I’m running with friends even though I’m by myself. I have listed a few of my new favorites on the Podcast page above.
- Hydrating and Fueling Properly – While I say that I’m doing this well, this is always a work in progress. It has been insanely hot here and I’m not sure if you can ever be prepared for that unless you run at midnight. Which, by the way, isn’t happening for this girl. I use Nuun tabs, Honey Stinger chews, and have recently started using Salt Stick Fastchews and Swedish fish (for longer runs). I do have a little trouble with Nuun during runs so I mainly use it after hence the salt chews during. I don’t really like Gatorade or Powerade at all so I have to get some electrolytes from somewhere. I’m sure as I start getting into the double digit mileage on the weekends, this will alter some but we will have to see how that works.
- Keeping a Training Journal – This is one thing that helps keep me focused. I do better when I have things planned out for me ahead of time. I put my runs down in the calendar and my 30 day challenges and check them off after I complete them. I keep a monthly and weekly planner (it’s all in one thing, I’m not too crazy!). This way, I can write down my mileage on the monthly and keep my daily challenge on the weekly. And I can look back and see what I did to get to my end goal.
Now to the flip side! I know what you’re thinking…there’s more!
Things I Need to Improve On
- Stretching and Foam Rolling – This one is probably on a lot of people’s list of things to do. It gets left behind on the to do list. Life gets busy and slowing down to take the time to sit down and stretch and roll is left behind. My problem area is my ankles. I have Trigger Point roller and block that I love and am working on using more often. It helps so much when I do! The other problem spot on me is my hips. They don’t hurt, they just get tight. You know how that feels when you get to mile 10 of that half…ugh. I’m using my journal to write down time to stretch and roll.
- Strength Training – This is something I’m exploring. It’s also something that makes me a little nervous when training for a marathon. I worry about getting injured. This is why I incorporate the 30 day challenges. I’m getting some input from my group on Facebook about Orangetheory. But I really like Pure Barre. It has core work, stretching and uses your body weight for strength. I’m leaning a little more that way.
- Being Patient – Oh my…my biggest achilles heel. I’m not a patient person. I want to see results but I know that I have to do things to get them. But it’s not just about running. It’s also about things in my personal life. Remembering to breathe is sometimes difficult for me. Sometimes there will be setbacks. Sometimes you won’t get an interview. But there is a reason for everything. You have to keep your head held high and know that God has a path for you and it will be reviled. Be patient!
- Putting Myself Out There and Find a Running Group – This one is big. I’m in a new city and it’s much bigger than where I came from. There’s a whole new world out there and I have to get out there and meet people. But I’m nervous. What if I’m too slow? I knew the pace of folks at home. What if I can’t keep up? There are hills here! Yikes! Home was pretty flat! Shut up brain! Just go! There are groups that run on Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Saturday morning. Just go! Just GO!
So I know that this was a longer post than most but there were some things I just felt compelled to tell you about myself! I mean, this is a blog about running, right! So, what are somethings that you do well during training? Do you have any tips for me?
Well, until next time, keep on truckin’!