Ups and Downs

I have officially passed the half way mark in my training which feels amazing!  At the same time it comes with a little bit of anxiety as I think about the distances of upcoming runs, and the fact that I still feel really far away from being able to physically run 26.2 miles.  I am about to start running farther than I ever have before and I am hoping my body holds up, and that I can stay mentally strong, motivated, and physically healthy.

One of the many things I have come to learn during the past 11 weeks is that training does not stop for life events, and sometimes it is hard to mix life and your running schedule.  This was true for me and my sister's wedding.  Even with all of the events surrounding that big day, I knew that I still had to stick to the schedule, and try my best to fit my runs and cross-training in, while also following the no washing your hair before having it styled rule, and not leaving the girls hanging the morning of the wedding so I can cross-train.  I ended up justifying the moving of tables and chairs and set up as my cross-training the day of the wedding, and ended up skipping my first long-run which was supposed to take place the day after the wedding.  I went back and forth in my head for such a long time before ultimately deciding that missing one run, especially during a recovery week, was not going to kill my ability to run the marathon...at least I hope it won't...

Week 11 marks the start of the second half of training, and also the beginning of long runs that are farther than I have ever gone before.  It also marks the start of hill-repetition runs which sound intimidating, but I actually think I will enjoy them.  Challenging runs really have the ability to make you realize what you are capable of.   I wrote this in my journal about my first hill-repetion run:

"There was something very empowering about running really hard for those 30 seconds uphill. I felt like more than just a runner, I felt like a true athlete; like those driving past me must have been so impressed at this person who was running so fast right up the steep hill, like it was nothing at all; not realizing that it was only for 30 seconds at a time."

My moments of feeling empowered and overly confident were soon to be diminished during my next run which was a 13 mile long run.  I know that I can run 13 miles because I have done it four previous times in half-marathon races, but mentally there is a difference between running 13 miles in a race surrounded by thousands of other people, versus just going out to run 13 miles on your own for training.  I got a later start than I had hoped, and it was the first day of my period which brings worries and problems of its own into the realm of running.  I thought about putting the run off for a day to let symptoms subside a little bit, but since this is something I might have to deal with during my marathon, and I won't be able to push that back a day,  I went for it.  I was tired pretty much from the start, and hungry (still figuring out the food aspect of running) but I kept pushing on.  Luckily I brought a couple of GUs with me, a staple that I could not live without during my training and races; they help me not to feel completely depleted of all energy.  I planned my run so that I would pass right by my boyfriend's house twice if I needed to stop for anything.  After 8 miles I stopped to refill my water bottles and grab a couple bites of a bagel.  Looking back a day later I can say that I did pretty well but during the run I felt a little bit defeated and once again found myself wondering why I ever thought I could do this, thinking how hard it would be to repeat this entire run over again right this moment.  I guess this is where trusting the training comes into place, I am half way done with training, and I ran half the distance of the marathon in a decent time, so I am where I should be right!?

There are definitely a lot of ups and downs in running, but for me, the ups make the downs worth it.  It's important to take the time to look back on what keeps you motivated and look forward to a fresh start every week!  I still have a long way to go, but continue to be thankful for the ability God has given me to run, and for all that I am learning and discovering on this journey!

How to Stay Motivated

So these past couple of weeks have been interesting...I am now done with week 9 and moving into completing week 10 which will be my half way mark!  Normally I would be running a race at the end of week 10 and getting excited to be done with training, so it's a bit of a mental hurdle to overcome realizing that I am only half way done.  The first two months of training, even though I had a few runs where I felt crazy for even attempting to do a marathon, I was pretty pumped and motivated from thoughts of crossing the finish line and accomplishing something so great.  However the last couple of weeks, have been difficult.  People have told me that it's a mental thing, not a physical one, that I have to keep on believing that I CAN run a marathon, despite setbacks in training.  It is really easy to get into a mental rut and start to feel indifferent or negative about runs instead of enjoying them, and if you can't get remotivated then it's going to be a really really long second half of training.

I had to transition my schedule to have my long runs on Sundays instead of Saturdays because of a new commitment on Saturday mornings, and for some reason waking up early on a Sunday is harder for me than waking up early on a Saturday (I know it's mental).  My first run on this new schedule was 9 miles and I got back feeling completely defeated.  I felt wiped out physically and mentally, and for the first time I thought about switching my entry to the half marathon instead of the whole.  I mean, if I am feeling this bad about 9 miles, It seems ridiculous that I would try and do 26.2.  Luckily my pride, which normally gets me into trouble, actually kept me from quitting because the thought of having to admit defeat and tell people I was no longer going to do the marathon, the thought of being a quitter, and the thought of being at the race and not being in the marathon, were thoughts that I could not accept.  I knew that day that I had to figure out how to stay motivated during the second half of my training. Ten weeks is a long time, and I want to enjoy them, not just get through them.  It is time for me to refocus and remember why I am doing this in the first place:

1. To end my 20s with a bang!
2. To prove to myself that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to!
3. To work really hard to accomplish something that only I have complete control over (it's been a rough couple of years with having so much of my life up in the air, and this is something that I can control).
4. For the feeling I'll get crossing the finish line!
5. To be on a consistent work-out routine that will bring me into the summer feeling hot!
6. To get to forever say that I am a marathon runner!

Reminding myself of why I started and reading the things I put on my motivation poster board for when I knew I would need a boost of confidence, have helped me to start to get back to being excited instead of defeated.  The people who have told me its more mental than physical must be right, because after refocusing and bringing myself back to a better mental state, my 10 mile run yesterday felt awesome! I felt really good during the run and after, and now feel mentally recharged and ready to tackle the things to come!  I went back to eating my favorite chocolate chip bagel before my run which helped give me more energy than the bowl of oatmeal I was eating before my other long runs, and my mom rode her bike along with me which always gives me a little bit more motivation to keep going.  Like I talked about having a dog with me on my runs makes me feel like I have a buddy and it helps, same with having my mom on her bike going with me.  It makes the run seem shorter and less intimidating.  So for those of you guys training out there who can't find another person to run with, maybe somebody would consider riding their bike with you instead... 

Another thing that helps keep me motivated is my Pinterest board titled  "I Run For..." (click on the title if you want to open it).  I put everything on there to do with my running; from food tips and recipes, to running attire, to motivational words, it helps to have everything in one place that I can look at and refer back to.  I also like to write down my favorite quotes in my running journal.  Here are a few of my favorites in case you might be looking for a little bit of Monday motivation:

"When your legs get tired, run with your heart."

"The body achieves what the mind believes."

"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever."

"There will be days when I don't know if I can do a marathon.  There will be a lifetime of knowing that I have..."

Looking forward to finishing up strong, knowing that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength! (Philippians 4:13)  Happy Running everybody!

Rainy Days

I can't believe that I am now in week 8 of my 20 week training plan!  It has gone by so fast, and I can say that I am actually getting more excited about my runs and not necessarily dreading them as much as I used to.  My miles are slowly increasing, but because it's gradual nothing has seemed too overwhelming yet.  I skipped my first run due to a bad headache; I was weighing out the options and the thought of not being able to mark off the day as completed and I struggled with it but ultimately decided that missing one run was not going to ruin everything :)

We were fortunate to get rain last week, but of course I started to panic about when I was going to be able to get my run in on Saturday, especially since I had missed my Thursday run.  It's crazy how once you are in a training schedule, everything else in life seems to revolve around your runs.  It poured and poured all night Friday and all morning Saturday, and then about 12:30 I noticed the pouring had stopped and knew this was my chance to sneak out before the next downpour.  I realized what a blessing it is to be able to run right after rain because everything looks so much more colorful, refreshed, and vibrant. There was running water in the little creak I run next to, and the ducks were exploring the changed environment.  So i was really enjoying my surroundings and about a mile from home when the clouds opened up once again and It started pouring.  Quickly, I thought about my options... Run to a nearby park and duck for cover in the bathrooms, turn around and head straight for home, or continue on with my planned run which would take me farther away from home...

I decided to run towards the park, but when I got close the rain started to slow down to more of a drizzle so I kept going on towards home, thinking well 2 miles is better than nothing right?  Luckily the rain stopped, so I decided that I would loop back around to add a couple more miles, but stay within a mile of the house incase it started to rain again.  I got really lucky and was able to complete the whole run before rain came again.  When I got home I felt a little hot-headed thinking, yep, that's right, I am hardcore, I ran in the rain!

So overall, things have been going well.  I have my good days, and my less than good days, but am enjoying the process and the structure of the schedule.  The one thing I feel like I am struggling with the most is food.  I struggle both with not eating enough good foods, and not eating enough food in general to support the number of calories I burn during my runs.  I will continue working on creating a healthy and more well balanced meal plan.  I have found a few helpful articles from Runner's World on good foods for runners to eat, you can click on the links below to check them out:

15 Best Foods for Runners

Protein for Runners 101

25 Great Snacks for Runners