How to Run a Full Marathon: By a Rookie For a Rookie

My Workout Sequence:

Birthed Baby (hardest thing I've ever done): May 2010

First Run Ever: A month later

First Half-Marathon: Four months later

Second Half-Marathon: Four months after first marathon

First Full Marathon: A month later

Notice there was 9months there from first step in running shoes to marathon finish line.

So, I did not just get up and run a full marathon. I took my time easing into running, and once I had run my second half-marathon, I knew I could do a full.  (I have no history of knee/joint/muscle pain whatsoever). I increased my mileage from 13miles to 23 in three weeks...but again I had no knee/joint/muscle issues going on outside of soreness.

Someone who does hx of joint issues/pain outside of muscle fatigue, I would recommend they perhaps not do it. (IF 15 mile runs hurt you...26 definitely will, right)

Training for the full, I had an 8/9/10 month-old, so I had to drink at least 3/4 nalgenes of h20/day, and eat lots of almonds and carbs (which was not a problem).....


And I will say I was Really. Really. Tired. Everyday, running or not. Marathon training can be brutal on the energy levels!

Here's my workout sched:

Week 1: 13.1 miles achieved, without pain.

Week 2: No runs, recovering from VERY hilly 13.1, until next Saturday: 16miles

Week 3: 2mile run during week, 19 miles on Saturday

Week 4: 23 mile run.

Week 5ish or a little before: Race Day, 26.2. Finished, and could have gone another five miles.

Following my marathon, I stopped running for three weeks. I would not recommend this. I should have done really small runs the week after. My joints started popping after my first post-race run, because my body was used to so much more demanded. Two months later, and my joints are still popping sporadically, because I believe my body (humans are so incredible!) adjusted to meet demands I had put on it for 9months. When I quit running (due to planning baby's first birthday!), my body now has to re-adjust to 'normal' demands. That is confusing for my joints I'm sure!

I really should have continued to run consistently after! Because now it has been months, and I have done my first (baby-mini) triathlon and going back to running has been weird. A month and half post-marathon--I just up and ran 7miles. It went great--only I was also swimming beaucoup for the tri and the mixture of all the sports--well, I will be writing a post on that soon! haha.

My first marathon

Can it be possible? Not only are my joints not popping, not hurting, not sore--but I didn't have a heart attack, either!!

Take that, incredibly unreliable and insignificant statistics.

At mile 1, I was REALLY scared. As everyone had to wait in line to turn corners (the half&full started together for 4 miles so it was crowded), I thought, "This is going to be a long, long day". The humidity, (it was supposed to rain), the heat (at the end it was almost 90 deg), and my hamstring strain from the day before made me really anxious beforehand.  But, as it turned out, as I ran I got used to that tight feeling in my hamstrings and I got used to running with "pain". (Not a shooting pain, more like a 'sore' pain). I focused on how hydrated I was from the day before (mentally), and, let each gust of wind mimic the wave of the ocean over my body.

Poetic, right. Ha.

I did forget to thank a couple people who helped me along the way--Jason C.&Kelcey who gave me training tips (because I wasn't able to train with a club). Also, John whom I met at the race around mile 19...he has run 60 marathons and he gave me encouragement the last 6 miles! (He had run a marathon the day before!)

 (Yes, we made shirts. I figured, if it ends up being my only one, I'm going all out)

Overall Cons:

--I loathed this particular race. Not the course, although a friend told me it was harder than the Austin course because of hill amount& placement? Well, thank you God for Brushy Creek Trails for training! My problems: the dis-organization, the LACK of water stations (people were fainting, puking which always happens but really?), lack of adequate medical stations, and Oh Yeah, Let's start a race in late Spring at 8AM! Even winter races start at 7!

--It was hard? I use a question mark because this is both a "Con"& a "Pro". It was challenging, and I had to push through at parts. But, I was never 'breaking'.

--Training was hard on me physically and was time consuming, though I chose to train for 4 weeks. (Training is the hardest, hardest part. It is the only deterrent in keeping me from going at it again)

Pros:

--I 'beat' my goal time of 5 hours by more than I thought

--I never hit the "wall". I perhaps could have gone longer? Which I know is CRAZY to say. That last stretch was not my favorite.

--I was able to thank God during my run for where He's brought me over the year--which is why I ran it.

Which brings me to making a long post even longer. The reason I *really* ran this race was a thanksgiving to God for my body.

I've had a rough year in terms of dealing with my body--in terms of body image, hormones, extreme wear. I went from being a stick figure (pre-pregnancy mind you!) to gaining almost 45 pounds in my pregnancy, to nursing the baby and the extreme stress that was on my body, to losing some weight, and back to a healthy place again--all within a year. It all sounds normal, but for me--having never gained a pound since I was 12 (my body was stuck in adolescence until I was 27 which I now see how gross that was!), gaining 10 lbs alone was weird and my hormones didn't help. My hormones were hard on me, I had extreme nausea and fatigue--to the point I couldn't go to work during my 3rd trimester. Torture for someone who loves staying active.  I had days I would cry out to God in such anger, frustration, helplessness over my body--"Am I stuck in this huge fat-suit glued to my bed forever??" I seriously thought that was it for me. Even post-pregnancy, I thought, this is it for me. I'm stuck here.

I couldn't even finish decorating the nursery, and decorating's my FAVORITE.

Thought I would never be able to be my 'old self' again. So, when I started running for the first time, it was a huge celebration in my heart to God. I knew He had given me back something I didn't deserve in the first place.

So, that is why running a marathon was such a big deal to me. If you would have seen how sickly I was a year ago (while pregnant), you would not have believed I could move again, much less run a marathon at 10months post-parptum. (Yes, I used the word "sickly" past 1892).

P.S. Oh and Labor is Harder.

Marathon training

Okay before I gripe, I will list the things I love about running.

A) It's efficient. Short amount of time, and I'm giving my heart a great exercise.

B) It's cheap. No gym membership, no driving somewhere, time efficient, wallet-efficient.

C) It feels awesome.

D) It is worship. For me, starting at 2-3 weeks postpartum, it is a way I physically thank God for my health. Hard to explain.

E) It's can be *good for your joints, and good for your heart. (See articles I linked to previous post)

But, I will say, I'm not burning calories anymore, and not gaining muscle. After running a certain mileage (which really isn't very high), your body gets so used to it, it stops being a way to lose weight/build cardio. (Look in any running journal to find the scientific mumbojumbo, I don't have the energy to link right now). So, it's probably not something you do to lose weight or get in great shape.

But, it's something I do because I *love.

Up until my 16mi run, it gave me energy, endurance for my day, and a time to focus on God.

But, this week, I've realized training for this marathon is affecting me in ways I didn't think it would, and not affecting me in the ways I thought it would.

My muscles and joints feel awesome. Doing taxes on the computer hurt my joints worse than 20miles. A little tight 3rd day, but no pain.

But, I. Am. Exhausted.

I don't have the energy to clean, to cook, to organize...I started spring cleaning and can't continue...I basically use every ounce of energy in my day to spend time with my baby and teach him things.

Everything else: Gone To Pot.

What's funny, is I am just running ONE time a week, but I am drained all week from my one long run. Even though I have only been really training for 3 weeks, in this short time I have realized that it has affected my ability to give 100% as a housekeeper, financial steward, and WIFE. And even some as a mother (even I focus on that one thing during my days).

I'm not saying I am training *well. I'm not training the way a runner should be training for a marathon. I'm eating fast-food and PBJ's and pizza. I'm running one time per week instead of three, and I'm doing no muscle-building. But, I am training the *best I can while being a mom (minus the poor diet, that's just bad habit), while putting my baby first and my husband first. (Which is why, they say being a stay-at-home mom is a full time job..if it's really your priority, it IS a full time job!) Which is why I am saying...it isn't wise for *me* to run marathons in a 'mom' season of life.

What I wasn't expecting was that being a mom is incredibly and unexpectedly draining physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Am I quiting now?

Heck, no! I already did all the work! My training is basically over at this point (my race is in a week 1/2) and all that's left is race day. The distance isn't the problem. It's the training.

And, I'm glad I'm not training for the whole 4-6month period that most runners train, because that would be a long amount of time to live in dumpster-central.

So, what has training looked like for me?

Three weeks ago, I ran 16;  Lots of hills, but nothing to report except hamstring soreness that lasted 4 days.

The week after, I ran 18.9.  The hardest run by far. It was 82 that day, I ate three Goo in the first half hour (stupid, stupid mistake) and my legs felt like ten million pounds. Awful day.

This week, I ran 20.8. I felt really good afterwards, definitely had another 2 miles in me, no complaints. Okay I'll find one. It's hard to 'stay off your legs' when you have a 10month old. I think that's why I can't recover quick enough energy-wise to run during the week.

This week: Exhausted. I am literally having to push myself to get laundry done, to take Elijah out, to go to Target and I LOVE Target.

So......do I still love running?

Yes, please!

Will I ever run another 26.2 mile-marathon?

Not while there is a baby in the house!