1st Long Run of Marathon Training

My first long run was 4 miles. I really enjoyed my run today! It was soooo cold, though. The first mile of a cold day is always the hardest, bc you have to get your body temp up and convince yourself that you have a reason for getting out in the freezing cold and running. I reminded myself of the half-marathon I ran last year and how wonderful it felt hearing my name as I crossed the finish line then receiving my medal. I was so extremely happy that months of hard work paid off. Those moments get me through the rough days and especially the days that it's supposed to be 45 degrees outside but the wind makes it 25. All in all, today was a great running day. I also felt like I could keep running and running, but I opted to finish the 4 miles and walk a mile. Of course, I'm feeling it now, so I think I'll take a long hot bath to relax my muscles. Tomorrow is recovery run day, then week 2 starts Monday :)

3 miles

Today was my first run of marathon training. I went to Shakespeare park and ran the trail all around the park. I learned a valuable lesson today that you should never do a serious run at Shakespeare after it has been raining and hasn't had time to dry up. I got pretty muddy. My pretty running shoes are now stained with mud :( Mud seeped into my shoes at one point and got my brand new hot pink socks muddy also. The price of running. My run was pretty good. I kept having to stop to get around the puddles and mud, because I was afraid of falling and getting completely muddy. My aches of the day: My left calf is super sore and my right big toe feels funny, but it usually feels a little strained after I run. I promise, I'll figure out a way to make these entries a little more exciting. I'm watching The Soup, which is distracting me!

Day 1

Today was the first day of marathon training. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. Running actually starts tomorrow. I am thankful for weekly cross training sessions, since it breaks up the pain of logging miles and allows the muscles to work differently. I love ellipticals, but they can be boring. To break up the monotony, I do the interval training workout, which consists of 2 minutes at low resistance and two minutes at high resistance. I alternate going forwards and backwards every 4 minutes just to work different muscles and to break up the monotony. I also like to bust out in dance moves while doing low resistance. That took years of balance control on the elliptical to figure out by the way! Today's musical selection was Kings of Leon "Only the Night." Such a good cd. Not a running cd, but not a bad elliptical cd.

I need to start stretching. I absolutely hate stretching. I don't know why. Maybe it's just because it's boring. I don't know. I do need to start implementing this in my daily routine. I even bought some yoga blocks and stretch bands to help me out. Hopefully, I'll start using them. I know the benefits of stretching, and I know how good I feel afterwards. I just don't like doing it. Any tips??

Well that's all for now!

Proposed Running Schedule for the Week

I'm on vacation from work this week, which will make this week a good time to start my training and get over some of the pain and fatigue of starting out.

Monday: Cross train--I will be using the elliptical at my apartment's gym. I love that thing!
Tuesday: 3 mile easy run
Wednesday: 2 mile easy run
Thursday: 3 mile easy run
Friday: Rest! Best day of the week! Lol
Saturday: 4 mile long run
Sunday: 2 mile recovery run

That gives me a total of 14 miles for the week. I'll keep you posted on my runs with my times and how I felt during each one.

It's Been a While

I have decided to start training for a marathon, and I finally came across a plan to help me accomplish this task. I'm still trying to figure out a particular race to run. I'm hoping if I write about my experience, it will help keep me motivated and encouraged. I have a love hate relationship with running, and I refuse to act like I don't have difficult training days. I will write about the good and the bad and will try not to hold back. I know there are several runners out there who will appreciate the truth. I read the truth of your struggles and triumphs, and I know you expect the same of me. Monday is day 1 of training. Pretty much the next several weeks/months will consist of the following:
Mondays: Cross training
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: Easy runs, mixed with some tempo runs
Fridays: Rest!
Saturdays: Long runs
Sundays: Recovery runs

I have one more day of motivating myself to start!