I fully recognize that I am the worst Blogger in the history of Bloggerdom! Here I am, at the airport about to board the plane to Seattle! The Marathon is on Saturday! I woke up this morning so excited to get this done! We have trained long and hard over the past 6 months and now here we are!
More to come...!!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
9 Weeks of Marathon Training in the Bag!
I got the itch to run 26.2. Just once. I'm doing it for the bumper sticker!
While celebrating one of my best friend's weddings in San Diego I got to talking with a fellow Bridesmaid about a recent marathon she had completed in Buenos Aires! It got me thinking, I can do that too, can't I? She shared her training plan with me and with a few revisions of my own and help from my friend's Mom, I got started just a week later on my 19 week plan.
It hasn't all been smooth sailing. On my third training run, I came home after only half a mile with a foot injury. I had to start all over again a week later. Which brings us to present date, 9 weeks in and I'm SICK which will lose me another week of training. On the up side, I've had plenty of time to create this blog! I continue to remind myself that it's health first and that the training plan is just that, a plan. I'll be back on track next week.
As you can tell, I take this process really seriously and am so excited for the biggest running accomplishment of my life! Here it is... you'll laugh, but I'm obsessed with spreadsheets, planning, organizing, charting, etc. I know, it's sick. Along with the 'Marathon Command Center' I created I also found this 'Hey, Girl' pin on Pinterest that is just so me, I couldn't resist! Maybe you'll get a laugh just like I did.
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| This is a 'training plan' and 'Command Center' that I just made up. If you're looking for a 'real' one, you should go online and look for a formal plan or join an organization where they offer training assistance. I'm no expert. Remember, I'm a wannabe runner. |
Half Marathon? Seriously?
I did it! 5 times actually!After I completed a couple of shorter runs I decided that the ultimate success would be to complete a Half Marathon. Again, I knew it needed to be fun and then I found DISNEY! After running more distance than I thought I was capable of, I finished my very first HALF MARATHON!
Always late but worth the wait. I may not be the speediest of runners, but I did it and I was ecstatic!
Disneyland Half Marathon - September 2009!
Finish - 2:48:17
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Carlsbad Half Marathon - January 2010
Finish - 2:54:04
After Disney I thought I would be satisfied, but I wasn't. I wanted to do another one so I signed up for Carlsbad. The only problem was that it was in January and that meant I would need to train over the Holiday's. Are you kidding me? Get up early, run in the cold, pass up on cookies and egg nog? Well, let's just say I didn't have the discipline to train, but I ran/walked it anyway. Misery! The only thing I liked about the Half Marathon in Carlsbad was that I ran a second Half Marathon with Lindsay and that I brought a new victim (friend) Kalliegh to join in the misery!
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Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon - December 2011
Finish - 2:46:44
I had given up on running! Carlsbad was miserable! I never wanted to run again, but I also couldn't let my last run be the worst run. I also couldn't let all of 2011 escape me without having run at least one Half Marathon. The annual Half Marathon was becoming a thing! My thing. So there you have it, I signed up for the Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon! This time I trained, well, as much training as you can get from a wannabe runner who would rather sleep in than train.
The race fell on the same weekend as a friend's wedding at Planet Hollywood! I had discipline for the first time in Sin City! Go Me! As a reward, I got sick the morning of the race. Las Vegas is a little bit unique. You get to run the Vegas Strip at night all the way to Old Fremont and back. This all would have been much more exciting if I wasn't busy popping Tums! I successfully completed the run and proceeded to be sick the remainder of the evening as did many of the runners a Vegas news source reported.
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Fresno Eye Q Half Marathon - May 2012
Finish - 2:40:51
After beating both my Disney and Carlsbad Half Marathon times all while feeling sick, I got inspired to sign up for another race to see what would happen. I started seeing a Trainer for strength training in January 2012. I was already going to the gym, but strength training just wasn't something I could bring myself to do seriousy. He had me doing walking lunges across the gym, pushups, squats, stair and rowing machines. I actually started to like waking up at 5:30 AM! The best part, it actually helped! I dropped 6 minutes from my Vegas time! This is the first and so far only Half Marathon I've run solo. It was the first Half Marathon I haven't run with Lindsay! In her honor I took this photo (the only photo I have from the race) of me sticking my tongue out at her and holding my medal in hopes I could intimidate her into running the next one with me! ...yes, you heard me right, next one! I've become addicted and plan to run San Diego just 2 weeks later!
San Diego Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon - June 2012
Finish - 2:35:14
And then there was San Diego! My 5th Half Marathon and last of 2012! I did it! Just 2 weeks after the Fresno Half Marathon I dropped another 5 minutes off my time! I was also finally satisfied to take a break from racing against myself and my times. At least until next year!
I'm Back...
After I finished my first 5K I started scouring the internet for other fun runs. I'd also slowly begun convincing others that they need to get on board with this crazy idea that running is the thing to do. Most of them still talk to me after the fact...Below is a snapshot of a few of the many races I've completed since my very first 5K in February 2009.
Above demonstrates just a few highlights of where the completion of the Redondo Beach 5K took me. Next up is a recap of the Half Marathons I currently have under my belt.
I hate running...
I HATE RUNNING!
True story! There are a couple of things that keep me coming back though, the exhilaration of signing up for a race and the satisfaction and pride of completion! I LOVE the feeling I have AFTER the run!I'm not sure exactly how it started but I am fairly certain it may have had something to do with my rapidly approaching 30th Birthday. I wanted to have a major accomplishment and somewhere in the mix I became a wannabe runner.
I hadn't really run much since High School so I knew my first race needed to be short and it needed to be fun. I found the Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 5K. Costumes encouraged! I ran the whole way and knew I needed to sign up for another one!
The next few blog posts are going to chronicle prior runs - my first, second, third, fourth and fifth half marathons and then come to present date. I have three runs scheduled over the next three months, a 5K, Half Marathon and finally MY VERY FIRST FULL MARATHON! My training schedule, my aches and pains. I want to remember it all and I'm so excited to chronicle it this way.
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