In the past five
years, I've trained for three marathons, all with very different purposes and
plans.
Race: Flying Pig Marathon, Spring 2014
Goal: Finish first marathon
Training: Coming off a Grade II calf strain, I did the bare minimum. This
was just straight running, nothing special. I remember my first 15mi run. I
felt so tight and sore all over during it, and the day after, that I didn't
know how I would ever add another 10+ miles to that on race day (much less all
the weekend long runs between then and race day).
Average Weekly
Mileage: 26.7
Max Weekly Mileage: 49.8
Top Three Long Runs: 20, 18, 16
Finish Time: 5:16:28
Fueling: way too much water, and GU every ~5mi
Race Commentary: I trained pretty much solo for this entire cycle, and also
remember crashing hard during the race. I'd hoped to break 5:00 at worst, but
lost the 5:00 pacer within the first two miles of the race... and then had lost
the 5:15 pacer by mile 17. I ended up walking quite a bit after mile 20, but
rallied at the end to cross that finish line smiling. Lots of lessons learned,
and lots of pride in my very first marathon finish line.
Post-Race: This was not a pretty post-race. Throughout training, I'd constantly
heard about the dangers of dehydration, and about "hitting the wall".
So, when I was struggling in the later half of the race, I attributed it to not
drinking enough... and ended up consuming roughly the equivalent of a handheld
(20oz) every two miles. Shortly after finishing, I felt nauseous, dizzy, and
weak, to the point where I didn't think I could make it back to our hotel
without barfing or passing out. Initially, I attributed this to having just
completed a marathon. No one in our group had run one before, so we had no idea
what to expect. After a few hours, Dr Google helped diagnose me with
hyponatremia-- i.e. OVERhydrating. Yes, that's a thing. Eating some straight-up
salt fixed the problem, and it's a lesson I've never forgotten.
Reflections: You never forget your first. Marathon training gave me more
confidence in myself than I'd ever imagined possible. I learned how to push
myself to do things that were uncomfortable and, at times, even undesirable (in
the short-term), to reach a long-term goal. That skill has translated to so
many parts of my life, and proved invaluable.
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| MARATHONER!!! |
Race: Chicago, Fall 2016
Goal: Feel like an athlete after Baby #1 (and drop the baby weight)
Training: Intense. Two workouts a week (hills or tempo plus track intervals,
all at pretty intense paces), plus long runs throughout summer. Barf. I served
as a Run Lead for Atlanta Track Club's training programs during this, and
remember struggling to keep high-9s for the first few months of training. I
felt a lot of pressure during this cycle to keep pace, even on my easy runs,
and recall a lot of stressful nights, due to anxiety about the next day's run.
I was plagued by sickness and injuries throughout this cycle, and am certain
that was because I was so overloaded in so many areas of life.
Average Weekly
Mileage: 40
Max Weekly Mileage: 69
Top Three Long Runs: 22, 20, 19
Finish Time: 4:17:43
Fueling: Alternating H20 and Powerade at water stops, stingers every
10K(?), salt packet midway through race
Race Commentary: Nothing says it better than this.
Short version: I had an uphill mental struggle for the rest of the race. SO
proud to have held on and "won" that fight.
Post-Race: I remember crossing the finish line and just wanting to sit down
right there in the chute. I remember someone handing me a beer, and wanting to
cry because I couldn't possibly carry an open cup more than three feet without
spilling it. I remember sitting down after the medal stand and being asked to
"keep moving" by the volunteers... which really meant walk another
mile to the family meet-up zone, where I could finally sit on the ground.
Unlike Flying Pig, I was exhausted, but physically okay. I was able to walk
around downtown Chicago to go to my hotel, get dinner, and enjoy the
post-marathon afternoon, taking photos with my training partner and proudly
wearing my shirt and medal around the city. The only problems I had immediately
post-race were postpartum-related; I remember having to get up in the middle of
the night to put ice on my sore abdominal muscles.
Reflections: This was a TOUGH training cycle. I had a demanding job,
less-than-one-year-old baby at home, lots of post-partum body fun, and was
preparing for an international quartet contest, international chorus contest,
and national professional conference during marathon training. When I look back
on this, I literally do not know how I did it. When I re-read my blogs, I know
exactly how I did it: struggling through one injury/illness after another,
constantly feeling stressed and on-edge, and leaning more on my superman of a
husband than anyone ever should. Before even getting to the starting line,
though, I felt like I'd accomplished what I set out to accomplish.... the near-hour
PR was just a sweet, sweet bonus.
 |
| 10mo Postpartum |
Race: Publix (Atlanta Marathon), Spring 2019
Goal: use running/training as a sort of therapy to get over a LOT of
major life disappointments
Training: Mild. While I did speed and hill workouts, I kept my pace goals
mellow: slightly slower than 10K pace. My rationale for this was two-fold: 1)
From the very beginning, I didn't want to stress about a finish time for this
marathon. 2) I got pregnant right at the start of training, and didn't want to
stress my body in multiple ways-- mileage was enough. Having pretty much zero
pace/distance goals made this SUCH a relaxed training cycle. Truly, it was all
about enjoying every run, and that made a huge difference. No injuries, minor
sicknesses (likely caused by work stress + daycare bugs). Just good vibes.
Average Weekly
Mileage: 40
Max Weekly Mileage: 50
Top Three Long Runs: 22, 20.5, 20
Finish Time: 5:03 (4:45, if you don't count bathroom lines/stops)
Fueling: stingers every hour, water for first half of course,
Powerade/water mix for rest, banana at 21
Race Commentary: I enjoyed every
moment of training, and (almost) every moment of this race. This was the
easiest marathon I've ever run. It felt like just another long run with a
friend, thanks to having my own personal support crew the entire way through
(both a friend who ran stride-for-stride with me, at whatever pace I wanted,
providing me with whatever support I needed and a crew of friends/family who
moved around the course cheering for me). I still can't believe how
"easy" it was. While I kept a very relaxed pace, it was still a
marathon. Marathons aren't easy, but this one somehow felt that way.... at
least until my shoes became too tight at mile 22, but that qualifies as
"extenuating circumstances" in my book. ;)
Post-Race: Besides just wanting to take my shoes off, I felt really d****
good post-race. I was so excited to share the happiness with all of my friends
and family who'd come out to support me, especially my little one. I had some
struggles later in the day walking on my constricted feet, but was fine less
than 24 hours later.
Reflections: Part of the beauty of running lies in its ability to become
whatever you need it to be. This cycle and race wasn't about pushing myself; it
was just about enjoying the journey, something I need to learn how to do better
for life in general. I appreciated every step of the way, and every person who
encouraged and supported me throughout. I loved sharing race day with one of my
best friends, and training runs with so many others. This experience has
reminded me how capable I am, and how much stronger I am when I let others hold
me up a bit. I did something "impossible", and that feeling of
accomplishment is what keeps me tethered so tightly to this beautiful
sport.
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| 5mo Pregnant #marathonmama |
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