Training Considerations

I've been thinking a lot about my training for the marathon, and trying to decide if I want to work with a coach or group or just try to do it on my own, like I did for the half. The problem with training alone for a full marathon is it will be so lonely, plus it'll be hard to stay motivated alone. I think I could really benefit from training with a group or coach. My friend Erin worked with Team in Training when she ran her marathon. She said the benefits were great but the fundraising was very hard-- Team in Training requires you raise $3000 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. That's A LOT of money! I'm not good at begging for bucks either, even if it is for such a worthy cause. I'm concerned that worrying about the fundraising will distract from my training, but having a coach and support from others with the same goal would really be wonderful. Well, I suppose $3000 isn't THAT bad, I just need to find 100 people who'll give me 30 bucks, or 30 that will give me 100! Apparently Team in Training pairs you up with a patient who'll be benefiting from your fundraising, which would definitely be a huge motivator.

It's a lot to consider. I'm also considering just joining a running club, like the Fishhawk Road Runners down the street from me, and just hope someone there will also be training for a marathon this fall. Odds are, someone will, since Brandon also hosts a marathon in December.

In the meantime I'm just trying to keep running 3-4 days a week and get a long run in on the weekend. I found a maintenance training schedule that suggested to rotate a 6, 8, 9, and 10 mile long run schedule if you have considerable time before marathon training begins. I did 6.5 last weekend and plan to do at least 8 tomorrow.

My next race is the Gasparilla 15K on Saturday, Feb. 9th. I thought about doing the half marathon on Sunday morning but the start time is 6:00am, and I just really don't want to do another 4:00am wakeup at this time. At least the 15K doesn't start until 7:30am! It should be a really nice run too, on Bayshore Blvd. right by the water. It's rained on Gasparilla the past two years so let's hope it holds off this year.

311 Days to Go

Last Saturday, January 12th, 2008, I completed the Disney Half Marathon. Two days later, I decided I wanted to go for the ultimate goal-- to run the full marathon in 2009. I've fully committed myself to the idea, now I just need to put my training in an effective holding pattern until late August, when I'll kick in the marathon training into full gear.

I already feel excited and anxious to embark on this marathon journey. Unlike the self doubt I had prior to going into the half marathon, I believe I can do the full marathon now. I know I have the mental stamina to make it through the training and through the race itself, so as long as I stick to a good training schedule, I'll have the physical down pat as well. I didn't realize until I ran the race this past Saturday what having this kind of goal did to enhance my life. I feel strong and full of confidence, as if there were very little I couldn't do if I put my mind to it. It's an amazing feeling, and I want to keep making these types of goals for myself. It's more than just running a race; it's a life changing event.