So how'd it go?

Running a marathon is like having a baby.

I think. In truth, I've never been pregnant, nor borne a child. But from what I've seen and heard, much of the hard work happens in the months leading up to delivery, way before the squishy new human arrives on the scene to steal the show. 

Don't get me wrong, running the marathon was a blast! I'm so happy it went well, the weather was good, I didn't get sick before, during or after. And I have only good things to say about the Philly organizers, our gracious hotel staff (THANK YOU for the post-race shower!) and even the onlookers themselves.

Most runners know though, even if their earnest fans don't realize it, that the marathon itself is just icing on the cake. The grand finale. The curtain call.

Think about it. For months, you imagine yourself successfully running 26.2 consecutive miles. Without stopping. OK, maybe you walk briskly at the water stations. It may be raining that day. Or snowing! For sure it won't be balmy, at least at 5am in mid-November, waiting for the race to start.

But forget all that. On race day, you know you'll pin on your number, walk the mile from your hotel to the start, and line up for the race. The starting gun goes off and you go! At that point it's too late to worry that you forgot to bring an extra GU pack, you didn't wear your luckiest pair of underwear, or you drank too much water during the night and will probably have to find a port-a-potty somewhere after mile 15. The fact is, it's only 3-5 hours until you're done. 

Afterward, you bask in the glow of warm wishes and congratulations from family and friends. You wear your medal around the house for a few days. You eat extra turkey at Thanksgiving, knowing you don't have to get up at 5:45am the next day to get in an 8-mile run before work. 

All of that comes after 5 months of enormous focus on this one goal, with some deprivation and minor suffering along the way. Days when you shivered uncontrollably while cooling down after a late October run. Evenings at the lake, when everyone else raised their wine glass to cheer the sunset and you sipped ice water (by the way, I felt WAY too sorry for myself about cutting out wine for a month, until a new mother gently reminded me that she'd had mostly water for the previous nine months). Week after week where nary a cookie, chip or bite of cake passes your lips. Early to bed, and WAY too early to rise. Lots of sweat, a skinned knee here and there. Gatorade, protein powder and ice packs for the knees. 

Yet in the end, it's worth it. You've got your medal to prove to the world you did it. You know now that pain is mostly relative. You realize that deprivation isn't permanent. 

'Would you run another marathon?', people ask. Would you have another baby? Too soon to tell I think. :)

Post-marathon musings

Earlier today I read the last post I'd written for this blog and felt shock. It went back to September! What, exactly, had I been doing those two and a half months between the half-marathon and my big marathon day in November?

I was running, of course! Lots of running. More importantly, I'd set a new pace goal. After the half-marathon I knew, if all went well, with no injuries, I could finish a marathon. So I raised the bar---I wanted to beat my half-marathon pace. I planned instead to go for a 9:10 min pace as my stretch goal for the full 26.2 miles in Philly.

I reworked my training program to focus on speed. I gutted out hills and flat speedwork, increased my protein intake immediately after runs to rebuild my leg muscles, and cut back on carbs to lower my body fat content. I felt what it was like to move my legs faster and breathe harder. And to keep going even when I thought I'd barf. I found my aerobic threshold. I fell a few times.

Even so, going into Philly I was nervous. It was dawning on me that I needed more training time to run the race as fast as I imagined. And in the end I failed. Hitting my time goal, that is.

But training for and running my first marathon turned out to be one of the best projects of my life.

Mileage

Now that I've successfully reached my target pace (9 minute/30 second miles) at a half-marathon distance, I'm ready to take my training to the next level. The Philadelphia Marathon is only eight weeks away. I'm heading into new territory with weekly mileage, which includes longer runs than I've ever done before.

There are two ways to build weekly mileage. You can run fewer days, with longer distances for each training session. Or you can run more days (up to 5 or 6), but shorten the distance for each session.

One subtlety about increasing weekly mileage is the wear and tear on your body, which has to be managed along the way. After recently straining my hip from overtraining, I realized I need to throw cross-training into the mix. So far, sit-ups and push-ups and interval training have been helpful in avoiding injury.

So it's a delicate balance between finding time in my schedule, assessing my aches and pains, and being mindful of the need to push on to the next level of my marathon training. For example, last week I logged extra days at the office. So three training sessions fit better into my schedule. But because I needed to reach a weekly mileage of 35 miles, each run was longer (12, 8 and 17). Because time was short, the other days I did sit-ups/push-ups and 30 minutes of interval training.

This week was a quieter work week, so I tried the alternate approach and mapped out a 5-day schedule of mostly 3-7 miles, the long run being 10m (considerably shorter than the previous week's long run of 17 miles). I also tacked sit-ups and push-ups and intervals onto two of those training days, along with the run. Total mileage= 35 miles.

Once again I marvel at the intellectual challenge of getting ready for a marathon. There's more to running 26.2 miles than meets the eye. And no one can figure this stuff out for you. It's a one-of-a-kind thing.

Half-marathon success!

Though the feeling of glory has faded somewhat by now, I'm still feeling pretty happy about the half-marathon I ran three weeks ago.

It was the Dunkin' Run Arc Race (why did a donut shop sponsor a road race? I'm still wondering that myself), in my childhood stomping grounds of Liverpool, New York. My friend Brandye invited me to sign up, and at 9am on an overcast day we set out to see what the half-marathon had in store for us.

I had a strategy, based on the course I studied online, days before the race. It was simple, though I wrote it on a card tucked into my pocket. Basically, I'd start off easy. I knew ahead of time I'd grab a cup of fluids at each water station, alternating water and Gatorade. I needed to be at mile 5.5 in 53 minutes or less, to stay on pace. By mile 7.5, I needed to pick it up.

Everything played out well. The temperature was mild and overcast, I was carbo-loaded from a pasta dinner the night before (thanks Mom!), and my legs felt good (that taper the week before really worked). Early in the race I paced off two amiable guys ahead of me. I let others pass me without worry, and cruised by others who lagged on the hills. I met my targets at miles 5.5 and 7.5 and remembered what I'd written on my card: 'pick it up!'. So I did.

I finished strong, pumping my fist and smiling giddily as I slowed up afterward. My loving hubby plied me with fluids, brought my jacket to counter the post-race chill. Brandye's hubby congratulated me, and we all waited for Brandye to come in, not far behind me. It was a good day. I was grateful for my pace, the support from family and friends, and that I didn't hurt too badly. A success all around.

I let myself enjoy the thrill of success, not yet ready to think about the training coming down the pike.

Alcohol-free trial

Yesterday I finished my first ever 30-day alcohol-free trial. And today I celebrated with one Corona beer---that never tasted so good!

In early summer I'd toyed with eliminating alcohol from my marathon training diet, as most runners concede that drinking regularly can set back your training:

* The extra carbs are empty calories. You are what you eat, and every bite counts toward better or worse performance during the next day's run.
* Alcohol dyhydrates you, which can be dangerous for runners on a hot day.
* And booze affects the sleep cycle. Your body needs extra sleep, especially after long runs, to repair muscle tissue and handle joint inflammation.

Plus, too much mileage on too little sleep can weaken the immune system. And runners on a strict training schedule can't afford to get sick.

Also I didn't like that I was using alcohol as a crutch to 'unwind' after a hectic workday or to open up socially. I figured the time was right to see how I handled completely eliminating alcohol from my life, if only for one short month.

So what was it like to skip the drinks for thirty consecutive days? Surprisingly, I didn't miss it. Only rarely did I feel the urge to drink wine with dinner, or go out for a beer on a Saturday night. Socially it was tougher, especially when all around me folks were clinking their glasses and cheerfully pouring out more rounds.

Always, though, someone kindly remembered to refill my iced tea or water glass. And I may have even inspired some others to change their drinking habits---after hearing about my conscious decision to cut back my drinking, one friend stated aloud to a roomful of people how she'd like to deliberately skip, or choose, her nightly glass of wine too.

Aside from the obvious benefits to my training, what were other pluses with passing on the drinks?

For one, I got to try alternatives! A french bistro in NYC served imported elderflower-infused lemonade (who knew?), and I sampled iced green tea lemonade at a recent BBQ.

For another, I found I could concentrate more closely on the conversations going on around me, a much different experience than recalling a melange of images the day after a party, with no clue about what was actually said. I found I survived just fine without a prop in hand to get me through an evening. And as it turns out, I'm just as funny without the booze. :)

What comes next, I ask myself? Is it smart to continue eschewing alcohol while I'm training?

Yes, but with some moderation. What I've learned is the control is important to me: making a conscious decision to drink, and to know it's fine if I don't. And until marathon day, I'll drink less at each sitting, and for just a day or two each week.

For sure, after all this is over, I'll lift up a celebratory pint to toast my efforts. But ultimately I'd like to make the occasional drink special again.

Long runs

Most online marathon training programs include 3 different kinds of runs: intervals/sprints, tempo runs, and long runs. Each contributes in its own way toward building cardiovascular capacity, joint resilience and muscle strength to eventually take you the full 26.2.

I've had experience using intervals and tempo runs to increase my running pace, but these long runs are new to me. And they present a host of problems that makes this part of the marathon training process as intellectual as it is physical.

Since we're talking about running for 100+ consecutive minutes during each long run, the question is what keeps your body going efficiently and effectively until the run is completed?

How much and how often should you drink? Do you walk while you're drinking, to avoid choking? Or keep running to stay on race schedule, taking small sips?

What do you eat along the way? Or is it better to just run faster and finish before the glucose levels crash?

What happens if you get a stitch in your side? Or your knee starts aching? Do you stop running and wait in a 10-minute line for the port-a-potty, or keep going even though you REALLY feel like you have to go to the bathroom?

What about the mental challenge of running for 2 or 3 hours at a stretch? So many people I've talked to tell me they don't run much because they get bored. I worried about that too at first, especially as my long runs consist of loops---I'm often traipsing down the same trails day after day.

You could write chapters about each of these subjects, and I don't know the answers. I'm sure it's different for each runner. So far I've found the best thing to do is run and just see what happens. Experiment, take notes, alter my technique and plan for future runs as I go. This is the fun part of training for me---fusing intelligent strategy with diligence and hustle to get ready for the race of my life.

Diet

Several people have made comments about my physique. They've noticed it's changed recently, and their feedback is varied, and interesting. At the office, someone said I was too thin. It's true, I've lost body fat around my waistline, and have to pin all my work pants. My sister-in-law said I looked 'cut.' My mom thinks I might be taking this training too far.

She was worried because I looked 'too thin' (I wore a strappy summer top to a backyard BBQ, and she said my ribs were showing). To reassure her, I told her I'm not dieting, not in the conventional sense of trying to 'lose weight' by calorie restriction. This is true.

But when I thought about it later, I decided I am indeed dieting. I'm very carefully noticing (if not always successfully controlling), what I put in my mouth since I started training in April.

My 'diet' has swung from good to horrible these past three months. Good meaning I'm concentrating on ingesting certain foods that support my performance---more protein, less alcohol, less fried food, fewer cookies and chips.When I eat at home and the office, it's mostly vegetarian stews, homemade leftovers, Greek yogurt, and fruit.

Unfortunately, I've lost almost all control at three different family gatherings this spring.(At the BBQ I ate a whole bag of clams, a full lobster, a roll dipped in butter, lots of cheese and crackers, a couple handfuls of chips, two beers---and two pieces of birthday cake. Big pieces. Clearly my mom didn't take note of all that passed my lips that afternoon).

So I wonder as I approach the half-way mark in my training. Am I getting enough calories? If so, does this mean bigger portions, or more frequent healthy snacks throughout the day? Do I need to adjust the nutritional balance toward or away from carbs, protein, fats?

I don't know the answers. But I will do more reading. I'm tinkering a lot during this training, seeing what I need to do mentally and physically to get my body to run 26+ miles efficiently, without pain, at a satisfying pace.

Facts versus Feelings

Monday's run wasn't easy: it was hot outside, I felt light-headed, my breathing seemed shallow, my legs felt heavy. In short, I FELT ill. And to make matters worse, a perky young thing sprinted past me, a serene smile on her face. Which made me feel old.

So what did these feelings 'help' me conclude? That I couldn't or shouldn't finish my long run that day.

Say what?

Thankfully, a small voice of reason piped up before I quit. Now wait a minute here, it said. You have 5.5 months before your date with a marathon. And you haven't even finished a 10-mile run yet. You feel hot, tired, and slow. And now you feel cranky too. That's too bad, but you know what? You still have to run a marathon. Your training schedule calls for 7 miles today--not tomorrow, and certainly not sometime later in the week.

This was a FACT.

I needed to push aside my feelings in the present, and focus instead on my longterm goal of running a marathon. So what did I actually DO?

My imagination was getting the better of me, so I trusted the facts: You did a 7 mile run already this spring, I told myself as I panted up the hill. So what makes you think you 'can't' do it today? As hot and tired as you feel right now, and despite the fact that you're not looking as perky as the next runner out there today, the truth is you've never fainted during a run. Never. And even if you did, so what? Chances are you wouldn't collapse unconscious and alone, like you imagine. You'd sit on the grass to the side of the path, catch your breath, then walk home.

OK, so I'd decided to keep moving. But I still FELT like crap. So what could I do to finish this run without crying, or worse, crawling home to my front door? I knew I was physically not my finest that day, so I slowed my pace but kept my form, and focused my mind on my breathing.

And I rechecked the facts: when I glanced at my watch, lo and behold, I was keeping good time.

A healthier conclusion? Feelings are misleading. Don't give in to them. Stick to the facts when training for a marathon.

Bugs and blossoms

I'm back running this week after a few days of gluttony in Quebec, followed by a six-day marathon work week. So I thought I'd be a wobbly mess on the running trails these last few workouts.

Somehow though, I squeezed in four days of running, capped by a long run on Sunday at a really good pace. One thing I'm learning as my training advances is that you never know how you'll feel on any given day. 'Never assume' is my latest mantra---it applies to lots of things in life, including running.

Today's seven-mile run featured a bug in the eye at mile 2. Wonderful, I thought, wringing my hands mentally as I waited for an allergic reaction to kick in. Would this be the end of my first long run in two weeks, I worried? Should I stop at home half-way through to grab some artificial tears and rinse it out? Thirty seconds into my pity party a strapping young guy pushing a running stroller passed me like I was standing still. I swear his three-year old strapped in the seat giggled as they raced by.

So I let that sucker smother itself in the corner of my eye and kept going. And picked up the pace.

By mile four I was in the groove, marveling at the knee-high grass along the trail, just from one week's growth. We'd had a lot of rain lately, but the soaking kind. No puddles.

Blossoms from the dogwoods, crabapples, flowering cherries lay thick on the ground. I crumpled them underfoot, a carpet of petals, fragrant and fresh. Life is good, I thought.

A good run. Time to ice the knees.

Total mileage: 17 miles

Spring is in the air

Week 3 was uneventful as far as mileage/routes goes. And thankfully no knee problems to date!

April reminds me how each season brings its own challenges for runners, especially those of us who enjoy running outdoors. This week, I made sure to carry a Kleenex in one hand to catch the inevitable drips from my poor sinuses, helpless in the maelstrom of pollen floating about here in NJ this week. Spring peeper frogs cheeped in the swampy stretches along the running trail, robins hopped, and woodpeckers were busy high up in the trees.

The temperature changes hourly this time of year, so I checked it carefully each day before heading out for a run. Chilly mornings meant light gloves and two pairs of socks. Long runs in mid-afternoon made me peel off my fleece halfway to the finish.

Weekly total= 15 miles

Week 2 summary

Logged only 14 miles this past week. My running total noticeably shrinks the more hours I put in at the office. Up 'til now, I run only on my days off, or in mid-morning on those days I go into the office late. I plan to fix this as spring rolls into summer, and it gets warm enough in the early mornings to add in pre-work runs.

I've watched my food intake, both quantity and quality, MUCH more this week. With every leftover Easter candy temptation, and after each bite of a second helping at dinner, I wonder to myself whether it will help or hurt my training. It's funny, because I could think like that all the time, but really I analyze what's going down the hatch way more when I'm getting ready for a race. Which is just another good reason to plan to run a marathon.

First Training Week

My first week of training post-marathon sign-up went better than expected. Especially the 4mile Sunday run, coming after a 5mile run just the day before.

It's still cold out, enough to keep wearing running tights and gloves. I did trade in my funky fleece headband for a ball cap though. Slowly, slowly the spring comes....

Weekly mileage total= 20miles

Mon:    5miles
Tues:    3miles
Wed:    30push-ups (hearafter referred to as pups), 40sit-ups (henceforth called sups)
Thurs:   3miles
Fri:        rest
Sat:       5miles
Sun:      4miles

Signed Up and Ready to Train!

I did it! Monday I signed up for my first marathon ever. It's the Philadelphia Marathon held on November 17, 2013.

http://philadelphiamarathon.com/

Thirty-two weeks of training stretch ahead. This week I'm jacking up my mileage to 20 miles, from the paltry 9 or so I was doing all winter.

Foremost on my mind is not whether I can run the 26.2 miles, but whether an injury during these months of training may prevent me from even showing up to the race.

As a forty-something runner, mostly I'm concerned about two joints: my right knee, which has some type of chronic inflammation/loose cartilage/iliotibial band syndrome, I'm not sure which, and my left foot, where I've grown a bunion and trigger-toe from too many years in dress shoes. Ice, stretching and ibuprofen/aspirin will hopefully help me manage them in the coming weeks.

Wish me luck!

Strategy

I was out-of-country the last two weeks in January, during New Jersey's coldest days so far in 2013. I didn't think I missed out too much on marathon prep, since it was too frigid to run anyway. But I was worried the time spent in India might set my training back even after I'd gotten home. I figured I'd eaten way too much naan, hadn't gotten enough exercise, and breathed a lot of bad fumes. Which was true.

Still, I was surprised my first week back running went just fine. I ran my three-mile route a few times without a problem.

My winter training schedule is lighter than usual anyway--I run slower in the cold, and the arctic winds and occasional blizzard offer ample excuses to take additional rest days. So the pressure is off to begin with. And despite being off-kilter in this off-season, I'm still officially in what one marathon training guide calls 'pre-training condition,' meaning 'you should be able to run for at least 30 minutes without stopping.

Phew.

So where do I start? How do you actually 'run a marathon'?

A Google search turned up a couple marathon training schedules that seem like they could work. I hope to run the Philadelphia Marathon on Novemeber 17, 2013. So that leaves me 40 weeks to learn to run 26.2 miles. DH suggested I get started now, and 'see how it goes.' I figure that's as good a plan as any.

Getting the Ball Rolling, Sort Of

With my New Year's resolution behind me, I started my marathon training in earnest. And what inaugural step took me toward that lofty goal? Reading a book.

OK, this wasn't what I had planned. But facts are facts: I came down this week with an awful head cold that took my voice away, made my nose run like a spring torrent, and darn near sapped every ounce of strength I had just getting through my work day.

I wanted to run today, but my husband forbid it.

So I did what any rookie marathon trainee would do in my shoes: I started learning. More specifically, I opened 'The New Rules of Lifting for Women' by Lou Schuler, with Cassandra E. Forsythe, MS and with workout programs by Alwyn Cosgrove. And took copious notes.

My hubby gave me this book for Valentine's Day 2008, and it's sat on my bookshelf ever since. I was saving it for 'when I start training for a marathon,' and lo and behold that day has arrived.

Why read about weight lifting, if my goal is to run 26.2 miles? I learned from DH's own experience training for his marathons--tight on time, he'd traded in some of his runs for intense gym workouts instead. His method built muscle, increased metabolism, and gave him added leg strength. It worked--at age 36 he ran his fastest marathon time yet.

I want to try a mixed workout routine too. I hope to increase my pace and prevent injuries along the way.

Starting thoughts

I'm an average runner doing average mileage. So what business do I have trying to run a marathon?

It's a question I've asked myself since 2006, when I finished the NYRR Grand Prix: Staten Island half-marathon (it's official name). I trained half-way decently for that race. I came in at my target time. But it was pretty hard. Was I really capable of running twice as far, just as fast? Without the pain, and having more fun? Was I game?

What would the training be like? Would I have to give up beer? Go to bed early Friday nights? Could I still have a social life?

All this speculation led me to where I am today: still an average runner wondering what it'd be like to train for a marathon. So this New Year's Day I finally said to myself: Laura, if not 2013, when?

Really it's time....well, you know the saying---to 'just do it.'