Running is absolutely not natural to me. I never ran track in high school, or saw the road as an opportunity for some footwork. Up until recently, I even believed that I enjoyed running on a treadmill more than I did outside. (Gasp!)
Well it became clear to me why - simply because when you run outside you actually have to carry the weight of your own body (I know, so dramatic).
Late last year, some friends and I decided to sign up for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon taking place in Pasadena on February 17th. I knew it would be a great opportunity to get exercise and more importantly set a goal for myself that I never thought I'd attempt to achieve. (Let's be real here, I was the girl at the end of the track finishing a 15 minute mile in junior high.)
I started running outside and after a couple runs of wondering what the hell I was thinking, I actually started to see the beauty of running and the world slowly becoming my own track. There's something about feeling the wind against you as you run, and seeing the world from the street's view.
While running, I realized that I was catching so many personal moments of others; like an elderly woman running towards a bus leaving a stop, clips of conversations between diners sitting outside, drivers rocking it out in their cars, and of course other runners and bikers whizzing by (which, I'm contemplating to start giving high fives to - is that okay, or creepy?).
Overall the experience is ironically peaceful. Almost like watching my very own movie with moments I'm only getting glimpses of and set to the soundtrack of whatever is playing through my pandora. All these experiences and more make me so happy that I signed up for this marathon.
We are about 5 weeks away from the marathon and I am working to hit 10 miles over the next week. I'm excited and scared at the same time - I'm not running as frequently as I should, but all I can do now, is work hard over the next couple weeks to reach 13 miles by February 17th!
I'm following this plan:
I'd love to hear any tips or training plans that anyone has used for their first marathon! :)
:)
- Stay hydrated!
ReplyDelete- Make sure that you are tapering at least one week before the race. If you feel the need to stay active, just do short and light runs to keep the muscles stretched.
- Look into investing in Body Glide to help prevent chaffing (definitely not pleasant.)
- It is very tempting to gun it during the first few miles, especially with the initial energy and cheers from the crowd. But it really helps to moderate your energy and pace throughout the course - the last few miles will thank you!
- Smile! There will be plenty of photographers snapping away (:
This will be an amazing experience and I know that you'll love it, girl! We definitely have to do a roomies run soon <3
Ah! Thanks Roomie!! These tips are AMAZING :) I will definitely keep all of this in mind, especially in my last weeks of training :) Here goes nothing! :)
Deleteahh keep it up girl! you're amazing just for making that goal. I would never be able to run a marathon :( haha
ReplyDeleteThe DayLee Journal
Hi Marsa! I never thought I would be able to either (well, I haven't yet, so who knows if I can actually, haha) but I'm excited to give it a try :) I'm sure you could too! Maybe with the right group of friends and for the right cause? ;)
DeleteWow thats incredible, well done! do you want to follow each other? let me know x
ReplyDeletehttp://georgiabellalily.blogspot.co.uk
Hi Georgia! I'd love to follow you! :) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYay!! Haha, praying that I don't severely injure or embarrass myself doing this! :)
ReplyDelete