Hi, Healthy, Happier readers! I’m Ellen and I blog at Keepin the Pace, where I talk about running, cooking and finding ways to keep up with the pace of daily life while making it all happen. When Ashley sent out the call to guest post on marathons and moderation, I jumped at the chance. I’ve been a reader for quite a while, and will be running my third marathon this fall. Moderation or balance is something I’m always striving to attain – and something others generally tell me I’m pretty good at.
Let’s be honest here, by nature, there’s nothing "moderate" about training for months to push your body to run 26.2 miles. I’m not saying it’s crazy, but let’s start by defining "moderation." Running a marathon (and training for one) isn’t easy. It’s taxing both physically and mentally and requires a lot of commitment. That said, it’s also incredibly rewarding. And the best thing you can do is define what you mean by "moderation." The clearer a picture you have, the easier it will be to ensure that you attain it.
This fall, I will be running my third marathon (NYC). My previous marathon experiences were very different from each other in many ways: training, attitude, performance. I’ve learned quite a bit training for both, and here are some things to consider…
Do some research. You’ve chosen the marathon, you know where the finish line is – now there are a few months to figure out how to get to it. Outside of training, you’d like to keep some semblance of normalcy in your life.
Define what moderation looks like for you over a few months… over a week… over the course of a day. For example:
- Over four months, I’d like to make 3-5 social events/month.
- Over a week, I’d like to have dinner with friends/significant other three times.
- In the course of a day, I’d like to eat homemade meals 75% of the time.
- Most of my goals here are food-related (that’s where my head is), but yours may have more to do with hanging out with friends, keeping up with work, yoga, etc. Look at your big plan and pick a few attainable goals that will keep you happy.
- Backwards plan. Mark that marathon on the calendar and mark it big. Then map your long training runs backwards from that date.
- Know that training plans are generally created in a vacuum… a perfect world where weather and work and a social life don’t factor in to training. Read several plans from different sources (I can tell you some good books) and take each with a grain of salt.
- Once you’ve read, think about what works for you. Relative newbie running a first marathon? Probably not a good idea to plan for a sub-4:00 marathon training 45 miles/week. YOU are the best coach you can have right now. Map out your long runs on a day that works for you. (Note: This isn’t always Sunday. For me, in the summer, Friday works better).
- Loosely factor in your weekday runs — these may be subject to change as your schedule changes. Check up on them at the beginning of each week and adjust as needed.
- Go easy on yourself. You’re already awesome, this much we’ve established (uh, you’re running a marathon). Remember: Your marathon will not fall apart if you skip your speed work on July 17. Nor will you bonk because you had to cut your long run 2 miles short in September. So really, plan ahead, but know that your plan is not concrete.
- Weekly: Sunday nights I check out my running/cross-training plan to see what works with my schedule. I know that I may need to change things around sometimes, and that’s okay. Try to keep your long runs intact, know that your shorter weekday runs give a little more leeway.
- Daily: Splitting runs is fine. Really. Perhaps on a Wednesday I can’t run 6 miles at a time… but I can run 3 miles before work and 3 miles afterwards. It’s still six miles. It’s a weekday. You have a real life. Your marathon will not suffer, I promise.
- Reward yourself. This is a big deal. I know that dangling that carrot in front of me helps quite a bit when motivating myself to get out the door for a 15-miler in the August humidity. Tie your rewards to the task – long run in the heat? Get an awesome summer wicking top. Met your yoga goals for the month? Maybe some new socks are in order. Either way, keep yourself motivated with little rewards along the way, and you will be handsomely rewarded at the finish line of your marathon.
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Thanks, Ashley & Ellen!
I really liked this post and it instantly helped me put my own marathon training into perspective. I am running my first full in November and definitely feel some anxiety, though I think it’s all positive nervous energy! =)
I love your bullet that says “you awesome, this we’ve established” haha… nice guest post!