By Hayley Lyons
I started to bonk on Saturday at around the 17th mile. Part of me worries how the extra six miles will affect me on race day, but this is my first marathon, so I'm going to focus on mentally preparing myself and maintaining a steady pace when the day comes.
From here on out, each week will rotate between a 20 mile long run and a recovery week. Because I ran 20 miles at the Kiawah half-marathon last weekend, this week is a step-back week.
I have to be at work at 5:45 a.m. on Friday, which means that I'm going to have to update my plan a little bit this week. And then, on Friday, I'm headed out for the Kiawah half-marathon. My brother, Ryan, registered me last December for Christmas, and my sister, Sarah, is running it as her very first half-marathon (but not her last, despite what she will try to tell you.) I will be running an additional six or seven after the race.
Four days and too many empty pie plates later, I'm back in Charlotte, preparing for the 15th week of marathon training. I'm definitely starting to feel mentally burnt out, which I know is just a part of the challenge of running a marathon.
I missed journaling about week 12 for my step-back week, but I was able to get in a long run of 13 miles and a total of 33 miles.
"I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. ... (via Going the Distance)
I have absolutely nothing going on this weekend and could get my long run in without any problem. But next week I'm going to the Clemson/Maryland game at Clemson, and it'll be harder to squeeze my long run in before work or before the game. If I have to do it, I will, but I may just try to do it this week, so that I don't have to worry about it next week.
I've definitely got the marathon bug! I haven't even run my first marathon yet, and I'm already looking for another to do. I haven't run more than 14 miles, which means there are still six more miles to run before the race and 12 more miles during the race. So, yeah, looking for another one at this point might be a little over-zealous, but I'm just having SO MUCH fun.
I have a bit of a dilemma with my training this week. I'm going to Virginia on Friday after work, and on Saturday, I'm headed to a family football tailgate with my boyfriend and his family, which means I won't be able to get my long run in.
I have no major goals during the week because I think that the 14-mile run that I have planned for Saturday is big enough. I have never run more than a half-marathon at one time, so I'm already feeling the anxiety. My brother, Ryan, an ultra-marathoner and IronMan, put it in perspective for me: "It's one extra mile, so think of it as 8 more minutes. It's just 8 minutes."
This week is a step-back week in my training, and it's coming at the perfect time. Not only have I been icing my knee all weekend, I think my mind needs a little rest from the long run before I up the mileage next week.
Intro: Last night, after I submitted my journal for Week 5, I was on my laptop, when I kept coming across a race called the Ramblin' Rose half-marathon in Charlotte, N.C., which isn't too far from me. I thought about it for all of five seconds before registering. I'm already registered for two more half-marathons before the full, but the first isn't until October-forever away! Despite the fact that I had to pay late registration (yikes), it seemed like the perfect way to get my mileage in and experience race day at the same time.
I start my first big girl job this week, which means, as far as running and training go, I'll be getting up before the sun to get my workouts in. Luckily, I started training my body for this almost a year ago, when I started forcing myself to wake up before 6 or 7 a.m.
I spent last weekend moving into my new apartment. New apartment. New city. New job. So it only makes sense that I will spend the majority of this week looking for new running routes and exploring my area. My biggest concern is still safety. Because I'm a morning runner, I intend to get my workouts in before work, which could mean running in the dark some days. My goal for this week is to find an area to run in that is safe for running before sunrise.
"I was really enjoying the connection I was making with running when I didn't have fast-paced music blaring in my ears. That being said, there are some days when I can only entertain myself so much before driving myself insane-for those days, thank you, Pandora radio."
Why is it that short runs often seem to drag on more than long runs? This always happens to me. I woke up this morning actually feeling relieved that I only had to run three miles today. After all, it's only three, right? Somehow, however, the "only three" miles seemed to take centuries longer than even my slowest half-marathon. I mean, it's totally mental. For a long run, I go out there, thinking, "See ya in a couple of hours, world", feeling prepared as I immerse myself into the run.
Riverside alumna distance runner Hayley Lyons talks about training for her first marathon in a weekly journal.