As many of you know this year I’ve taken on a new goal to
run my first full marathon. I started
training at the end of June so that I could be prepared to run a full in the
beginning of Dec and to give me a few weeks of leeway in case of injury or
scheduling conflicts. So how’s training
going? I’ve decided not to run the full in Dec and wait for the one in Jan. I
was just being lazy to get to the registration page and I’m going to be honest
I’m a bit intimidating at the thought of running 26.2 miles. I’ve
completed several half marathons but the thought of a full marathon still puts
my stomach in knots. However, I’m
working through it :) I WILL be running
the Disney full in January (I’m already registered) it’s a done deal.
So training…well it’s a bit different than training for my
half marathons. I’m still only running 3
times a week (2 short runs and a longer run).
What’s nice about starting training so early is that I can save my
really long distances 10+ miles for every other week. I’ve been training for 2 months now and have
missed a few runs (mostly short runs) do to summer trips and heat. I’m not getting upset about it but know I
need to become more disciplined. To help
with this I’m going in on a Nike+ challenge with one of my sorority sisters to
run 100 miles in 60 days. If I stick to
my training plan I will surpass this goal.
Hopefully this challenge will keep me motivated not to miss my runs.
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| This is me attempting to run on the mountain during my trip to Colorado. It's no easy task to run at 9,000ft. A few sprints and I was done! (Click the picture to enlarge) |
Since I’m only running 3 times a week and most full marathon
training plans require 4-5 days, I’ve started to incorporate some strength
training on my off days. This is
something I didn’t do for my half training.
I’m starting to rack up in the mileage again (ran a 11 miler last week)
and am happy to report no knee pain or any pain besides the typical soreness
associated with a long run. Last fall I
struggled a lot with knee pain and even wore IT straps…not this year! Awesome.
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| 11 miles done pain free and and in my team runDisney tank :) |
Another difference between my half marathon training last
year and full training this year is that my life schedule is much busier. I picked up a 3rd job in April and
am now actively testing subjects for my research. 3 jobs, full time student, research…it all
takes time and adds up quickly. So where
does training fit in? Wherever I can
squeeze it. Hahah This summer it has been mainly early morning runs. It’s necessary with the Florida heat and
afternoon rainstorms.
I’ve learned with a busy schedule like mine you can have a
plan written out in a calendar (like I do) but you have to be flexible. All of my long runs are scheduled on weekends
however, now with a 3rd job I’m working most weekend mornings. I can’t run and work mornings…So, I have to
be flexible and run a long run during the week.
Now that class is back in full swing I’m going to have to get creative
with my workout schedule. Short runs are
fine before a full day in the clinic but I’m not sure about long runs. Next week is my trial week…I plan to run 13
miles Thursday morning before clinic at 1pm.
In theory, it’s doable…I just have to make sure I still have the
appropriate energy to work with patients.
I’m not trying to be superwoman here…just pushing my mind and body to
its limits ;) I’ll keep you all updated
on how that goes!
My goal is to get through this training season injury free
and to inspire others with busy schedules to get out there and be active. If I can do it, so can you!
Race day Friday! Wish
me luck :) Recap to come post race.
