Things Learned Training for a Marathon

Mindy, Greg, and I

I've been compiling this list since my 1st marathon and, with a few additions, it rings true for my 2nd and 3rd marathons.

1.  It’s harder than you think it will be, way harder.
2.  By the time you get near the end it seems so much easier than it did in the middle, even before the taper.
3. Taper is a beautiful word.
4. Eating the right meal or the wrong meal can make the difference between the best run of your life and the worst you have ever felt.
5. There is no shame in walking, in fact, it can make you faster.
6. Hydration is essential.  On the other hand it is possible to drink too much water.
7. Keeping the routine up is the most important thing, not the pace or the number of miles in a week.
8.  Everything is scheduled around runs.
9. You find a lot to talk about over a 4 hour run with someone you met only a couple of months ago.

   

   Kendra and I in our 1st Marathon

10. You find ways around your problems whether it be a little leak while running, chafing, or aches and pains even if they are embarrassing solutions.
11. At some point half marathons become easy, something you do on an impulse.  Around that same point 5ks and 10ks seem too small and too fast at the same time.
12. Shoes wear out way too fast.

    

    Worn out Lady Isaac Newtons

    
    
13. You find the holes in your running wardrobe because you end up wearing just about every running article you have during your training since it covers many seasons.
14. Pain pills are good.
15. Friends along the course are worth more than all the caffeine in the world.
16.  It is the hardest thing you’ll ever do, and then you want to do it again.
17. The course dies after you split from the half marathon runners.
18. You get a lot more pictures along a marathon course.
19.  Have someone save goodies for you in the finish area if you are not in the top half of the pack.
20. Sunburn happens after 5 hours on a race course, did not expect that.
21. Water can be gross.
22. There are a lot of people who don’t finish or don’t start a marathon after they sign up.
23. You make the best friends training for a marathon.  It makes you sad that you won’t be spending all that time with them after the marathon is over.

    

    Me, Pam, and Kendra

    
    
24. If you have a coach you hate and love them in equal amounts.
25. Pacing is hard, pacers do their best.  Don't take out your frustrations about your inability to meet your goals out on them.

I know as I run I will continue learning new things, but this is what I've figured out so far.

Columbus Marathon 2015

 

Finishing Photo

       Sunday October 18th, 2015 marked my 2nd time running The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon.  I spent all this summer, starting June 1st, training for this race.  I joined a group with a coach who would train me to run my fastest marathon ever.  Through the summer we did track workouts, tempo runs, steady runs, cut-down runs, hill work on trails, and mid distance runs followed by long runs (10 miles Friday, 20 miles Saturday).  It kicked my butt.  There were many times I hated the program.  I hated how I didn't have time for things I needed to do.  I hated how much I had to push myself.  But, I started to see results as I did races through the program.  I was showing improvement in all my times every time I crossed the finish line.

       Unfortunately, 3 weeks before race day I started to have pain in my left heal.  I kept running, it felt better when I ran, hoping it was just a little sore and that it would go away.  I only had 1 more week of increased mileage and intensity before I started to take my running more easily in the taper of my plan.  If I got through that last week I could rest.  I ran my last 20 and it was horrible.  I was in a lot of pain.  I knew it wasn't going to go away.  

       I spent my taper weeks resting and going to see a physical therapist to try to heal my heel.  I found out I had plantar fasciitis and that it would take a while to treat.  My PT planned to get me ready for the race and that is what we focused on.  I went on a run the Saturday before the race and things were feeling OK.  I was beginning to feel optimistic. 

       Race Day, parked, at the corrals and ready to go.  My foot, though numb from the cold is feeling good.  There had been no pain since I woke up.  I placed myself in my corral and looked for the pacers.  Less than 5 minutes before the race I spotted my pacer and tried to head towards them.  That's when I ran into some of my running buddies.  

Group of friends, ready to run

        We decided to start together then split off if we need to later.  Mindy helped me start off slow and reserve my energy.  Greg paced me after we left her.  We kept our miles around 9:30 and I was feeling good.  We passed some other friends on the course Roger, Nancy, Tammy, and Judy and talked with them for a while.  When we got around mile 9 my foot started hurting.  It was small, but it was there.  I kept going hoping it would feel better as I run, as it had in the past.  This wasn't the case.  By mile 9.5 I had to walk, it was too much.  Greg and Judy kept going and I dropped back.  I really feel like I could have stayed with Greg the whole time if it hadn't been for my foot.  I was feeling like the run was a good workout, not too hard, while we were running.  I felt like I could do that for a long time.  

       As I walked I thought about my options.  What if I had to walk the rest of the race?  What if a medical person pulled me?  What if I couldn't finish in time?  The worst thing was that the rest of my body felt great.  My legs, lungs, and heart weren't even close to tired and were quite annoyed that they had to slow down, they were enjoying the run.  The only thing holding me back was my injured foot.  This time the marathon wouldn't beat me, my foot would.  I kept going until I got to a First Aid table where I got some pain pills and hoped that they would help.  I continued knowing that, if nothing else, I would finish the half marathon so I could still get my medal.  Things weren't looking great for me finishing the race.

       I got to the half marathon split and tried to jog again.  This was the most painful my foot felt during the entire time.  It felt like it was ripping apart.  I thought, momentarily, that I should pull myself.  I should tell the medics that I can't continue and get off my foot.  But I'm too stubborn for that.  I still felt fine walking and I was keeping a 14 minute mile while walking.  If I could keep that I would finish in 5:45, my worst time ever, but I would finish.  So I kept going.  

       I started power-walking.  If I was going to walk I was going to give it my all and it wasn't going to be a mopey, pain filled walk.  I wanted to get my walking pace down, closer to 13 minute mile so I could assure I wouldn't be taken off the course.  I wasn't able to but I did improve my pace over the next 7 miles.  I had a feeling I was doing more work by walking than it would have been running since I wasn't spending time "in flight" and it made me wonder again how well I would have done if I had been healthy.

       Even though my left foot was being horrible to me, my right foot also wanted part of the fun.  I forgot to clip my toenails (part of not really running for 2 weeks) and one of them decided to cut into the neighbor toe.  Not only was it bleeding, it was bleeding a lot.  I had some oozing out of my shoe and coagulating on the outside.  It grossed out a couple people, but luckily it didn't really hurt, it was just annoying.  I'm guessing the loss of blood wasn't a great thing either.

       Around mile 20 my friend Bob caught up to me.  When he came beside me I wanted to run with him for a while.  I knew my foot would only let me run a little, I had done some intermittent running when I felt I could on prior miles, so I would stick with him. while I could.  At this point my foot decided it was going to be OK for a while, I didn't have to stop.  In fact I could keep going and increase my speed.  As long as it was cooperating I wasn't arguing.  I ran in the last 6 miles 11 minute and then 10 minute miles on my aching foot.

       Despite all the problems, all the aches, all the walking, somehow I set a new Personal Record.  I finished in 5:11:56 which is 14 minutes faster than my last marathon.  I really don't know how I did that, but it happened.  I wanted to run a marathon in 4:45 when I signed up, my coach planned for me to finish in 4:15 when he saw me train, and I was ecstatic to finish in 5:11 with a foot injury that tends to stop runners dead in their tracks.  Even though things didn't go as planned and I'm already planning another marathon for when I'm healthy and can get that 4:15 time, I am happy that I did not give up and that I finished my 3rd marathon.

I got to hit the gong