My Marathon Log week 5

I've been reading up on a few marathon books last week and decided that I really want to document my training experience for my first marathon because it's kind've a big deal for me! Ok a huge deal. I know people can get annoyed reading fitness posts on facebook so if this annoys you, don't read it! However, if you want to read about a non athlete training for a marathon, lets hash this out together. I say I'm a non athlete because no one has ever referred to me as an athlete before. I'm still the girl who was always on the "B" team for sports and received a B in PE for not participating. This is my athletic background.
     I started running last year when I joined a fitness challenge and to simply get out of my trailer and running was the cheapest most convenient form of exercise.  Running kept me from losing my mind with my colic child and now I am learning to enjoy it. I decided to run a marathon when I saw that the training programs started with the ability to run 5 miles and it just so happens, I can do that. I wasn't anxious to start a regimented training  program because, lets face it, I have a hard time following a coach. Even when it was the couch to 5k app in my ear telling me when to walk or run, I wouldn't listen. Now it's  a piece of paper telling me what days to run, I always think I now best and deviate from the plan. I always regret it but I am so stubborn. Maybe it stems from the fact that coaches never really took to me, most likely because they saw my half ass effort. So this is my chance to change right?



This is my log of the days I've skipped and the changes I've made. I try to draw an icon of how I felt I did at the end of the training week

     So here I am, I've just completed week 5 of training for my marathon. Here's how it's going. The Sunday before last nearly killed me. I ran 12 miles...I think. I have two different trackers and they both tell me different things. One relies on GPS and the other is a sensor in my shoe. The GPS told me I did 13.6 miles but the sensor in the shoe said 12. I don't want to under train so I assume the mileage for the day is not complete until both trackers agree I've reached my goal. I think I need to start running outside , I want to run outside but inevitably it snows on the days where I have my chance. The Rec Center is right across the street. I'll talk about that in a bit.  So I completed my Sunday mileage of  12 miles and I thought I was going to die. I don't think I hyped myself up enough mentally. The week before I was nervous about running 11 but somehow when I got to 12 I forgot that I hadn't ever done that before. I think the last 4 miles my mantra was..."I should be home... this is awful... I don't think I can do this...I'm hungry...this is ridiculous." I seriously almost quit but, I kept going. As a result last weeks training was more mental than physical, I was exhausted the rest of the day but no one really has any patience for a mommy to take a nap, especially when she's already been gone 2 hours running. So Monday I slept in, instead of cross training and Tuesday I skipped because it was my sons birthday and he wanted me here. Also, there was just little will in me to run. I ran 5 miles on Wed. 4 miles on Thurs. took my Friday to rest, then 5 on Saturday and then 10 on Sunday. This Sundays run went much better. Yes it was less miles but I made sure I had a carbo-licous breakfast and I also experimented with energy gels by Gatorade. I'm not sure that  its the brand I'll stick with but I gotta say, I think they rebranded squeeze pops from the 90s and made them energy gels and I'm really excited about it because those were my favorite candies! Anyways, the extra carbs really did make me stay on the level the whole way through. I paced myself and felt great at the finish.
   So I have a few thoughts about running on an indoor track. It definitely has some advantages
  1. So conveniently close to me, seriously like .10 miles away, I walk there
  2. Safe to run at even when its dark
  3. I'm getting spoiled running next to a bathroom and a drinking fountain, things you miss when you're on a trail
  4. Doesn't matter if it's snowing , you can still get that run in
  5. The distractions are sometimes fun, on Sundays the Silver Sneaker ladies play basketball, I totally want to be one of them when I grow up, I want to wear those awesome goggles even if I don't need them

This is the indoor track, it's like a balcony around the basketball court
 

Here are some disadvantages of running indoors
1. I miss being outdoors, I was going to run outside this weekend and of course it snowed
2. The people who walk up here sometimes like to walk side by side, you would think that if they heard me huffing and puffing like a rhinoceros  behind them, (because they can definitely hear me) that they would scootch to the slow lane but this is not always the case.
3. The nimbus who has the bright idea to walk on the white line the whole time, it's two lanes buddy , you're not practicing to tight rope walk for cirque du soleil, so pick a lane!
  4. If someone crop dusts you it totally sucks, this also goes for the guy who blew up the bathroom! I went in there to tinkle after 5 miles and nearly puked.

     All in all, I'm just so glad I'm actually doing this. I read a great inspirational book called "Chasing Dawn" this mother of 5 decided to run 12 marathons in 12 months and you thought I was crazy! Her book gave me a new perspective on marathons. It doesn't have to be as serious as it is, in my head, and I'm not the only average person running marathons. Good to know. Also her times were not smoking fast which means, it's ok if mine isn't either. After all according to Hal Higdon author of "Marathon"  "If others finish in front of or behind you, it is only that their personal victories are more or less than yours. A person finishing behind you with less talent, or of a different age or sex, or various other limiting factors may have achieved a far greater victory." Great news for me because right now this marathon idea still seems really intimidating. My number one goal for this Marathon is to "finish like a champ, not like a chump"( I got that from the book "Chasing Dawn" she's so clever)  I really don't want to end up on youtube as one of those ladies having body spasms or losing control of bodily functions at the finish line. My husband loves to watch those and laugh....really don't want to be one of those.