Hey Healthy Happier Bear readers! I’m Leslie from And Her Little Dog Too – my little corner of the blog world is about healthy living, eating, running and everything in between, with lots of appearances by my dog, Jackson! I also just got married a month ago so lots of the wedding planning as well as my honeymoon recaps have appeared on the blog too!
Last Fall, I lost my marathon virginity and ran 26.2 miles in the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10. It was a beautiful day for a race and I was so proud of myself for crossing the line from a runner and becoming a marathoner! I learned so much from my first marathon, and as soon as I crossed the finish line and got that medal around my neck I was hooked!
A very short 3 weeks after completing my first marathon in Chicago, I found myself in a New York State of Mind on the start line for possibly the most popular marathon in the world – the New York Marathon! It was very much A Race Like No Other and I am so grateful that I was able to run two marathons that are on my marathon bucket list in the same season! I have long term goals to join the 50 State Marathon Club as well as run all the World Marathon Majors – Chicago, NYC, London, Berlin & Boston!
Running Back to Back marathons is no easy feat! Moderation during my marathon training was KEY for me because I did not want to burn myself out from over training or injure myself as I am prone to shin splints! My main mantra during training was: Less is More.
I spent the few months before both marathons focusing on quality, not quantity runs. I made sure I hit my long run every weekend, but during the week I put more energy into cross-training – through yoga, biking and swimming. The summer before I ran my first marathon I spent a good amount of time training for my first triathlon so the swimming and bike training were a good distraction from the build up in mileage.
I also made sure to sign up for lots of races during marathon training – I did the majority of my training and long runs on my own, all by myself, so whenever I was able run a race to go along with a longer run, I did! I ran the ING Rock & Roll Half in Philly as part of my attempt at 22 miles – I ran down to the start of the race and home! It was a tad painful and mentally very difficult, but running 13 miles in a race with tons of other people made the extra miles on the way home much easier – plus it’s always fun to get another medal for my wall! (I may or may not have signed up for races in the past JUST to get a medal – I heart them!)
So there you have it – just a few tips from my marathon training experience! This year I am repeating my running plan from last Fall as I am signed up to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October, followed by the Philadelphia Marathon 3 short weeks later. What can I say? I have a running addiction! Come stop by my little corner of the blog world to check out how I run back to back marathons in 2011!
Happy Running!
Awesome guest post! Leslie, i’m excited to read all about your marathon training!
Great post Leslie! Glad you love the ING NYC! 🙂
Thanks so much ladies! Glad you enjoyed my guest post!
That was a great post! Motivational! You are so lucky you were able to register for the Marine Corps Marathon, that one sells out quick!
Good luck with the 2 coming marathons!
For future reference, if you decide to run a marathon in Maryland, I suggest you register for the Washington Birthday Marathon in Greenbelt.
It is such a beautiful course, located in a region outside of the city. The course goes in three loops and there is plenty of water/bathroom stops.
I think the scenery is one of a kind, compare to road marathons. My other suggestion would be to train for hills, because the trail has plenty of hills that can last up to 1/2 a mile. Endurance to the max!
Great tip Amy! I am looking for a MD Marathon! I will have to check it out!
Awesome guest post! I think the cross-training tips are very important. I trained for my first marathon (which I also ran on 10-10-10 in Portland, Oregon) last summer and I focused SOLELY on running, doing yoga or biking MAYBE once a week. As an injury-prone runner I kept getting injured and actually ended my marathon with a torn tendon in my foot that made it so I could barely walk!!! It was not a good experience.
I now see that lower mileage and higher cross-training is wayyy better for my body and this is something I will definitely keep in mind when I train for my next marathon!