Running Should Be Fun

Hi ya’ll! I’m Tess from Cross Country Cajun. I’ve been running regularly for about 6 years and have run 3 marathons thus far. I’m currently in the last few weeks of training for my fourth marathon in December. Ashley’s Marathon + Moderations posts are some of my favorites, so I was super excited to contribute to her series.

My best marathon advice can be summed up in the acronym – RUN 26.2

DRCpicture

Run for you – Run because you love running – let that feeling guide you. There will be plenty of solo miles over training and times during the race where the motivation must come from within. When those times happen, always go back to why you run – because you love it.

Unsuccessful runs will happen – Not all of your training runs will be pretty or spectacular. You might not hit all the perfect distances or paces. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember that it’s just one run and move on. In the end, the bad runs help your mental muscle.

Nudge outside your comfort zone – This training season, I tried some new things outside my comfort zone. I signed up for two different track groups, joined some running groups around town, and helped mentor/coach some others. These helped me become a stronger and smarter runner and connected me to the running community in Nashville in ways I didn’t know possible.

Take rest days – You’ll spend plenty of time on your feet during training. Make sure you take advantage of rest days. A smart coach once told me that to be a successful runner long-term – you need to push it hard on the days when you need to test your limits and rest really well on the days you need to rest.

6 (point) people for marathon sherpas  – While you need some motivation within, having some sherpas along the way to support and encourage you is crucial as well. Some of my best sherpas are my husband, family, friends, blog friends (blends), running buddies and members of my training programs. Not all of your sherpas need to be expert runners. My husband isn’t a distance runner, but he is my biggest cheerleader. He has been at every one of my marathons, holding up funny signs, giving encouraging words and making sure I had all the right fuel. My parents are non-runners but they always ask how my training is going and let me know how proud they are of me. It’s amazing how far little bits of encouragement go.

535545_990193651849_1214105369_n

Trust in your training – On race day, you might have doubts, and you might let those little negative voices dance around in your brain. If you forget all the tips above, just remember to trust in your training. It’s amazing what your body can do and will do. Put in the work to your training and it will pay off!

Lastly, have fun with it! Running should be fun – finish that marathon with a smile on your face!

Share Button
Follow:

Marathon Tips from a First Timer

Hey there! I’m Anne and I write about marathon training – or since Oct. 28, about post-marathon slothfulness – at Riled Up Runner.

clip_image002

When Ashley first asked me to contribute a post to her fabulous Marathons+Moderation guest series, I was still a few weeks out from my inaugural marathon and therefore woefully unqualified to impart any advice on running 26.2 miles. But now that I’ve been a successful marathoner for, um, a full week, I’m clearly an expert. You should probably take everything I write as science.*

*False.

To be honest, running is a relatively new pastime for me, and one I only considered in a last ditch effort to regain a sense of control after finding myself on New Year’s Day 2011 self-conscious, discouraged and 30 pounds overweight. Let me paint a picture for you: the vast majority of my exercise during the previous 25 years had consisted of sprints to the fridge during Food Network commercial breaks. But since anything seems possible during the first week of January, I somehow allowed myself to be talked into registering for the Philadelphia Broad Street 10-mile Run that May with a group of much healthier friends. Not wanting to come in last place, I manned up, actually trained and – after five months of a slow and steady ramp up – crossed the finish line 10 minutes faster than I’d expected and with the most intoxicating runner’s high imaginable. As my favorite fictional character Forrest Gump said, “From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!”

Despite my instantaneous obsession with mid-distance racing, at the time, I wouldn’t have told you a marathon was in the cards for me. Ten miles was rough – I remember thinking – how do some runners do that twice and then add on an extra 10K to boot? So I put the idea of running 26.2 out of my mind and focused instead on 5Ks and 10Ks and the occasional half marathon. I was down to my ideal weight, I was loving the post-race euphoria and I was content.

And then New Year’s Day 2012 rolled around and suddenly, I needed a new resolution. And I really didn’t want it to be flossing. Enter Marine Corps Marathon 2012.

I selected the Marine Corps Marathon in DC for a lot of reasons – my family’s extensive naval history, the prospect of meeting my gorgeous marine soul mate on the race course (spoiler alert: no such luck) and the fact that I could avoid the lottery and secure myself guaranteed entry by running a Marine Corps 10K in March.

clip_image004

So I registered, trained, puffy-painted a shirt with my name on it and – I still can’t believe it – finished my first marathon last week at a surprise 3:51:51 clip. I’d been targeting a just-barely-sub-4:00, but the thrill of the event and the roar of the crowds and the promise of a lot of deliciously empty calories at the finish line lit a fire under my feet and kept me feeling strong for the entire 26.2-mile loop.

clip_image005

Now I think we’ve established here that I’m no expert in running, but I have picked up a few tips along the way that I wish someone had told me before I began marathon training. So in no particular order, I bring you Anne’s list of tips I wish someone had told me before I began marathon training. (Really rolls off the tongue, huh?)

Take your training seriously, but not at the expense of your social life. Marathon training, like most things in life, is all about balance and moderation. Yes, you need to do all your long runs. Yes, you should complete your weekly speed work. Yes, you have to sleep 7+ hours a night, eat well most days and keep the race at the back of your mind all training cycle long. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up the occasional happy hour, or even the occasional all-nighter, during those four months of discipline. Might I have broken 3:50 if I hadn’t danced until the sun came up at a friend’s apartment a few weeks before race day? Maybe. But would I be the well-rounded 90s-dance-party-afficianado I am today? Probably not. I’ll be the first to admit you’re going to have to make some sacrifices in your life to be a great runner, but you also sometimes have to make sacrifices in your running to have a great life. Moderation in all things, including moderation.

Train with friends sometimes, but enjoy your alone time, too. Running with friends is a wonderful way to mix your social life with your training schedule, plus post-run mimosas are way more socially acceptable when you’re not drinking them alone. But while friends can encourage you to run faster and run farther, I think there’s something equally rejuvenating about running solo. Most week days, I head out to Central Park sans-music, sans-Garmin, sans-everything and enjoy some peaceful miles with no sound except that of my steady breathing and my feet hitting the pavement. Sure, there’ll be plenty to look at come race day, but when you find yourself in a crowd-free section of the marathon course with no running buddy around to inspire you, you’ll be glad you have experience running with only No. 1.

Take pictures of your feet before you begin training. Seriously. Why did no one tell me this? While I never claimed to have foot-model-caliber paws before, now that they’re a calloused, toenail-free mess, I suddenly wish I’d paid them more respect pre-2011.

Stretch. I don’t do this, but I’ve heard it’s good for you.

Puffy paint a shirt with your name on it for race day. I’m partial to puffy paint, but you could also use Sharpies or fabric paint or iron-on decals. Either way, don’t even think about toeing the starting line without having your given name broadcast across your bosom. I can’t tell you enough how much the random spectators calling out my name kept me going during those final miles of the Marine Corps Marathon. With every single “Go Anne!,” I grinned – oh fine, and usually teared up – and found the motivation I needed to keep plowing through.

And on that note: go watch local races you’re not participating in and cheer on your friends – or random strangers with their names on their shirts (see above). Part of the fun of running is being a member of a vibrant running community, and never is that sense of camaraderie more apparent than on the sidelines of a race. Volunteer to distribute water if that’s your thing, or just wake up early to clap and holler from the sidelines. What goes around comes around, and cheering on your fellow athletes is unquestionably good karma. One word of caution though: if you’re going to make a sign for the New York City Marathon just hours before Bloomberg decides to cancel it, probably best not to make it so topical it won’t be funny come NYC 2013.

clip_image007

Ah well. Live and learn, right?

Good luck with your training, everyone, and if you ever find yourself in need of a running buddy in New York City, you know where to find me! (ShakeShack, probably.)

Share Button
Follow:

Marathon on My Mind

I’ve finally reached that almost annoying countdown stage of the marathon training.

image

Now that we’re less than 12 days out from the marathon it’s showing up on my work calendar, is affecting my daily activities and is on my mind more than normal. But, it’s weird to have it consume my mind so much when it’s not consuming my legs.

This weeks mileage: 23 miles

Next weeks mileage: 11 before the marathon then 26.2

So far my workouts have been strong these past few days and the taper hasn’t started to really set in and feel real. Actually, based on the way Gia has laid out my workouts, I’m not sure I will feel it. She’s done a great job of giving me daily activities, similar to the way she’d program activates for her adorable twins, so I don’t get bored or plan my own activities. For example, today was personal training which meant lots of mobility and core work using light weights or only body weight. In addition, I have yoga sessions sprinkled in between my running workouts which means I’ll never get bored.

I really like her version of taper. I want my legs to be hungry next week, not this week.

This week I feel like she’s also my therapist. She’s given me prescriptive directions for every run to make sure I don’t kill my legs by trying to race the Poland Springs 5 Miler this Sunday or any of my other runs. Instead, the name of the game is marathon pace.

in addition, as I’ve been trying to keep my own mind clear I’m trying to focus on learning as much as possible from my own training and other people’s experiences before next Sunday. Therefore, I thought it would be fun to spend some time this evening reading through my old marathon recaps and other blogger recaps. I had so much fun that I just spent the last hour creating a Pinterest board dedicated to New York City Marathon race recaps. Check it out here! Want me to pin your recap? Leave a link in the comment section!

image

In addition, I’m working on a larger post that will go up later this week including my tips and tricks for the marathon, including answers to questions I’ve received via email and Twitter from readers. Though I’m not fast it is nice to feel like I can help others prepare for the big day since I’ve run New York City Marathon twice already and live locally. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Earlier today, Bo and I finally decided what we want to do after the marathon. This year our decision is to make no firm plans. Two years ago, Bo hosted an amazing party for our friends at our place to celebrate my first marathon finish. While it was lots of fun it was exhausting for both of us. Last year our plans to enjoy drinks at Rye House fell through due to my visit to the medical tent after crossing the finish line. This year, since we’re both running the marathon, we think the best option is the lowest stress option. Therefore, we’re delaying any type of group celebration until the next day and instead making it a Pre-Election/Post Marathon celebration at a bar where we know we can enjoy steins of beer in comfort: Zum Schneider!

IMG_5075IMG_5078

You know how else I’m pre-occupying my mind this week? I’m sending this lady random Marine Corps

IMG_1781.jpeg

Marathon facts each day that I’ve found online. It takes my mind of my own marathon and I’m learning a lot along the way.

Discuss: How do you feel about marathons that don’t offer free tracking service? Once again, the NYC Marathon charges $2.99 to track runners. I also can’t find anything like Runner Broadcast Service that other marathons like Chicago and MCM offer for free. I love NYCM but wish they could improve on these aspects.

Share Button
Follow: