That’s right — Sunday night I signed up for the Charleston Marathon. Not the half marathon, mind you — the full 26.2 miler marathon.
Eek!!
I actually have been training for a few weeks now, but have been a teeny bit shy about announcing it on here just in case I chicken out and decide not to run it. But $65 of my pretty dollars have been committed towards this goal, so we can now make it official — I am training for a marathon!
The idea started when I was creating my 30 before 30 list. In a courageous moment I stuck “Run a Marathon” on the list and then published it. Afterwards I thought, What was I thinking putting that on there? That’s probably going to be the one thing I don’t complete on that list. But then I got my new job and a more structured schedule and thought — if I’m ever going to run a marathon, it’s going to be now.
I’m running it with two friends in January. We’re all in different cities, but keeping up with each other through daily emails of encouragement and recaps of our runs, both good and bad. We started training 25 weeks out, so here’s the schedule I’m using:
Here’s a link to the easier-to-read version.
It’s mighty scary looking at some of those 15+ runs, but I think with a little determination and time, I can do it. I’m currently in the middle of week 5, so I’ll be running 6 miles this weekend. I apologize in advance because I’m going to writing a lot about my training and weekly progress on here to keep me motivated and accountable. 4 weeks down, 21 weeks to go!
Have you run a marathon before? Any tips and tricks for surviving the long runs?
I never have, but I need to sign up for one!
I’ve only ever run a half but once you get above 9 miles or so make sure you have food with you! (even if it’s only Gu) And maybe invest in a hydration belt. I thought they were stupid (and not worth the money) until I started running the longer distances and holding a water bottle was just a pain in the rear!
so excited for you!!! Have fun training!
I second Christine’s vote on the hydration system – I ran my first full without one because the thought of spending $20+ on a water bottle seeme crazy – but , and arms get so tired from holding ‘normal’ water bottles! Personally I like ultimate direction’s fast draw bottle holders, but just find something you like.
Congrats on taking on such an awesome challenge! I just recently got back into running, and my goal is to run in a half-marathon next year, then maybe a full marathon the following year.
yay for you Ginna! What a challenge that I’m sure you will do excellent at! Can’t wait to hear about the progress. :)
Great for you! It’s insurance for yourself and I heard the euphoria afterwards is like no other. It might lead others to join you!