You must do the things you think you cannot do. 

                                                                             ∼ Eleanor Roosevelt

We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for.  I learned this first hand while training for and running my most recent marathon. I ran my first marathon in 2006, second in 2007 then after a bad experience running my third in 2008, I switched to half’s. 

Fast forward to 2018. Boston had crazy cold, rainy weather for the marathon, oddly enough it inspire me to attempt to BQ (Boston qualify).  Now was as good of a time as any…actually better.  I just gained 10 minutes for my BQ (which later went down to 5), I was the youngest I was going to be for this qualifying time, I was already registered for a fast downhill half… I could switch it to the full. It was now or never… I’ll give it one shot (unless I didn’t BQ, then maybe one more shot, hehehe).

So I went for it!

Here are a few things I learned along the way.

1. Positive attitude is EVERYTHING!: I say this time and time again…running is all in your head. Obviously training is important when running a marathon (or any distance), but without the right mindset, training can be long and torturous. Believing in yourself can make the seemingly impossible, possible. Knowing other people believe in you is a great thing to have in your head too.  And smile…it really helps!                                 Read Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor for more on positive thinking and inspiration. 
2. I like running on a track and doing hill repeats. There I said it. When I trained for my other marathons I never really had a  goal in mind other than finishing without dying. This time I signed up for coaching and trained with a purpose. I did intervals, tempo runs, pace runs, track workouts and hills repeats. And I liked it! I liked the variety of workouts and how the track and hill repeats made me feel strong. 
3. Audible books are a great distraction on a long run. I always thought I would zone out and lose track of the story, but I found that concentrating on the story helps me forget about the miles. I just had to make sure I checked my pace periodically because it’s easy to get comfortable and slow down.
4. Pre-race massages are great! I asked my coach, if I was going to get a massage, when would be the best time, pre-race or post-race. He recommended a few days pre-race because post race my legs would be too sore, and he was right. I went into the race on fresh legs, which is more than I can say for a lot of my long training runs, and what a difference!

   

5. I still don’t know what my “go to” meal is for the night before a race. I’ve tried a variety of pre-race foods throughout the years but I just can’t seem to find the one meal that is going to keep my GI tract happy. It’s weird, because normally I can eat anything without stomach issues, but come long run and my GI tract goes crazy! I definitely know what to avoid (salads, spicy foods, fried foods) but what works for one race doesn’t always work for the next. I had a blue cheese bacon burger (a first ever for me) the night before the Zion Half and I felt great for that race, but I think that was a fluke and have been afraid to try it again. Any suggestions?

That’s it for now. There’s so much more I have learned about training, injuries, my endurance, but that’s another post for another day. 

What have you learned as a runner? Do you have a “go to” pre-race meal? 

Thanks for reading!

Keep running my friends!            

                             Denise