Marathon: My personal journey

Unexpectedly, week 1 has been super interesting. I have been up and down all week. I felt great yesterday afternoon and had some realizations about pace.

Next up, my first long run. I am looking forward to it and can't wait to get a solid rhythm going.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend. Go Black Hawks!


Image source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Blackhawks

This week I am learning first hand the concept of "baby steps". I am early in my training for the Quad City Marathon, but I am reminded of this amazing journey. It's going to be a long one and will require me to take some baby steps in the beginning.

Patience is a virtue:)


Image source:
http://thetechiementor.com/virtual-assistant-motivation/

I am excited to drive home a new week of training. Up ahead, I will be focusing on some new speed work, cross training and logging miles.

I will work on my eating habits too. I can't wait for a solid marathon in the Fall 2015!

Image source:
http://runnersconnect.net

It's been a weird Spring for me running wise. I have encountered a few nagging issues with my feet, back and motivation/mental focus. I have been solidly working through each one.

To fix my feet, I changed shoes (experimenting has paid off) and strengthening exercises.
To fix my back, I have stretched, cross trained and hit the chiropractor.
To fix my motivation/mental focus, I signed up for a full marathon and have been really thinking about changing my training. It is working!

Here is what I am so excited to tell you about. Today, I had a run that was amazing. I just went out and didn't worry too much about my pace (initially). My first mile was 2 minutes faster than usual. The next four miles, I pushed myself to run more instead of walking through difficult spots.

I finished the run strong and experienced true joy. I feel like I have really turned the corner!

I am excited to share with you the other things I will be changing up for the rest of the year- stay tuned!

How do you get out of a running funk?



Image source:
http://www.pour-favor.com/turning-the-corner/

It is certainly true what they say, patience is a virtue. I am re-learning this all of the time. A month ago, I listened to a marathon coach talk about the key to surviving the marathon is patience.

This week during training, I would have some good days and bad days. On the bad days, I found myself getting frustrated with my pace or ability. I have to constantly remind myself that it's a work in progress and to be patient.

After all, it's only the beginning. This year, I want to run my best time in the marathon. I am working hard on my nutrition and cross training. Last week, I did the Spartacus workout three times. I can feel the difference.

It's just going to take some time:)


Image source:
http://web.stemiliescps.wa.edu.au/?p=5453

It's Official:)

Quad Cities Marathon registration