Things I Learned From Marathon Training

Marathon training is daunting no matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran runner. There are so many training plans out there, some with minimal running mixed with cross-training, other that are rely on multiple workouts and several days of running.  

Now that I am over halfway done with my second marathon training plan, I have been reflecting back on the similarities and differences I have experienced.  I have noticed there are several ‘marathon truths’ even though I still consider myself a freshman marathoner.

The biggest difference I have noticed is that it is much harder to juggle training with teaching.(Duh.) For my first marathon, I intentionally chose a race that would not conflict with work and allow me to train throughout the summer when I was not teaching.  I wanted to be able to still have time to be mom to my young son and commit the time to my training.  Now, with teaching, graduate work, family, and Boston training, I find life much fuller and schedules far tighter than last summer.  

My biggest piece of advice to anyone contemplating marathon training: schedule your runs and keep the appointments.  

• Training plans - trust them

I was skeptical of running easy runs so much slower than what I felt was a steady pace for me. It took only a few weeks of training 40+ miles a week to get me to appreciate the easy runs. My legs, my body...even my head...needed those slower miles to recover.  Easy runs are not about the pace.  Easy runs are about time on feet.  

• Rest is crucial...so are naps

My training plan calls for one day of rest, which was usually Tuesdays.  I looked forward to Tuesdays for the relief that came with them.  I was by no means a couch potato, but the knowledge that I didn’t have training miles for that day was always welcome.  Rest days are almost always active rest days: Pilates or yoga, stretching, walks, bike rides, etc.  

Naps...are precious indeed.  I now find myself missing my naps terribly.  Never a napper before marathon training, I often needed to nap at least 15 minutes most days last summer.  How did I function before without naps???  Now naps are a cherished bonus when I can squeeze one in after school or on the weekends.  

• 

  New route: North Country Trail
  along Lake Superior!

  Make it fun when you can

Long runs can become very long and tedious. Favorite routes and trails can become mind-numbing after a few weeks of constant travel.  I tried to find ways to change up the scenery or the company. Summer is full of travel and new places, and I was able to easily fit my marathon training into multiple trips.  New places meant new routes.  Granted, it also meant doing some leg work and scouting out the surrounding area before hand but often I winged my route.  

For one of my longest runs, I posted a shout-out to my run group and invited people to join me for any short distance along my planned route.  It truly was a blast and it chunked up the sixteen miles nicely.  I also spent another long run on part of my marathon course to help me get a good feel for what I was in for on race day.

• Be prepared to wear out gear/shoes

I ran through two pairs of Brooks Pure Connect 3's and one pair of Brooks Pure Flow 3's between my training and recovery. Luckily, these were older models and I paid less than $100 for each pair, but still...I hadn't figured on that my first go-round. Preparing for my second marathon training cycle, I stocked up on my favorite (and now extinct!) shoes.

Something to ponder:  I went through a ton of laundry each week.  This winter seemed worse than the summer, which makes sense...I was wearing more layers than I was in the summer. This isn’t really wasn’t much of an issue as long as I stayed on top of my laundry and did a load every few days.  But it really sucked when I realized there were no clean sport bras to be found!

• Yes...you will become ‘that runner’

Yup.  Happens to the best of us.  Marathon training will permeate every corner of your life, especially if you are training for your first or have a very specific goal.  When running and training as much as I do for my cycles, I spend a lot of social time with other runners.  This leads to conversations about fueling, foam rolling, stretching, gear, hydration packs, etc.  You will discuss and seek out solutions for unusual toe blisters, gastrointestinal issues. and chaffing problems.  You will proudly compare your runner’s feet with other around you.  You might even get to the point where you will throw caution to the wind and run with your shirt off…<gasp>...in only your sports bra.  Okay...I did become that runner.  And it will be a-okay when/if you do, too.

• Get ready to be by yourself - A lot

Running between 40 and 60 miles over a week translated into at least three or four solo runs a week  But even when I showed up for my group runs, I was often by myself since I was the only one training for my race distance and date.  My training paces often didn’t match up to anyone else either.  Overall, I didn’t mind being solo so often but I did feel like I fell of the face of my running world.  

I did find ways to incorporate running to involve others.  My biggest challenge was a lack of child care on Sundays, when I usually had a shorter recovery run.  So I would suggest that my son race me on his bike while I ran.  Mother-son time + run time = problem solved.  I also tried to time my cool down miles with the beginning of group runs.  Pace didn’t matter as much and the company made those last few miles fly.

• Take the time to recover well

Recovery...so much more than taking a day or two off.  I found active recovery to be key. Leisurely walks, family bike rides, yoga classes, Pilates on the beach...anything that kept my body moving was fair game.  Nutritional recovery was a new concept for me as well.  I am careful about refueling after long runs, even if I’m not hungry.  A few indulgences aside, I’m a fairly healthy eater normally.  During marathon training, I listen to my body.  If I am more sore than I think I should be or just not perking up during the week, I will re-evaluate my diet, adding quality protein sources.  I also make a conscientious effort to hydrate all day long.

Second time around, marathon training is a bit different: the seasons, work, life.  But there have been these truths that I have found comforting...very comforting through the trials and miles of marathon training.  

Post-Marathon (Looking Back to Move Forward) Part 1

It has been a (very) long while since I have sat down to write and publish a new blog post.  Too long. I will freely admit I let life run its course, and while I did sit down a few times to recap my marathon and recovery, life kept calling on me to be present.  Here is a recap of my first marathon:

Leading up to the big day, September 12, my body was ready to taper.  While my training was solid and I consistently hit my paces and mileage, my last tempo run was a complete bust.  I went out too fast on a late August afternoon that was one of the hottest and most humid I’d trained in yet.  The next morning, I greeted the sunrise halfway through my recovery miles I had to get in early now that the new school year was gearing up.  I was left feeling that perhaps I couldn’t do it...that I couldn’t BQ at my first marathon...that I was too tired and there was no way to redeem myself from that last major training run.  

Miles & Smiles...that's how to race!

Trying to shake the self-doubt away, I focused on tapering well.  It was the last step in my training; the work had been done.  I did everything I could to rest my legs: no heels; sitting often; stretching and yoga; extra naps. Balancing work and running was easier than I expected as I could channel my extra jitters/energy into preparing my classroom for my incoming students.  After 18 weeks of training, I was ready to be done.  

Race day approached.  I never really talked about my goal to qualify for Boston beyond my closest running friends and some members of my running groups.  I never put it out there publicly nor did I chronicle my training paces...because I was paranoid I would jinx myself.  Leading up to my marathon, the Last Chance to BQ.2, I barely acknowledged my hope to BQ despite the fact I had trained for it.  My boyfriend Steve had faith in me, and so did my friends and running buddies.  For me, it remained to be seen.  I had faith in my training to get me through 26.2 miles and across the finish line.  For a first marathon, a Boston Qualification was a very lofty goal.  Finishing the marathon would be the end punctuation, where a BQ would be the exclamation point to finish months of intense training and sacrifice.

Steve ran with me for most of the last half.

The morning of September 12th came and I was as ready as I could have been.  My fueling plan was all laid out, tested and true.  Race outfit had been picked well in advance (I had raced in it all summer).  My GPS watch was charged and my race bag packed.  Steve and I left for Millennium Park in Grand Rapids after our traditional pre-race breakfast of coffee, peanut butter toast, and a banana.  We were greeted by a few of our runner friends who had come to cheer for me.  Then the race started.

Team Hansen

Everything was going well...very well.  I started out a bit too fast but settled in after a few miles.  The weather was perfect: cool temps and clear skies.  I stuck to my fueling plan, taking a Huma gel every 30 minutes, and taking a few sips of water every mile.  Steve began to run with me right around the halfway point, and I was glad to have his company.  There was a mild hiccup somewhere in the middle, around mile 14.  My sole sisters, Liz, Donna, and Amanda, popped up at an aid station with an epic cheering section, my son included.  Having them cheering for me and seeing my son stirred up tears and I lost my breathe for a few minutes.  It was all I could to to power up a small hill just after passing them, so I could slow down a bit to regain my race composure.  

My little guy crossing the finish line with me. 

Things were going smoothly until my GPS watch lost satellite signal right around mile 16.  It was still keeping time, but it no longer calculated my mile splits or pace.  I was a bit shaken and really pissed.  Ultimately, I ran the next few miles too fast, wasting precious energy.  I hit the wall at mile 22 or 23.  The last gel was taken and I powered through, although I did slow down, even walking a few times, trying to reset my mental game.  Finally turning right and heading down the home stretch, I focused on the finish line.  Steve veered off just before the finish shoot, letting me bring it in on my own.  My son, Cole, was waiting for me just before the finish line, and we crossed over it together, hand in hand.  My time: 3:30:49.  I had qualified for Boston!

Post race celebration: Crack Fries & a brew.

Liz, Amanda, Donna, & I post marathon.

Trica, my virtual training partner & friend.

Upcoming blog post: Post-Marathon (Looking Back to Move Forward) Part 2 - Things I Learned from Marathon Training.

Sweet 16: Marathon Training

The process of marathon training is not one for the faint of heart or lacking motivation.  This task requires a lengthy commitment and dedication that will challenge and test any runner.  I knew this when I began training for my first marathon on the heels of my 25K in May.  My 18 week marathon training plan was going to push me to mileage and extended paces I had never attempted before.  

The Sweet 16 Route

Running six days a week, with two quality workouts, I wrapped up my eleventh week this morning, and I must say, it was a very different my most of my training runs.  Not only did I run the first of three 16 mile runs, but I raced my first back to back races ever in the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival run (I did the 5K and 10K).

Leading up to this long run, I have been combating loneliness on most of my runs.  There aren’t many local runners who want to join me on my quality workouts (speed and tempo runs) at my pace...and I don’t blame them.  Sweating it out for eight or more miles as the mercury climbs and the humidity thickens is not what I’d call fun.  But the work must be done, and I must do it.  So far I have varied my routes as much as I can within the limits of childcare arrangements and taken to listening to the backlog of podcasts on my iPhone.  I have longed for company on my long, easy runs.  

As an attempt to lure other runners to join me for a stretch of what is one of my longest runs in my training plan, I decided to change up my route and run around Muskegon Lake.  I checked the distance, following the Lakeshore Bike path, beginning at one side of the channel around to the other side.  The distance was the 16 miles that was penciled into my training log.  Next step...find some others willing to get up and brave the warm morning.  I threw the invite out to my run groups, hoping that my easy pace of 8:30ish would be tempting for a few.  

Starting Point: Steven & I at the Muskegon Lighthouse and South Pier Head.

Only my boyfriend Steve joined me for the entire distance (he is in the earlier weeks of a marathon training plan), but we picked up a several other local runners for varying distances along the way.  Their smiles, hellos, and conversations helped the miles fly by in quick little chunks.  Catching up with Alana, Heidi, Colin, and Shawn was a bonus to the sunny, long miles around Muskegon Lake.  With them also came offers of ice water (yes please!), sunscreen, body glide, gels, and words of encouragement.  (Side note:  Heidi, Colin, and Shawn all ran the Kalamazoo Marathon this past spring.)  

Heidi, me, and Alana during the first six miles.

Colin and Shawn joined me at the half way point in North Muskegon

Finished!  We made it around to the other side!

As Steve and I approached Muskegon State Park, we were greeted by a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan.  “Hello my friend,” Steve said as we made our way over the last of the backwood dune hills and into the state park.  Until this run, I had never been in this part of the park before.  I was stunned by the beauty of the dunescape that surrounded us:  gently rolling dunes blanketed with marram grass, patches of milkweed and other native flowers dotting the roadside, a calm and majestic water as far as the eye could see.  Carlo and Sofia awaited us at the end of our sweet 16 miles with water and smiles.  

I couldn’t be happier about how my highest mileage week yet ended:  a wonderful long, slow run.  

Steve, me, Jack, Sofia, and Carlo before we headed home!

My #TeamChemistry

This week, Oiselle posted a #TeamChemistry Instagram challenge.  I have participated by posting #TeamChemistry pictures of both of my running groups (Run Muskegon and the Grand Haven Running Club) as well as two of my dear running friends, Liz and Donna.  

Without these people in my life, I would not have been able to keep up my running and focus on my original #TeamChemistry teammate: my son Cole.

If you were a fly on the wall in our house, you’d hear:

“Mommy, we are a great team.”  

“Cole, we are going to do (insert activity) because we are a team.  This is how we work together.”  

“That was some great teamwork!”

“Mom, we are the bestest team ever!”  Yup...we are.

Since we lost Collin, my late husband and Cole’s father, to cancer almost three years ago, Cole and I approach life as a team.  We on this crazy road together, through thick and thin.  Honestly, I don’t know how I would have made it this far without Cole.  My little blessing tolerates my need to run and the time it takes me away from him.  Offers to ride his bicycle along side me (we will be working on his endurance over the next few years), bring tears of pride and joy.  Cole has even caught my running bug having completed his first 5K at age 5 and running in the Color Run, Milan’s Miracle 1K, and the Ugly Sweater Run.  I, in turn, spend hours building Lego sets, becoming a pseudo Star Wars expert, and learning to play Minecraft.  

He is my reason for running, for pushing myself.  I know my son is watching, and I, as his only parent, am his leading role model.  I want him to know what the journey of pursuing a dream, a passion, looks like...and not just the end with all the achievement and celebrating.  But the deep, gritty, and raw moments that are inevitable.  I want him to see this so that when it is his turn to chase a dream, Cole knows I will be right there with him, supporting him unconditionally.

So...to my little heart...Happy Valentine’s Day!  Thank you for being my wee wing...my teammate.