5 Things to Consider before Deciding to Run a Marathon

1) The Time Commitment

According to Running USA, the average person finishes a marathon in about 4:22 min (the average time for women is 4:48 min). Every course has a time limit that you must complete the race within in order to medal. For the SF Marathon the course time limit is 6 hours or 13:44 minute mile pace.

In a previous post I shared the "Life Budget" that I made to figure out how to plan my time. Part of the inspiration for that came from me trying to decide if I had enough time to train for a marathon. I knew that training would take quite a few hours of my day each week to run, cross-train, stretch, and everything else I need to do. To be able to run for 4-6 hours in a single day, you have to work up to that with hours of training and account for that in your schedule.

2) Figure out Your Training Plan

There are a ton of training plans and programs on the internet. After planing and training for the half marathon, I realized that the best approach for me what I  what I refer to as a "hit mileage" for the week. I know that I need to be able to run a certain number of miles during a particular week to stay on track, aka my "hit mileage". Whatever I did during the week was flexible, as long as I could safely hit that mileage number by the weekend.

The best training schedule is the one that works best for you. If you know Mondays are a rough work day for you, plan it as a stretch day-- not a 12 mile run day...

I'm constantly adjusting it, but here my schedule as of now:

Training		Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Week Hit Milage
18	25-Mar	Light Gym/Yoga	3 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	6 Miles	Soul Cycle	6 Miles
17	1-Apr	Light Gym/Yoga	3 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	8 Miles	Soul Cycle	8 Miles
16	8-Apr	Light Gym/Yoga	3 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	8 Miles	Soul Cycle	8 Miles
15	15-Apr	Light Gym/Yoga	3 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	10 Miles	Soul Cycle	10 Miles
14	22-Apr	Light Gym/Yoga	4 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	11 Miles	Soul Cycle	11 Miles
13	29-Apr	Light Gym/Yoga	4 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	12 Miles	Soul Cycle	12 Miles
12	6-May	Light Gym/Yoga	4 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	13 Miles	Soul Cycle	13 Miles
11	13-May	Light Gym/Yoga	5 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	14 Miles	Soul Cycle	14 Miles
10	20-May	Light Gym/Yoga	5 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	14 Miles	Soul Cycle	14 Miles
9	27-May	Light Gym/Yoga	5 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	16 Miles	Soul Cycle	16 Miles
8	3-Jun	Light Gym/Yoga	6 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	16 Miles	Soul Cycle	16 Miles
7	10-Jun	Light Gym/Yoga	6 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	18 Miles	Soul Cycle	18 Miles
6	17-Jun	Light Gym/Yoga	6 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	18 Miles	Soul Cycle	18 Miles
5	24-Jun	Light Gym/Yoga	6 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	14 Miles	Soul Cycle	14 Miles
4	1-Jul	Light Gym/Yoga	7 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	20-22 Miles	Soul Cycle	20-22 Miles
3	8-Jul	Light Gym/Yoga	7 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	16 Miles	Soul Cycle	16 Miles
2	15-Jul	Light Gym/Yoga	7 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	12 Miles	Soul Cycle	12 Miles
1	22-Jul	Light Gym/Yoga	7 Miles	Elliptical/Strength	Hills	2-5 Miles	10 Miles	RACE DAY

3) Examine your Diet

I've never been very good at dieting, or sticking to a strict plan when it comes to food. I have a terrible sweet tooth, and to me bread is the 8th wonder of the world. However, recently I've been developing a new relationship with food and really listening to what my body. I've been trying to change my diet, and the marathon was the push I needed.

Here are some ways I'm adjusting what I eat. Some of these things I experimented to see if I would feel better with our without them, and some I knew I needed more of to have a balanced diet.

• The Cheese has Gouda Go.

I've always been lactose intolerant, and would still consumer dairy and complain about not feeling well later. Since I've cut my dairy intake I've felt significantly more balanced.

• Gluten Free Grandma.

They say as you get older you can start becoming more sensitive to some foods. I started to notice that I wasn't feeling well after eating a lot of gluten and my energy levels were way down. I still have a lot of carbs (hello sweet potatoes) but I realized that I couldn't eat baguettes like a French girl anymore.

• Fruits, vegetables, and meats. Oh My! 

I've been thinking of food as "Fuel" lately. I don't think about calorie count or macros, I think "what do I need to give my body, so it can do what I need it do?". To me that has translated to piling on the fruits, veggies, and meat onto my plate even when I don't feel like it. I force myself to eat those things first and then let myself eat what I was craving after (I'm a lot fuller from the good stuff-so I eat less of the bad stuff).

• Marie Kondo my Portion Sizes

Dinner plate sizes have actually been increasing over the years, so I don't completely take credit for my portion control problems. Instead of "Spark Joy", I ask myself "Do I need this on my plate to be full?"

4) Having the Proper Gear

Running requires minimal gear, but there are a few things that are nice to have:

1.Good Running Shoes

I've been running in Asics Gel-Kayano running shoes for years now. Running shoes can wear down, so it's important to replace them after their recommended lifetime mileage, or when you start to pinpoint your aches and pains to your stride.

2. Running Belt

Some people like arm bands for their phone, but a running belt is nice for long runs. I can put my phone, keys, running energy chews, bandaids, extra headphones, and whatever else I need. Newer belts are really thin and sleek that look more like a band with expandable pockets.

3.Hats

Important to protect yourself from the sun, and doubles as a sweat band...

4.Nike Running App

The app uses your phone GPS to track how far you've run, so you don't need to keep to a strict route when you're training. It's nice to just pick a location, and run where ever you want to go. (It does a lot more, but that's most what I use it for)

5. Smart Watch 

Because I like to keep my phone in my running belt, and because its hard to work my phone while running, I love having my apple watch. I can change music, see whose calling me and answer (or decline...), switch to a podcast, and everything else I would need to do.

6. Running Energy Chews

You are burning a lot of calories when you are running that long, and to make sure I don't feel faint I have some of these chews on an extra long run. I also make sure to drink water.

7. Foam Roller

For me, a foam roller is essential. If I don't foam roll after my runs and workouts I tend to get injured and have more pains.

5) Mental Prep

There is a famous phrase for runners called "Hitting the Wall" where you feel a lack of energy and think "I can't do this, I want to stop now."  Running is also repetitive, so what you are thinking about or listening to while you run is important.

To get in the right headspace for running and training:

• Follow a motivational athletic instagram accounts (Every Marathon has an IG too)
• Practice your meditation and breathing exercises for better mental strength
• Get Podcasts that you like to listen to during long stretches of your run
• Have a playlist for the start of the race, points that you need a push, and for the end of the race so you have the right motivation and tempo

 

BIGGEST THING THAT HAS HELPED ME:

When you think of yourself as a person that eats healthy, then you eat healthy.

When you think of yourself as a person that stretches in the morning, the you stretch.

When you think of yourself as a marathon runner, then you run marathons.

 

Might seem silly, but when you internalize it, it really can affect your choices and mindset.

 

CHEERS,

Kelly