Week 1- the beginning

I couldn't have asked for a better place to start my training than Isle of Palms, SC. The scenery was gorgeous, and I had good company.  I started off the week with a strength workout. My sisters and I did Insanity Max 30 Power. It is a tabata style workout, meaning we did a move for 20 seconds then had 10 seconds of rest. It had been awhile since I did a Max workout, so I had forgotten had tough the workouts were for me! I definitely worked up a sweat and worked my muscles before heading to the beach.

My first run was a grueling three mile trek around the resort. I thought we were going to beat the heat and humidity by running at 7. Boy was I wrong! It was miserable outside. There were times that I wanted to stop, but running with Kevin and Abby pushed me through those moments. Make sure that you find running buddies or a running group to train with to help pass the time and push you out of your comfort zone. 

I decided to do my five run by myself on the beach, so I could run on the beach with the sun rising. I thought I would be a little bit cooler with the ocean breeze blowing on me. WRONG! It was still hot and humid. The heat intensified as the sun started rising. About half way through my run, I had to stop and stretch my hips. They started tightening up on me, and it was painful to run. After stretching, it was a little easier to run. I'm seeing a chiropractor on Wednesday to try and help with this issue. Running with the sun rising and the crashing waves was magical. The best part was cooling my feet off in the ocean as soon as I finished running. 

After struggling with the five miles, I was dreading my 8 mile run. How was I going to run 8 miles when I struggled with five? My sister-in-law wanted to run over the bridge in Charleston, and I was terrified of the incline. I barely slept the night before and was extremely tired when my alarm went off. My stomach was in knots the entire ride because I was nervous about the run. Once we started running, I was distracted by the scenery and conversation. Before I knew it, our 8 miles were complete. I did have to walk up one side of the bridge, and I was okay with it. I was able to finish the last few miles with negative splits and still felt strong. This was very encouraging since I will need to run 26.2 in November. 

I did my last training run at home with my BF. It gave me a chance to fill her in on my vacation and get in the last of my miles. It's hard to believe that week one is over. I'm hoping that he next 17 weeks go as smoothly as week one. Here's to working on my physical and mental endurance to get ready for race day. 

I came across this the other day and thought it fit this situation perfectly. I'm going to have to print this off and post it around the house! 

Almost time

Once upon a time, I decided that I wanted to try and become a runner. I wanted to run in order to lose weight and try to be healthier. My first runs were nothing but pure pain and agony; my lungs burned and my legs felt like concrete blocks. I was determined to keep going because I knew that eventually it would get easier. At the time, I had no idea how long it would take to get easier. Months and months went by before I could run a full mile without my lungs burning. I was determined to keep going and signed up for my first 5k. It was noting spectacular, but I was proud of the fact that I finished. I kept signing up for races to ensure that I would keep running. Eventually, I was brave enough to sign up for my first 10k. Luckily, my sister-in-law agreed to run it wit me because I was a little nervous. I wasn't positive that I could run 6.2 miles and survive. With determination and Hal Higdon's training plan, I was able to finish the race! I decided that I might be able to survive a half-marathon. The training was intense for me, and I ended up getting sick the week before the race. Crossing the finish line was one of the hardest things I had done in my life, but the way I felt was worth all of the pain and agony. I wasn't sure if I would ever run another half! After a few months passed, I decided that I was up for the challenge.

My sister-in-law ran her first full marathon three years ago, and I told her I would NEVER do a full marathon. I couldn't imagine what the training would be like, and I didn't feel like a runner at that point in my life. Over the last three years, I started gaining confidence as a runner, and I told her that I might do one with her before I turned 40. I knew that would buy me some time and give me some time to come up with a good excuse not to do one. In the last year and a half, I started feeling like a "real" runner and started get faster. I was setting goals and meeting them. I knew that 2015 would be the year for me to finally agree to running a full marathon. Running faster was getting easier, and I finally had confidence as a runner.

As 2014 was coming to close, I felt the pressure of finding a marathon to run. I knew that it would have to be in April or November because I struggle with running in the heat. An April full would mean that I would have to take my chances with snow, ice, and negative wind chills. A November full would mean that my training would have to start in the summer, and I would have to deal with heat and humidity. I wasn't sure which would be the lesser of the evils. On New Year's Day, I finally picked the Philadelphia Marathon on November 22nd.

All year I have been feeling anxious about training and running the race. It has been in the back of mind for the last 6 1/2 months. Now it is at the forefront since training starts next week. I have kept up with running and workouts since my last half in April, but I am feeling really nervous about the next 18 weeks. What if my body cannot endure all of the miles? What if I get hurt? What if I cannot run more that 13.1 miles? What if....there are so many other thoughts running through my mind. I am hoping that all of the jitters stop once I get a run longer than 13.1 miles under my belt. Just another challenge that I need to face and overcome. I KNOW that if I follow the training plan, cross train, and fuel my body properly that I will survive the training and the race. No it's just a matter of convincing my mind and heart to believe it!

Stay tuned for weekly updates on training! :)