To run a marathon or not! That is the question.
Image by Deadly Tedly via Flickr
My dear friend, Julie, hit me up with a request I was not expecting. She wants me to run the Twin Cities Marathon with her coming up in October. Julie is an experienced marathoner. She has multiple finishes under her belt across a handful of cities including Chicago, Boston and Duluth. She thinks I can do it. I have successfully completed 3 half marathons in the last couple years, but just can’t seem to muster up the courage to try a full 26.2 mile course. I gave it serious consideration last year but then never signed up. There are a few things holding me back.
- Time needed for proper training
- Fear of long-term damage to knees or other joints and muscles
- Possible blisters or other unmentionable issues with my well manicured feet
I do give Julie credit for asking. She got me thinking. And I didn’t give her a flat-out “NO”. I love running. I seriously enjoy training with my friends. And it would be really cool to say that I completed a marathon, even if it’s just once in my life. But then I think back to some of those more painful moments running just 13.1 miles. Check out this photo from the Minneapolis Half in 2010. To say I was uncomfortable at this juncture would be an understatement. Between the hills and the heat, this half for me, was hell.
Feeling the Heat
But I did finish. That’s me and Julie at the finish line. And this runner was happy.
We did it!
So what would you do if you were me? I’m turning 43 in a few weeks. My work-career path is a little uncertain. My kids’ baseball schedules are all over the place. Do I just reserve my spot and go for it? If you run marathons, would love to hear how you got started and what advice you can give me and others who might be considering their first marathon. Also, if you have a story about your first marathon please share it.
If I were being asked that question, the resounding answer would be “YES.” I’ve run 20 half marathons but only 3 marathons and I will tell you, the reward for finishing a marathon is much, much greater. Do you remember that proud feeling of accomplishment as you crossed the half marathon finish line? Imagine that, but five times as intense. Not twice, like the distance, but five times. You really feel it – it’s almost cathartic.
However, no, it won’t be easy. During training and the race alike, you will definitely go through several trials that will test your patience, discipline and strength of character. But when you make it to the 25.2-mile marker and you know there’s just one mile left on your journey, it’s like magic.
DO IT!
Hi Dan.. Thank you so much for your encouragement. I signed up this afternoon. Looking forward to testing my patience, discipline and strength of character. Hopefully, the journey will make me stronger on the inside as well as the outside. Enjoyed reading your blog too. Congrats on your PR! What’s your next marathon?
Excellent! I wish you the best of luck in training and on race day – whether everything clicks or you are faced with many challenges, it will be an unforgettable experience.
Thanks for reading my race recap. It was fun to hit up northern Michigan and PR under 4 hours (finally). My next marathon is Chicago on October 9, then New York on November 6. Plenty of excitement along the way too 🙂
And the answer is Yes. You can totally do it and have fun training. I would recommend finding a good run club to train with (like Run Club at Lifetime). Don’t worry if you only run with the group for the long runs. I would recommend at least one vinyasa yoga class per week. Yoga will do several great things: 1) teach you to keep your composure when the going gets tough, 2) increase your lung capacity, 3) keep your muscles and stride long, 4)and strengthen the muscles that stabilize your joints, especially knees and ankles. No matter what, on race day DO NOT go out too fast.
Your fabulous pedicure? Black toenails are the next hot thing I hear.
Have fun,
Carol (12 marathons and 8 years teaching yoga)
HI Carol….
Yoga helped me cut a few minutes from my half marathon time. When I first started running more than 5 or 6 miles, my back and arms actually tired before my legs. Isn’t that crazy? Yoga has totally helped with core and upper body strength. I might see you at class Friday at 8am and then get in a few miles with the Lifetime Dashers n’ Splashers group. We’ll see. Carol, your yoga class is kick-butt. The Starfish just about did me in last week. Enjoy this long overdue beautiful day.
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