Three Month Recap: Marathon Training

I can't believe I have been training for this marathon for THREE MONTHS!  It feels like just yesterday I was struggling to run three miles.  Oh wait that was yesterday....  Well it feels like just yesterday I got on the scale after Christmas to confirm what I felt and saw:  I had put on some weight and was feeling and looking less than spectacular.  I kept telling myself the same thing(s). 

* Instead of complaining set a goal and work towards what you want, one day at a time.  

* You are 25 and maintaining a healthy weight and body image is only going to get harder as I got older and life gets more stressful.  

*This isn't about a number or an image, its about being the healthiest me I can be.  

*It is only going to get harder so lets nip this in the butt now.  

(Me during the Turkey Trot five miler pretty healthy and pretty happy before the start of the holiday weight, and the first  one of many many many beers) 

 Nip this in the butt?  Ill run a marathon!  That should do it!  Every time I run a half marathon I swear I can NEVER run a marathon but hey.. the sky is the limit right?  Its a bucket list item and I want to be a statistic.  I want to be in the .5% of the US Population that has run a marathon.
More fun marathon stats here. 
This one makes me nervous....

Average number of miles ran per week during marathon training

40 miles

I will run a marathon as a goal to keep running while learning how to fuel my body properly.  I decided I was going to run 3-4 days a week, one long run on the weekend and 2-3 short runs on the week (maintenance runs).   Throw in horse back riding walking and hiking for cross training, plenty of rest days, and a once a week HIIT class and it was a recipe for success!  

Or a disaster.  

I guess we will find out in May....

January 2013  started off really well.  I had been running a few miles here and there during December so I could jump right into a long run of six miles that first weekend.  It was a really rough six miles but I kept reminding myself:

I pushed through that first month with a total of 63.5 miles, ending on 9 miles being my longest distance run. (Ignore the pace, I never filled in the time of my run so this ap thinks im amazingly fast)  Good for the ego....
I used Running Log Free- a free app to keep track of all my workouts. 

Long run weekends
Weekend 1: 6
Weekend 2: 7.5
Weekend 3: 8
Weekend 4: 9

February 2013 was a busy month and marked my debut back in the double digit runs.  I decided to take Running Master Jill's advice and try to go 3 weeks hard one week easy, so I threw in a 5 miler for a long run the second week to help prevent injury and make Jill proud. My only goal was to run more miles than last month, while gradually increasing my longest run.  Nailed it.  

Total miles 75.11

Long run weekends

Weekend 1: 10

Weekend 2: 5

Weekend 3: 12

Weekend 4: 13

March 2013 was a challenge.  You can read about my awful 14 miler here and then you can read about that bad week after  where I took a week to recuperate, ran once (3.5 miles) and agreed to get back on track.  I did get back on track ..... I stuck with my 15, 16, and 17 and ended the month on a good note 94.5 miles later.  

94.5


Long run weekends
Weekend 1: 14
Weekend 2: 3.5
Weekend 3: 15
Weekend 4: 16
Weekend 5: 17

Now it is April , the sun is shining, the Daffoldils are blooming, and I am scheduled for 18, 20, 22 miles and a week in Bonaire.  Because I am going to Bonaire for a week and will miss two weekends of long runs, I am going to push through my "three weeks hard 1 week slow"  and change that to "six weeks hard 2 weeks slow"  and then taper down for my MARATHON!  This sounds like a risky idea but I had to adjust to my diving drinking and vacation schedule.  Oops, 

Thanks for sticking with me this far.....According to the scale I have lost about 8 lbs and according to my jeans, mirrors, and my friends, I look great.  I feel great and I am so excited to reach 18, 20, 22, and 26!

Enjoy your weekend and I will report back Monday about my 18 miler.  Gulp!