Ever thought of running a half marathon? I had just met a friend for coffee after enjoying the fresh air outdoors. I let his question sink in. I’m pretty sure only crazy people run half marathons. I laughed. Who would want to run on purpose? Not to mention, 13 miles?!
YES: this was me over a decade ago. Believe me, marathon training is not for the faint of heart. But for those of us who are working on the character trait of perseverance, training for a marathon is a great test of endurance. I began my running journey over a decade ago and aim to run at least one full marathon and one half marathon a year. I'm a huge fan of running marathons and love the physical and mental challenge. I am so glad I didn't shrug off this friend's question years ago-- but if truth be told, I was very hesitant to join in on the running game. Let my story encourage you! It's never too late to start something new.
You can’t be stuck in traffic or make the venture home without passing a car branded with a sticker that represents the mileage that driver ran in his last race. We’ve all seen it. Sure, I might have curiously pondered what motivated them to run those extreme distances, but it wasn’t something I ever fantasized about. I was never going to be THAT person. I enjoyed long walks, stopping to enjoy the smell of fresh flowers and soaking in the sunlight. There was no reason to constantly break a sweat or race the guy next to me. I was content with my serenity and calm routinely paced exercise.
Well, have you ever been to Nashville? My friend continued his convincing plea. Nashville was on the bucket list, and I was always up for adventure. He proceeded to tell me that a group of our mutual friends were going to run the half marathon in Nashville that spring. Want to go? His question hit me hard. Now I had some motivation. I debated with myself as I sat within the comfort of my local coffee shop. I’ll just run 13 miles and then get to spend a weekend with my friends in the city of cowboy boots and country music.
No big deal, I got this.
THE PLAN
Training began. I had about two months to train my body for those long distances. I had some severe motivation: join my friends in the city of lights or see their pictures on Instagram without me. I can do this. Guess what? You can too.
TIPS & TRICKS: Here are my TOP FIVE Tips and Tricks to go from the couch to a half marathon.
1. Find motivation. Seriously. What's going to motivate you to check this off your list? Is it that you'll shed a few pounds or gain some abs? Go down a dress size? or maybe like me, it meant going on an adventure and visiting a new town over race weekend. Make a goal with yourself. 2. Reward Yourself: Eyes on the Finish Line. When you cross that finish line, what happens? How will you reward yourself? If I do this, I’ll get ____. Fill in the blank for whatever fits you. Make a goal with yourself--and make it good. If I run x amount of miles each week for 3 months, I'm buying a new wardrobe. When I cross that finish line, I'm buying a new dining room set or a new pair of shoes or a plane ticket. (or lets face it, you're buying that that super cool bumper sticker as you have joined an elite group of crazy marathoners!).
3. Find accountability. Partnerships work wonders. Run with someone. If you can't physically meet up, find someone to check in with after each run. In my early training days, I knew a reliable text would show up on my phone asking me if I ran that day. I also knew I planned to rejoice in my mini-victories post-run with a shout out to my clan of running buddies. You had better believe I was checking up on them as much as they were checking on me. If you don't have an inner circle, join a local running group. Local running shops are full of helpful resources and offer full-proof training plans led by people who have actually run marathons. They offer great wisdom and community. 4. BUY THE SHOES. No, seriously. Believe me, I am the Queen of good deals and the treasure hunt. I definitely was not going to pay $100+ dollars for top of the line running shoes. I quickly regretted that decision. Your knees take a pounding after running for two hours. Not to mention, the constant training keeps those legs busy. Your knees need the cushion, and your feet need the correct support. It makes a HUGE difference. I had terrible leg pain for the first few months due to not wearing the right shoe. Stop into your local running store, and they will even fit you into something unique for you. It's 100% worth it. I wore Brooks shoes my first few marathons, and it was a great choice. I'm into the OnRunning shoes now. The CloudFlow shoes give me padding and just the right amount of comfort for long distance.
5. Stick to the training plan. It's going to be tough. You're going to be tired after working all day. You're going to want to sleep in instead of meeting your friends for a long run. It's why most of the population doesn't run (rumor has it that less than 1% of the population has ever run a marathon). Be one of the few that succeeds! You can do great things. Stick to the plan. Come up with a running schedule that works for you. Each day, find a way to document your journey with a strategy that works for you. For me, I tried to take pictures of the people I met or the scenery I crossed on my long runs. My signature move became taking pictures of my shoes or creating numbers out of items and place them next to my shoes to document my long runs.
BELIEVE ME, YOU GOT THIS! YOU WILL DO GREAT THINGS. A positive attitude of perseverance will be your number one ally. Look for the cheerleaders in your path and opportunities to strike up conversations about your training.
All it takes is one step forward!
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