Marathon Training: Oh yeah, that's happening...

I feel like marathon training has become a part of my morning routine to the extent that I forget to talk about it on this blog.  But I am slightly over halfway through my training, so I thought I would give you all a quick update.

I was thinking today how strange it is that my "short runs" on the weekend are now 11-12 miles.  Prior to training for this race, the longest distance I had ever run was 13.1 miles {twice}.  It is astounding to me how far I've come in just two months of training. A few weeks ago, after a horrific 16-miler which ended with two miles of jogging/limping, I was feeling pretty down about my training.  I have been plagued by hip joint pain for the past month or so, which has reared its ugly head, in particular, during my longer runs.  I was frustrated by having to plan my entire weekend around when I was going to do my long run, and that bugged me.  That was why I was so apprehensive leading in to my 18-miler yesterday.  I had been hemming and hawing all weekend about when I was going to do my run, and was nervous about running later in the day, when I had already eaten.  I have found that I have stomach issues if I run with food in my stomach, which is one of the main reasons why I run early in the morning {in addition to the fact that I am a morning person}.  Dan was nothing but encouraging yesterday as I prepared to leave for my run.  He really has been my biggest cheerleader throughout this process, and has been quick to reassure me when I've had a tough run or am visibly in pain.

I had a really great run yesterday, so I came out of it feeling somewhat reassured that I can do this.  I felt really good for the first 12 miles or so, and didn't feel too terrible after that.  My hip did start bothering me, but I think the fact that I didn't run in the city, and, thus, didn't have all the stop-and-go action that aggravates my hip, made for an easier run.  I ran from Rosslyn on the Mt. Vernon trail and turned around by Wilson Bridge in Alexandria.  I even saw my parents outside, basking in the glorious day, in the park next to their house, so I stopped for a quick break to say hello and eat my Shot Bloks {if you're training, these are made by Clif Bar and are fantastic; not being a regular consumer of caffeine, I didn't want to risk using a training aid with caffeine in it and having it mess up my body}.  I was definitely ready for the run to be over at about mile 15 or 16, but I felt really good about myself when I finished.  I was even able to call upon a short, surprising burst of energy at the end of the run to pass a couple of people.  It was great to be able to go home to Dan and know that I had done it, and he was really happy for me.

Now, I haven't run my race yet {it's on March 16th, for those of you who are interested}, but I have a renewed sense that I CAN do this.  The fact that I have been able to overcome a lifelong hatred of running, in addition to exercise-induced asthma, is proof that you can do anything if you really put your mind to it.  I have an incredible support team led, first and foremost, by Dan, and they continue to encourage me, even in moments when I doubt myself.  For that, I am so grateful.  It has also helped to hear from friends who have trained for marathons, picking their brains for tips.  I'm excited to push myself more over these next few months and, hopefully, have a successful race!!!

I promise that I will try to update you all soon on our wonderful long weekend.  It is going to be a tough week at work, but hopefully I'll find some time to write!