This week was a good one... Last year I decided to run my first Marathon, I had been running 4 to 5 times per week the prior summer, kept it going through fall and winter of '08 so I decided to register to run the Chicago Marathon on Oct 2009. Somewhere along the way I fell off the wagon, started running less and less and at one point I wasn't running at all.
It was weeks before the marathon and I was ready to bail out when someone told me to try doing the remaining long runs. Now... let me bring up the fact that I had not been running AT ALL! Not on the treadmill, not outside, not 5 miles, or 3 or even 1; I had completely dropped running off my list of to do's. Somehow I thought that trying to do the long runs was a good idea, I had nothing to lose and I could at least prove myself that I was quitting for a good reason, running a marathon without training wasn't a smart idea.
So here came the weekend of the 18 miler and I asked my friend S to come along and do as much as she was able to, we were used to running together and she had been running a ton so why not? I decided to do a run/walk combo of 5min/1min and to my surprise it worked! I can't remember how long it took me but we kept it going through 15 miles until we decided to walk the last 3 to be able to cover the distance. Same thing for the 20 miler, 5min/1min run/walk, S ran 10 miles with me and did the remainder on her bike!
After these unbelievable results I ran my first marathon, horrible time, but I finished it so this year I decided to sign up again... This time I promised myself I would train.
With that said, I had been trying for weeks to remember to go into the Chicago Marathon website and download the training schedule. I haven't been running much but I was determined to start running once the marathon training season began.
So last Monday, while at work I finally got to it... but to my surprise, last Monday was actually DAY 1 of marathon training. I was so not mentally prepared for that and I whined all day about it, but last Monday I ran 4 miles! I actually did it! Then came Tuesday and I ran 5 miles, this time with my "Fiance" Dave (yes, we are engaged) who has now started running and it was his 1st time running 5 miles. It was awesome because he kept me going as I whined the whole way about how out of shape I am.
Then Thursday I didn't run, but I did it on Friday on the treadmill... 4 miles! Never done that before, as I absolutely hate running on the treadmill more than 2 or 3 miles. Then it was the weekend and time for my long run, 6 miles! It's so weird for me to consider that a long run, that was my usual distance when I was running 4 to 5 times per week... anything under that was not really considered a run. I guess I gotta work back up to that.
So we went to Lake Geneva to our friend's house for the weekend and it was time to run, I thought of every possible excuse to not do it, I even slept in, but some how I am sticking to it this time and I ran my 6 miles along the Lake Geneva path, through hill and an uneven trail and with no water. It felt good to finish my "long run" and being able to say that WEEK 1 of marathon training is done.
Its hard to run now, I feel I am back to square one and I get even more frustrated than when I first started running because this time I chose to be back here, I did this to myself when I got lazy and broke my routine of running. I used to enjoy every second out there and I had a decent pace and was getting faster every day. Now I am back to the love/hate relationship, at having to drag myself out of the house and talk myself out of walking or turning around before I have met my goal distance but I am doing it. I am doing it because I miss loving to run, I miss my long runs on the weekend and all I think while I power through my very hard runs now is that I can't wait to get to that point again!
For all of you out there that feel the same way I feel now, just remember its totally worth it. Soon enough you will look back and smile when you realized how far you've come and how much you once hated what you now love and enjoy so much!
Good luck for those out there training for the Chicago Marathon and let the fun begin!
