Do You REALLY Want To Run a Half or Full Marathon?

• 6 • Uncategorized

Nothing makes you question your identity as a runner like training for a new distance.  I’ve got my first half marathon (possibly ONLY half marathon) in September, and on my weekly long runs I do nothing but think about whether or not this was a good idea. 

Here’s what I’ve discovered: while I am doing my long run, the answer is “No, this was not a good idea.”  After my long run, the answer is “Maybe this is a good idea… but I wouldn’t be surprised if I never do this again.”

You’ve probably heard the term “running bug” thrown around by enthusiasts.  “I caught the running bug!  I just love it!  I’ve run 10 marathons!  It’s amazing!”

Yay, yay, and yay!  Except “running bug” sounds like a disease.  You know, I was out running, I ran into some other runners, we chatted, I breathed too close to them, and now I have this sickness that affects my running.  I no longer feel accomplished unless I’m shooting for a new distance or a new PR.  The second I get one, I have to look forward to the next one.  I’m not satisfied with my runs unless I’m pushing hard, all the time, and getting better.  I used to love running, but now, I anxiously check the weather for each race and analyze the hills and worry that I’m going to be slowed down by the conditions and all this hard work will be for NOTHING because that magic number on the race clock when I cross the finish line won’t reflect enough improvement for me to be happy.

Yikes… if this sounds like you, you’ve caught the wrong running bug.  Maybe it was from another runner, or maybe you drank some bad water, or maybe it’s just really hard to plateau in something when you made so much progress as a beginner and now you’re not.

Whatever the reason, I have to just put it out there that you can love running, get health benefits from running, and be a real runner without constantly pushing for improvement.  At some point in your life, you’re going to stop improving.  We are all aging, our lives and the time we have for running will change, it all changes.  To be a lifelong runner, we have to love the run and not just the results.

I’ve discovered that I don’t really like running for two hours at a time.  I love my three and four mile runs, and I miss my 6 mile long runs that were long enough to be challenging and feel crazy but not so long that they felt impossible to schedule.

With this half marathon training, my next long run is ten miles.  That’ll take me just under two hours to complete.  It means I have to hydrate well the day before, be careful what I eat, get up at 5 a.m. or get a sitter for three hours during my day, and I’ll be exhausted the rest of the afternoon while trying to care for two toddlers.

Will running my first half marathon in September make me feel accomplished and awesome?  Yes, totally, and I’m REALLY excited about it.  But I’m not sure I want to train for another one.  I’m not sure this fits into my life.  I’m enjoying the prospect of the DESTINATION without savoring the journey, and that, to me, says that this might not be the best match for me as a runner.

I love my three mile runs because I can push hard without worrying about finishing, or relax my pace and still get home in under forty five minutes.  I can bring the kids in the stroller.  I am excited to try harder my next run, rather than anxious about just the thought of trying to complete those miles like I am for my long runs.

I can have a glass of wine with dinner and run three or four miles the next morning.  I don’t have to take a day or two off from running afterwards.  I can work to get faster, or I can take the scenic route with the double jogger.  I can just enjoy being active and outdoors and having that rush of endorphins.

Don’t get me wrong – I love marathon runners,  I think they’re absolutely incredible.  I just don’t think I’m one of them.  I think it’s great to work hard to improve your pace – I just want you to do it because you love the process as well as the results.  I don’t mean loving every second of the run, while your muscles are screaming and it’s all you can do to maintain your interval.  I mean loving how you feel when you finish, looking forward to trying again, enjoying it over the course of your training and not just once you cross the finish line with the magic number you were hoping for.

I am going to run this half marathon in September, and a small part of me is looking forward to that next long run, that next chance to try again, to do better, to push hard and run far.  But part of me is also thinking wow, I can’t wait to relax into my three mile, regular runs and just enjoy being active as part of a healthy lifestyle.

What do you love most about running?  Find it, do it, love it.

What’s Next After C25K – Choosing Running Goals

• 15 • Motivation

I remember finishing C25K, running that first 5k, and then being like “Now What?”

I was so excited to be getting out there and running three miles without stopping that I hadn’t really taken time to figure out what I would do once I got there.  Did I want to get faster?  Just run regularly?  Run longer distances?  Who was I as a runner?

One of the really fun parts of doing the Couch to 5k program is how quickly you’re making progress.  You get out there, you work hard, and suddenly you’re able to run for longer and longer without stopping.  You make progress in a week, and you’re practically halfway there in a month.

Once you can run three miles without stopping, though, you suddenly stop seeing such rapid improvements in your running progress.  You no longer have an app or a calendar that’s planning your workouts for you, and you no longer have a race scheduled to keep you motivated.

I felt a little lost.  Where do I go from here?  A 10k?  Another 5k but faster?  My husband runs marathons, and I knew I wasn’t interested in that, but maybe a 10k would be fun to work towards.  I didn’t really know what I was going to do next.

It’s been just over a year since I started the Couch to 5k program, and I’ve had a variety of running goals that I’ve enjoyed working towards.  What I came to realize was that I had been asking myself the wrong question.  Don’t ask yourself who you are as a runner, ask yourself what you want from your running. Plan your running goals with that in mind.

What can running to do for you?

Keep you healthy/boost your mood:
You don’t have to run that far or that fast for running to elevate your mood, help you sleep better, and give you all the health benefits that come with regular cardiovascular exercise.  Maybe you’re a fitness runner, and now that you can run three miles without stopping your goal should just be to keep doing that regularly.  Set a goal for number of runs or number of miles a week, and track your success on a calendar until it becomes a habit.  (Or even afterwards… I love writing down my miles every time I come home!)

Get you outside all four seasons:
One of my favorite parts of running is that it gets me outside in the winter when I otherwise might have cabin fever.  I love running hard and then stopping outside in that January sunshine and feeling warm despite the single digits!

Provide you with a challenge:
Maybe you loved the sense of accomplishment that came with improving over the course of the Couch to 5k program.  Maybe you’re the type who would really enjoy working on improving your pace or increasing your distance.  There’s enough running books out there to help you improve your heart out, just make sure you’re doing it because you like the struggle, you love planning and strategizing your training, and you’re enjoying yourself.  Do it because you love it and it makes you feel accomplished, not because you feel obligated to keep improving!  Just continuing to run is a great goal.  If you decide you want to run a half marathon or marathon, it’s critical that you enjoy the process of training for it and not just the fleeting accomplishment of race day.  If you love the destination but not the journey, you may find it’s not worth the time and effort you need to put into training.

Improve your social life:
Running groups are everywhere, and it’s a great way to meet up with friends regularly while also getting a workout in!  Most running gear stores near us have weekly running clubs where you can show up and run your own pace.  Don’t think you’re too slow to show up – you can socialize before and after, or maybe find another runner who’s relieved that someone close to their own pace came, too!  (I would so run with you.)  Call some running stores in your area and ask them if they have a running club.

Keep you eating healthier and drinking less:
I’m going to be honest – I love a glass of wine and a bar of chocolate as much as the next girl.  But I love feeling great on my run more, so I’m careful about staying hydrated and eating healthier simply because it affects my running performance.  I love the way it feels when I have a great run, I’m pushing hard and I’m in the zone, and I’m properly hydrated and not cramping.  It’s helped me want to eat better foods, and pass on the second glass of wine or skip drinking entirely.

The bottom line – 
Think about what you want running to do for you, and use that to decide where you go after Couch to 5k.  It’s important not to get caught up in someone else’s running goals.  Don’t feel unaccomplished because someone else is running marathons and you’d rather stick to 5ks.  On the other hand, go ahead and work towards a longer race if you’re out there running and love the thrill of settling into the zone for more and more miles.  It’s about figuring out what aspects of running make you happiest, balancing your running goals with the time you have available to run, and doing it for you and not for what you want someone else to think about you.

Happy Running – you’re at the beginning of something great 🙂

Similar Posts:

Comparing Yourself to Your Own Running Goals
Some Thoughts on Competition
Why You’re a Real Runner

My New Running Headband

• 4 • Uncategorized

Bought a new running headband!  It’s purple, and sparkly, and kind of the antithesis of most things I own.  (It’s an effort for me not to wear a black t-shirt every day of my life.)  It matches my purple running shoes, and makes me smile.  I am dismayed to report that it does not make me a faster runner.

I got my new headband for a couple reasons:
1) The humidity and heat have been making my hair a frizzy disaster on my runs lately, and I need to keep it out of my face but I don’t want to wear my baseball hat when it’s so hot out
2) I’m obsessing over finding the perfect race outfit for my half marathon in September, and thought I should start testing my accessories
Reason one is pretty explanatory.  Reason two, well, I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I kind of want to look like a cool, awesome, fun, fast runner in my race photos when I run my first half marathon.  It’s my birthday weekend, I’m turning 30, and it’s my first half marathon.  I should look awesome, right?  Not to mention it’s the Divas Half Marathon which means there are Tiara & Boa stations en route and people running in tutus and Wonder Woman costumes.  Anything I come up with is going to look tame, tame, tame.
I don’t want to show up at the start line wishing I’d indulged my inner goddess with a little sparkle.  I found the Sparkly Soul headbands featured on Mile Posts, and when I saw that there was a color that matched my shoes I had to try it!  They’re designed for sports and advertise a no-slip and no headache design.  I took a before and after photo from my run and I have to admit, it didn’t give me a headache (and I usually have to buy men’s hats) and it didn’t slip.
It’s a race day outfit contender!
After a 3 mile run in 76% humidity.  It stayed in place!
Of course, my hair frizzed around it, but no headband can fix that.

I’m on Twitter!

• 1 • Uncategorized

Follow me on twitter, I’ve created an account! @iamrunningthis

Tweet me your runs, your frustrations with running, your thoughts on running, your post running snacks, stuff your kids say… you know.  Whatever people tweet.  (All right I’m new to this, but it seems pretty cool.)

Should we really be calling them "junk miles"?

• 1 • Uncategorized

If you talk to experienced runners long enough, you’ll probably hear someone talk about running “junk miles”.  Junk miles are miles in a runner’s training schedule where the goal is just to complete the miles, not to run intervals, or do hill repeats, or do a long run, or hit a specific pace.

They’re miles for the sake of adding mileage to a runner’s week.

I’ve been working hard training for this half marathon, but my favorite runs are the runs where I’m not trying to do intervals, or achieve a certain pace, or go a new long distance.

My favorite runs are the ones where I’m just out there keeping my body used to the idea of running often.  Maybe I’m pushing the jogging stroller, or maybe I have a long run scheduled for the next day, but for whatever reason I’m not trying to do anything other than run those 3 or 4 miles.

For me, they’re not junk miles.  They’re the realization of a dream I once had of being able to run 3 miles without stopping and enjoy it.  Those miles are the reason I worked so hard during Couch to 5k, so I could someday just lace up and go out for a casual 3 mile run.  So that running 3 miles could BE casual.

Sometimes I wish I had taken a little more time to enjoy just running regularly, without pushing myself to run faster or longer, but just relishing the ability to get out there and run at all.

Every time I go out there and just run as fast or as slow as I feel like running, I am realizing that dream I had when I started Couch to 5k and took up running in the first place.  Maybe we should call them bonus miles.  Or dream miles.  Or wow-this-is-awesome-i-love-running miles.

They’re not junk.  They’re the reason for all the effort to begin with.