Am I Ready for a Marathon?

I get this question all the time around the beginning of the year (from new and seasoned) runners wondering if they are ready to tackle the infamous 26.2  In fact, I've been asked by three different people just this month!  And although my opinion is just my opinion, it is based on 15 years of running experience combined with advice gleaned from coaches and (more) knowledgeable running folk.  I promise.  


That said, yes, anyone (with training) can finish a marathon.  But there is a difference between "finishing" and "running" a marathon, and this is not just "snobby runner" talk, as my husband calls it.  When you do your first marathon, you want to finish well, avoid injury and burnout, and keep the miserable-factor as low as possible, right? So here is what I generally tell people. 

You are ready to run a marathon if........

1) You have a good base.
You've been running consistently for 6-12 months averaging 20-30 miles/week.  You are comfortable running 4-6 miles, to the point where it feels second nature.  And about 1/3 of your running is outside on pavement, since likely, your marathon will take place on pavement and you're legs and feet need to be ready for the pounding.  Starting with a strong base and strong legs decreases your risk of injury and burnout while preparing your body for the long, hard training runs.




2) You're doing it for the right reasons.
You love to run and want to go longer.  You've always wanted to do a marathon.  You want to prove that you can mentally and physically tackle 26.2.  These are all great reasons to run a marathon, losing weight is not.  In fact, many runners actually GAIN weight during marathon training (I did!).  You'll have to eat lots of calories and carbs to keep up with all those miles, as well as recovery foods (like chocolate milk) and pre-run fuel like bars and oatmeal.  Your body will NEED fuel!  If weight loss is your goal, I recommend training for a half marathon or shorter distance.

3) You have training & race experience.

You wouldn't ski a black your first day ever on a ski mountain, so why would you run a marathon without ever toeing a starting line?  I usually suggest making your way up the race ladder from 5K to 10K to half marathon to marathon.  There's something that comes with the experience of following a training plan, dealing with pre-race jitters, and learning how to avoid going out too fast when the gun goes off.  Also, you'll get a good idea of pacing and finishing strong.  
Once you have one (or even better, two) solid half marathons under your belt, then I'd sign up for the 26.2 of your choice.  Or, if you're determined to run your first marathon in 2012, sign up for a spring Half and a fall Full to give your body plenty of time to build a base and work up to the distance.




4) You have time to train and a supportive community.
Marathon training is intense.  You'll need to carve out time to run 3-5 times/week, including one long run of 1-3 hours.  You'll also likely have some cross-training and strength-training days mixed in, as well.  You'll want to make sure your husband/wife, kids, and family members are on-board and supportive of your plans. Is your husband willing to hang with the kids while you're out on the trails every Saturday for most of the morning?  Will your friends mind if you can't hang out late on Friday nights because you have to get up at 6:00am to fit in your run?  Do you have people to run with you, cheer for you, and give you advice as you tackle this new adventure?  Or even better, do you have a friend or family member who wants to do the marathon with you? 

So you've determined you're ready.  Now what?

1) Register for a race- they fill up fast! Ask for suggestions from friends who have a few marathons under their belts.  Do you want a big or small race? Destination or close to home?  Spring or fall?


2) Invest in a good pair of shoes, a supportive bra, and a fuel belt to carry all the nutrition and water you'll need for those fun 3 hour runs.  

3) Select a good training plan that works for you.  Hal Higdon is a good resource, as is Runner's World.  I usually recommend plans that don't increase your long run mileage every week: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, etc.   Instead, look for a plan where you increase for 2-3 weeks and recover for a week at a shorter distance : 10, 12, 8, 12, 14, 10, etc.  Or a long run every 10 days, rather than every 7 days.  Also look for plans that allow you to incorporate cross-training a few days a week.  And the best bit of advice I have to offer?  On your rest days, rest. 

Now, for those of you who've done a marathon before, 

and are wondering if you're ready to do it again, 

I like the saying.......

"When you've forgotten your last marathon, you're ready for your next"

Happy Running!!!!

Broken foot, Broken dreams.....

Runner's are not strangers to pain. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, that on most runs, most days, most runners feel some sort of pain in their body. But running, as my coaches always said, is 90% mental. So we train our brains to run through the pain, ignore the pain, or frankly, to just deal with it. But occasionally something hurts in a different way and a little alert in our brains goes off. That's what happened to me last Monday.

I was on what was supposed to be an easy 10 mile run. The trail was dirt, mostly downhill, and I was enjoying the thought that this run would only take an hour and a half (not the 3+ hours I had been trudging through as of late). However, around mile 5, I felt a pain, a shock of pain, that radiated through my foot with each step. I stopped for a moment, then started running again- still there. I walked for a while, tried running again- still there. That's when I called my Hubby to come pick me up.

Turns out my foot is fractured, likely the result of high arches mixed with concrete trails and lots of mileage. My podiatrist seems to think I can still run this marathon (which is, as I write, only 8 days away) as long as I wear the boot, don't run until race day, and take lots of pain killers. He's confident the foot will heal (enough) by race morning. In fact, he never even suggested not running the marathon. Regardless, I feel like my mental resolve and pre-race focusing is completely shot. Instead I'm constantly wondering if I will be able to run, how horrible the pain will be, or if I'll have to take the dreaded DNF next to my name. Only time will tell. But for now, I'm trying to stay positive.....and spending lots of time on the elliptical.....oh, and lugging this boot around everywhere I go.

Top 10 List: Things I Learned Running 20 Miles

1) If you're tummy is hurting before the run, take your Hubby's advice and find a bathroom. Squatting on the side of the trail leads to nothing but embarassing, and maybe messy, memories.

2) Don't break your sunglasses trying to dig toilet paper out of your running pack (see #1). Especially if the run is, say, 3 hours. Not fun.

3) Cutting your hand on your camelback clip will cause bleeding. Oh, and there are NO bandaids or first aid stations on running trails.

4) Nothing else can lift your spirits from a bad start (see #1-3) like your kiddos. Talk about God's timing- I was crossing a street about 5 miles into my run just in time to see my mom and the kiddos driving to school. Cheered me right up.

5) The value of knowing restroom locations on trails is absolutely priceless. 20 miles, 4 potty breaks, and only 1 trail squat (again, see #1). I'd say that's a pretty good day. Thanks, Alison, for sharing your wisdom with me ;)

6) Runners, aka pedestrians, ALWAYS have the right of way. Seriously. Stop next time you see someone crossing the road, dummy.

7) The best running songs ever: Where is the Love. Raise Your Glass. Poker Face.
Sure, sure they're overplayed, but they all have a great running beat

8) Worst running songs ever: Down by the Bay. The Books of the Bible. The More We Get Together.

Not sure why I had all the kids' music on my IPhone......?

9) Always try to finish your run at or before your final destination, even if it means circling around a bit somewhere along the way. There is nothing worse than approaching your stopping point, realizing you still have half a mile left, and having to run past your house, car, or gym to finish the run. Trust me, folks. I made this mistake on my 18 mile run, learned from it, and did things the right way today.

10) Never underestimate the value of a friend running the last few (or in this case, eight) miles with you. There is only so much time you can spend with yourself, only so much music you can listen to, and only so long you can keep your feet moving without the aid of distraction.

Thanks, Kristen, for telling me the story behind the "Friday" song, what it was like to cover the crime beat at a W. Virginia newspaper, and only the positive things about the Colorado Marathon.

20 miles- check!

One...Two...Three Trips to the Chiropractor

I carried Lily into the house last Wednesday, like a do a least a half dozen times a day. Except this time, when I set her and my purse and my gym bag down, something in my back tweaked. Bad.

I'd planned on getting in a speed workout before the kiddos swimming lessons that night, but instead made a beeline down Broadway to my Chiropractor.

"Oh......this is pretty bad" he said as I lay down on the table. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing" I said, "Seriously, just the normal, everyday stuff."

After two more visits, he determined my spine was fine and the muscle was only sprained, not torn.

"Optimistically, you could be running in the morning. However, my guess is you'll need several days, maybe even a week for the muscle to repair itself," he said.

"Just great," I thought. I already missed my speed workout, I had a 10 mile run with a friend planned for the morning, and a 20 miler scheduled in for Sunday. And the marathon is only six weeks away.

I took three solid days off. I was less focused on missing all my training runs and more focused on the beautiful day when I would be pain free again. When I'd be able to play with the kids, pick Lily up when her newly mobile feet failed her, and maneuver the stairs without cringing.

By Saturday I was 75% normal. By Sunday I was 90%. And just in time for Monday, I was well enough to tackle the 20-miler.

So what did I learn from all of this?

Injuries happen. A few days off will not ruin months of training. And ice + wine + catching up on the DVR = a happy mommy.

Miles, Mansions, & (Chocolate) Milk

I hitched a ride with the hubby on his way to work on a Wednesday morning. All three kiddos were staying home with G'ma while I embarked on my longest run yet- 18 miles. The Hubster dropped me off at the intersection of Hampden & Colorado to catch the Highline Canal trail.

The first six miles weaved past million dollar homes, pricey private schools (ahem....Kent Denver), & beautiful open spaces. I felt great & loved seeing new scenery. Only once before had I been on this section of the trail: on a bike, towing two 40lb kiddos in the bike trailer, while 5 months preggo with Lily.

The second six miles took me from the intersection of the Highline and Orchard all the way to Broadway. Still felt great, and around mile 9 I had a fun little pick-me-up when I ran in to a friend from the Y who was on her long run for the week, a 12-miler. She is training for her first iron-man in May, about 2 weeks after my first marathon. It felt like an "only-in-Colorado" moment: running into a friend out on some crazy-long trail, who is training for some crazy-long race, while I am training for a (less)-crazy long race.

The last six miles was tough. I decided I didn't want to continue on the route I'd planned, afraid of what running the steep downhill for the last two miles would do to my already tired legs. Instead I jumped off the trail to meander around the streets near Heritage High School in an attempt to do an even 18 miles. This was the hardest part of my run- watching the GPS slowly tick off the final two miles as I ran up one road (only to find it dead end) and down another road. My feet felt like I'd tied 5 pound weights to them. My ears were tired from almost three hours of non-stop music. My mind was tired from counting down the miles, minutes, and seconds.

I wanted three things when I finished: to sit down, to take a hot shower, and to drink some chocolate milk. 18 miles- check!

Finding Rest

In motherhood, like in marathon training, consistency is important. Having an established schedule, fitting in all the pieces you need to fit in, and finding the craved balance between work and play and learning and rest.

Rest. More than any other aspect of my training, resting is what I struggle with the most. Only after I've done my intervals, pace work, cross-training in the pool and on the bike (tri season is approaching, afterall) and clocked my long run, will I allow myself to have a rest day. If I still have things unfinished, speed workouts un-run, hills un-climbed, then I feel like there's a little stress ball sitting on my shoulder and chiming in my ear all day, "You know you still need to...."

The same is true with my children and home life. There are meals to be prepared, minds to be schooled, parks to be played on, books to be read, laundry (mountains worth!) to be done, and dishes to be washed.

Last week, some horrible decisions were made in my home. The dog, after rolling in the mud (followed by the dead grass) decided to sit on my white couch. Thomas, armed with a sword and Hulk-hand, decided to thwack his sister with all his might. Anna decided she'd learned enough math to suffice for the rest of her adult-life and then decided to throw an all-out fit to let the world know of her decision. And Lily, sweet Lily, decided she would spend the morning sitting on the floor (next to the newly muddied couch) and scream....and scream....and scream.

It was in the midst of this noise and mess and chaos in the living room, that I declared a Rest day for the Watson clan. The little stress ball, attempting to protest, said, "But you still need to.....and they still need to...."

"No." I calmly (can you believe I stayed calm through all of this?)said. "Today, we will rest."

It was a lesson learned the hard way, but it was a lesson learned none-the-less.

Lonely Sprints

In terms of March in Colorado, yesterday was as gorgeous as it gets. The sun was shining, the temps were in the low 60's, and the wind was on hiatus for the afternoon. I usually do my weekly speed workouts on the treadmill, but I decided the spring weather was too nice to pass up and headed out for some hill sprints.

Hill sprints always bring back memories of high school cross-country for me. Our coaches had a gift for finding the steepest, most grueling hills the town of Steamboat had to offer. They were often roads with such a steep grade that they wouldn't pass current regulations or even ski trails that were difficult enough to earn a blue rating in winter months. The hills in my neighborhood are no where near this caliber, but by Littleton standards they are pretty tough.

I did 5 hill repeats (the hill was long and I was running late getting the kids fed and to swimming lessons)and found myself feeling pretty lonely. I longed to be back in cross country where I had teammates to battle the hill with me, help me keep pace, and dig down to the next level of exertion. Instead, it was just me.....and a few lone kids walking home from school....and one woman out with her dog.....and one boy long-boarding down the hill I was sprinting up. But mostly just me.

Training Log: Easy 10 mile run.

This week my long run was only 10 miles. Yes, I said only. Compared to the 14 & 16 mile runs I've logged lately, 10 felt, in the words of my 6 year old daughter, easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

In true Colorado fashion, it was a peaceful, bluebird day on the trails. I did a big loop, maneuvering through three different trails to cover my 10 miles- Lee Gulch, Platte River, & the Highline.

It was one of those runs where I remembered why I do this. Why I put on my Brooks day after day and subject my knees, feet, and shins to torture. There is just no better way to explore God's creation than with my own two feet.

Oh! My Aching......Everything!!!

The sky was blue, air crisp, and the trails finally clear enough for a (gasp) run outside! I needed to do 16 miles so I mapped out this huge loop around Chatfield reservoir that promised beautiful scenery and adventure. Judging from the satellite images, I could do most of the 16 miles on a paved trail that traversed the perimeter of the lake, but would have to cut across a random field, some clusters of trees, and a railroad track to meet up with the Highline Canal trail to loop back to the start.

When I finally set out, it was much colder than I'd anticipated. I zipped my jacket up tight around my chin, put my head down, and leaned into the freezing headwind. I wound down the Mary Carter Greenway trail, met up with the C470 west trail, and started climbing the hill by Chatfield dam to enter the state park.

At the top of the hill, I stopped. The trail was a dead end, covered with 4-5 inches of snow. Apparently Chatfield does not plow their paved trails (as I'd hoped they would) and I would need to be re-routed.

I hopped onto the road and set out toward the backside of the lake, I'd have to do plan B- out 8, back 8. I hate out and back runs when I have to cover a huge distance- every landmark, every hill, every shrub dusted with snow, every curb of the road you have to cover TWICE. And when you've finally hit the turn around, ready to run toward home, there's nothing new awaiting you for the next 8 miles.

An old injury in my calf starting aching around mile 6 and by mile 10 it was screaming. But I had to keep going because it was six miles back to my car. I suppose I could have walked, but that would have taken longer and the LAST thing I wanted was to be out here in this wind, on this road, any longer than necessary. So I kept on running....kept up my pace....just trying to finish the 16 miles.....

The last 2 miles were the hardest, perhaps because it was two miles further than I'd ever run before. However, I think there's something about getting close to the end of a hard workout that makes time slow down and the miles drag on. I picked up my pace (as much as I could with the aching calf muscle) in hopes of finishing sooner.

Finally, after 2 & 1/2 hours of straight running the parking lot came into view. I'd done it. It was freaking hard, but I'd done it.

The Treadmill Test

Thrice this week my plans have been thwarted by a sneaky foe named snow. And for whatever reason, the weathermen around here could not accurately predict his evil plan.

Which is why, early Monday morning, I could be found at the Y on the treadmill. For 90 solid minutes, I pounded and pounded the moving rubber belt.....and didn't "go" anywhere. I read two full magazines, watched two episodes of House Hunters,one episode of Cake Boss, and even talked with friends and passers-by. Physically the 10 and a half miles wasn't very taxing, but mentally it was so tough that I had to resort to playing games with my own mind.

I ran the first two miles at a 2.0 incline, miles 3 & 4 at a 1.5 incline, miles 5 & 6 at a 1.0 incline,& 7 & 8 at a .05 incline. So when the hour mark hit and I wanted so badly for my legs to actually take me somewhere again, I couldn't get off- I'd finally earned the 0.0 incline for two glorious miles.

And the moral of the story for anyone out there who is (or is considering) training for a spring 1/2 or full is.....

Don't talk smack about the treadmill, because the day will come when you will need him.