TCS NYC Marathon ALZ Association

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Marathon Training Update

Since it has been five or six weeks into marathon training, I thought an update would be useful. This past Friday, my mind was a complete mess over the smallest issues I have no control over. I became depressed and started to question myself for my purpose in training. It started to become emotionally draining when no one is around for support. I initially decided not to run Saturday and quit training all together to get myself still. As Friday came to a close, my heart began to change urging me to go do this long run. I did not do it last week out of fear of a possible injury. Instead of just getting up right away to start running, I began with a light breakfast and tea to ease my nerves.

My run started on the Zim Smith Trail and I was starting to regret that decision. Totally forgot that it snowed the day before and the trail was completely covered. It was pretty miserable running through a heavy pack and my feet started to get wet. After five to six miles, I turned onto a road off the trail that had some residential streets along the way. In total, I completed sixteen miles in over 2.25 hours. It was very slow for me (8:25 pace) but I knew that in the beginning. After the run was finished, my running spirit was revived. Prior to yesterday, I decided to run 4 miles 3 days then do a long run on Saturday. Initially, I was doubtful this experiment would work. After one week, I believe this is a good training plan allowing me to keep my legs fresh for the long run. Is it something I would recommend to other aspiring marathon runners? I would say no because I'm self trained. Any training plans you research should be consulted by a trusting coach. Someday, I will invest time and money into one. Right now, my goal is to get another personal best at my third marathon coming up. I need to work on making stretching post run a habit more often. Right now, my goal is to be ready for Vermont City Marathon (Burlington) coming up in May. Wow, this update was longer than I anticipated. I will have more updates as the marathon approaches. Thank you for reading. Good luck to all runners on your upcoming races. Happy Running.

-Matt

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