Marathon Training And Then Some
Mar 31So lately when people have asked me what has been going on, it’s pretty much been work (which is obviously going to be every weekday) and training for the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon. I decided to sign up for it a little while back, and now is as good of a time as any for a little update.
While training for the half marathon was a good introduction, it wasn’t nearly as intense. The thing about marathons is that they are known to be much more difficult to do without training. A half marathon (at 13.1 miles) is daunting, but it is still doable without too much training. But with 26.2 miles, there is the very real chance of “hitting the wall” (where the energy is depleted from the runner’s system leaving little left to continue on). And there are even some very well-publicized cases of people dying during a marathon. I want to train so that those things will not happen to me!
I have definitely found out that something that you do not get right away is how much of a commitment this is. Training takes a large amount of time! I am on week 10 (out of 16 weeks) of my training, and I am running about 25-30 miles weekly. Holy moly! All of that training consists of an average of 45 minutes for the non-long runs and upwards of 3 hours (so far) for my long runs. I have a single long run each week that comprises less than half of my weekly mileage. And both my long runs and my weekly mileage will (and should) continue to increase. All told, I am spending a significant portion of my time on this.
What have I learned from training thus far?
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A commitment to exercise and health is life-changing. And not easy.
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Perseverance and the power of the mind is key.
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Having a goal and training for it is an excellent way to lose weight. I was not even looking to do it, but it just happens!
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I don’t know if running adds years to your life, but it definitely adds life to your years. [Runner’s World Article (Page 6)]
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Running, amazingly enough, can be enjoyable. (It can also be torturous!)
- It is definitely nice finding out that I am not dependent on my car. I can in fact go to the supermarket or the bank without it, if I so desire. This week I will also see what it feels like to commute from work to home using my running shoes.
I am not nearly done yet. I will not be until I cross that glorious finish line. However I can say that I am registered. And that is either a cause for me to commend myself or ask what in the world have I gotten myself into.