I ran the NYC marathon in 2013. My marathon experience was
exactly what I thought it would be. The training was totally brutal. Running
for 3+ hours on a Sunday is no joke. I did a decent job training and when race
day arrived I did the best I could. My goal was under 4 hours and I did it in
4:07, I was totally pleased with myself and hoped I’d feel content with the
race and like I’d never feel the need to run another marathon (but had a
suspicion this wouldn’t be the case).
Training for and running a marathon takes a serious toll on
your body. I kinda think most humans aren’t built to run this distance and it
can do more harm than good. However, I want to run another one! Why? Running a
marathon is a huge undertacking, it takes persistence, time, energy and will
power. It’s not always fun but it is SO rewarding. Until you’ve done it, you
don’t know how amazingly accomplished you feel after each long training run
(and the guilt-free bagel eating, don’t even get me started on that gloriousness).
My NYC experience was awesome, the crowds are unreal, I was
there with friends and I had cheering squads positioned throughout the 26.2
miles, constantly pushing me on. I loved NYC but I want to do a differnet race.
I’ve heard great things about the Chicago marathon. Every blogger recap I read
is super positive plus the course is flat and gives me a better chance of
breaking 4 hours. I decided to sign up for the lottery and got in.
Unlike NYC, once you get in you have some time to decide if
you actually want to follow through. My time is up and I confirmed my
entry! The Timberman Ironman race will cut into my marathon training so I will
need to be creative with how I transition from the Augsut 16 race to having 2
months to prep for Chicago.
I’m a less-is-more kinda girl when it comes to training. For
NYC I actually used a plan called Less is More and it was perfect for me. I
didn’t burn out, didn’t get injured and felt prepared for race day. I’m going
to go about things a little differently this year and am hoping to get signed
up with Race Pace Wellness to help get me prepped for the starting line (more on
that later once I actually reach out to Jess!).
Have you done the Chicago marathon? If so, do you have any
tips for me? And are any of my readers doing the race with me? Shoot me a note
below!
