The Full That Became a Half

In December, I signed up for the Go! St. Louis race again, this time to run the full marathon (I ran the half last year). I was a smidge late getting started on training, but things started out okay. Then it got super cold. Work life turned insane. Then I got sick. Then it stayed super cold. Let's just say, 10 miles is the most I've finished in one session. Every weekend would roll around and I'd be unable to fathom spending 2 or 3 hours out in the frigid temps. What about the gym, you ask? Let me tell you...The gym I go to has 10 treadmills. 10...And, to use them, you sign up for a 30 minute time slot, one 30 minute session at a time. So, after 30 minutes you have to get off the treadmill and go see if you can sign up again for that machine, or if you need to switch machines, or worse yet, do something else while you wait for another chance to use one. Then there's the fact that 8 miles on a treadmill is all I can manage before I'm so bored I could die. All these factors were turning running into a chore, not a joy. I hated feeling like a failure b/c I couldn't seem to get my miles in. I  hated getting my miles in but dreading every second of it. So, I made a decision: I'm going to run the half in April instead of the full. 


I won't lie. It was a tough decision. There's the knee-jerk part of me that thinks "Don't be a quitter!" (I'm pretty sure this is actually my dad's voice in my head). But, running is supposed to be fun. And, for me, running on a treadmill just isn't fun. It's misery. I don't want the exercise I love to become a dreaded chore. Running when I can (including the occasional treadmill speed workout) until it gets warm is the best choice I can make to keep from burning myself out on my favorite activity. Once that's over, I'll think about the possibility of signing up for a full in the fall. But, I make no promises...my professional life is undergoing a major period of growth/change, and that's got to be the focus of most of my energies for now.

I felt immediately relieved after I made my decision. In fact, I had the best run I'd had in a long time on Saturday. It was in the 30s, so I went for a snowy run. It was a little like running on the beach in the places where the snow was still loose over the sidewalk and like an obstacle course people had walked and the snow had frozen in hills and valleys around the footprints. It was a great time. Just like a run should be.

2010 By the Numbers

I'm a data geek as you might already know. So, on the last day of the year, I sat down to figure out what the numbers say about how much work I put in this year:

• I worked out 228 of 365 days, which means I worked out about 62% of the time. 
• I worked out an average of 19 days a month.
• I covered 968.42 miles (at least those recorded by Garmin) in 2010.
• 838.68 of those miles were running!

The days worked out was a little lower than 2009...I worked out 10 more times then than I did this year. I'm chalking part of that up to the taper and recovery period after the marathon (and just a touch of laziness as winter hit).
I also took a look at the goals I set last year to see which ones I actually achieved:

1. Join a volleyball league (already started on this one: first game is 1/4!) Check, although I eventually decided the league wasn't my cup of tea and only played one season.
2. Run a half marathon Check!
3. Run a full marathon Check!
4. Drink at least 64 oz of water a day (and no coffee until I have had at least 16 oz of H2O) Mostly failure. I didn't drink nearly as much water as I should have and definitely got the coffee in no mater what!
5. Get back in the habit of making a healthy lunch at home instead of going out I did pretty well on this. The best months for this are in the fall/winter when I can make a giant batch of soup that lasts all week.
6. Eat MORE veggies at every meal (I struggle with this in the winter...) I did great on this. Again, as the fresh summer vegetables give way to the puny looking ones shipped in from whoknowswhere, I struggle.
7. Reach my goal weight (11.4 lbs to go as of yesterday) Not so much. My weight is pretty much exactly the same as last year. Marathon training didn't make for great weight loss. I made the choice to feed my body what it needed rather than deprive to get the last few pounds off. Now that I'm training again, I'm working to keep my calories in check and eat healthy calories.
8. Maintain my goal weight when I get there (that's a whole other journey) While I'm not at my goal, I've definitely maintained give a pound or two fluctuation throughout the year. And, because I've really upped my strength training, I feel stronger and more toned than ever.
9. Get professionally fitted for running shoes Check, best decision ever made!
10. Support B. on his own journey to health Working on being a support and not a nag. Everyone has their own journey and their own story of how they got there...and it usually doesn't start with, "My girlfriend forced me to go to the gym..."

I haven't quite figured out what my goals are this coming year. I know I have a marathon lined up in April and possibly in October. I'll let you know what my running and health related goals are as soon as I get them narrowed down. 

Happy and Healthy New Year, Everyone! 

Fool Me Twice...

I've gone from "never" to "maybe...eventually" to "yes, definitely"...I went ahead and signed up for the Go! St. Louis marathon this week. I wanted to do one in Lawrence, KS, but even though the registration cost was higher for St. Louis, I figured it would all even out when you took into consideration the cost of travel, lodging, etc. What I didn't think through too thoroughly was the time...Right after I signed up, I tweeted that training started in January. Not quite, math whiz. Training for an 18 week program would have started last week. As it is, I'm planning for the average 16 week plan and starting next week. Next WEEK!

On one hand, I'll be very glad to have a regimen to follow again. I've been a terrible slacker in the running department since the last marathon. Seriously, my longest run has been a little over 10 miles...once. Usually they top out around 8. Part of that, though, has been the ridiculous cold (combined with my simultaneous distaste for the treadmill). Starting next week, there can be no more excuses, and more than likely, there will be many a run on a cold, dark winter's morning/evening that has to take place at the good old gym on the treadmill. Gotta to stop whining and do it. Hopefully, being on the treadmill will make me more likely to sprinkle in all the speed and tempo work I should be doing.

Another goal for this training cycle: not to slack off on the strength training. When I do it regularly I experience far less joint pain b/c the muscles in those areas are offering more support. That, and who doesn't want to be ripped just a little. I also have a month of unlimited classes (via LivingSocial coupons) for the boxing gym that I need to use at some point...Should I try to mix that in for cross training sessions? Will I still be able to get my money's worth?? Decisions, decisions.

So here I go again...Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I know what I'm signing up for this time...I just hope I can find the same level of motivation I had last summer. I'll have some blog fodder at the very least!

What's your favorite marathon training plan? 

I'm looking for alternatives to the Hal Higdon one I used last time.