I very much enjoyed tracking my friend Tracy as she ran the New York City Marathon yesterday (after already doing the Chicago Marathon just a few weeks ago.) But, she tweeted afterward that she's pretty sure I had more fun watching than she did running. She's contemplating retiring from the marathon.
Now I'm on the whole other side of the fence. I'm watching with envy as fellow Shredheads prepare for a marathon that I'm unfortunately too slow to qualify for just yet. Plus, I know in my heart that although I really want to run a marathon in my lifetime, the time is not now. My body is not ready. My schedule is not ready. I cannot put in the effort necessary to properly train.
While I can pretty much jump into a 5k, 10k, or even a Half, there is no way that I can just do a marathon on a whim.
I'm going to be totally honest - 2009 was great for me in terms of exercise. I did the Shred, then did the Couch-to-5k, plus tried a little Bob's yoga. This year appears amazing, what with my Project 2010k and doing an actual weekly yoga class where a trainer makes sure I do the poses correctly, but I've actually been really lazy.
Sure, people's eyes bug out when I tell them I've run five half-marathons this year (plus nine 10ks, multiple 5ks, and several random races from12k to over 18 miles in a weekend.) But I haven't trained for the races. I haven't run regularly. After the races I eat (because I'm super hungry.) Instead of losing weight in 2010, I've gained weight.
The great thing about life though, is that we can always reinvent ourselves. I don't have to stay in this pattern, even though with my enormous "to-do" list for the next few weeks, it might seem like I'm doomed.
I will run a marathon someday. And I'm hoping it will be the NYC Marathon, for a variety of sentimental reasons. (Registration for next year's lottery opened today. Believe me, I was tempted, if only to give myself a strict deadline and a beautiful gleaming carrot. But I resisted.)
Before I attempt a marathon, I'm going to train FOR REAL for a Half-marathon. Once I can prove to myself that I can do an ACTUAL training schedule for a race that I know I can do already, then I'll tackle the big fish.
While it is definitely a wonderful motivator to think I CAN DO THIS! It can be more harmful than helpful to have an unrealistic expectation about my abilities. I know I can do it... someday. But the stars have to align just a tad more for it to happen.
Comments (2)
You can totally do this...someday. :) But yeah, with no training, yikes. I feel like I could eek out a 1/2 marathon right now, but on my last 10 mile run I thought, "wow, I'm going to have to do this 1.5 more times! YIKES!" Kind of scary.
Posted by Bill | November 9, 2010 10:20 AM
Posted on November 9, 2010 10:20
For the record, I'm already rethinking my retirement :)
You can do it, obviously. But I think you're on the right track that you need to take the training seriously. Not only is it physically difficult to do a marathon with inadequate training, but the injury risk is way too great. Plus, having done marathons that I was well prepared for and ones that I was... less prepared for, the difference in difficulty is exponential.
Training is hard and takes a lot of dedication. It sounds so easy in theory, but three months in, trust me, you'll be sick to death of the feeling of HAVING to go out running every day.
So what's your goal half?
Posted by Tracy | November 9, 2010 11:15 AM
Posted on November 9, 2010 11:15