Last October I did a thing. I entered Adam and I into the Chicago Marathon raffle. On December 12, we were confirmed entrants and officially registered for the race this fall!
This was not a spur of the moment decision. Adam and I had talked for years about wanting to check a marathon off of our bucket list. I did a lot of research on the best marathons in the country, the best marathons for beginners, and the best marathon for “one and done” (which is totally our goal!). Chicago made every list (as did Disney but I have heard mixed things on those…) and given our proximity to Chicago, it seemed like the perfect choice!
Over the winter, race day seemed forever away. The race is on October 7. Plenty of time, right?
Well now it is spring (and feels like summer) and we are quickly realizing how soon October will be here! So I created a training plan based off of plans I found online and our own schedule. I put it all into a google spreadsheet and invited Adam to contribute as well so we can both log our miles. Unlike most plans I found, ours peaks at a 24 mile run. Most stopped at 20, but call me crazy, turning out 6.2 more miles seems like it needs more than adrenaline!
Training officially started on April 1 but it took a couple weeks to get serious about it. Last weekend Adam and I did our first serious long training run, I did 12 miles and he got through 10 (to be fair, he ripped his heels up the morning before playing basketball and they were bleeding terribly by the time he got home!). Next weekend we have a 20k in Des Moines, Dam to Dam, and then the miles keep increasing.
Adam and I have different approaches, but my basic plan is:
- Keep doing Orangetheory 4-5 times a week (averages between 2-3 miles on the treadmill)
- One mid-distance run during the week (between 5-10)
- One long run on weekends, slowly adding mileage
- One rest day a week (maybe two if I’m struggling) – If you’re doing the math, yes, I plan to double-up an OTF workout in the morning and an afternoon run once a week
Going into this challenge I am not setting a firm time goal, but instead have the following personal goals:
- Stay consistent with training
- Listen to my body (NO INJURIES!)
- Negative splits
- Enjoy the process
I know running isn’t for everyone but while I might go through moments where I hate it, typically running is my favorite, don’t tell OTF. There is just something so simple and individual about running. Never thought I would be pushing myself to run 4-5 hours but… gotta try everything once, right??
Now you tell me:
- Do you enjoy running and have you ever run a marathon?
- What is your secret for getting through a workout (any type of workout!)?
- Do you use excel spreadsheets for tracking everything in life?!
