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| Summer running y'all. |
Reality hit on week 3 of marathon training: we are parents of small children. We make a lot of sacrifices during training and one of them is we both don’t get to run with the group all the time because someone has to take care of the kids. We have learned to take turns training with the group which means twice a month I get out there and run long solo. The blessing is that I have met some wonderful runners on my route. Last weekend I caught up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. It’s nice to see that they are still out there training and running strong. It was also fun to see one of the members from my church walking in the park. I love to see people taking charge of their health and well being by exercising.
Summer running is not for the faint of heart. It’s brutal outside so it’s wise to be cautions and to be hydrated at all times. I came to learn (the hard way) that some things in training are non-negotiable. Hydration is one of them, resting is another.
I allow myself to rest twice a week from all training. I have learned that my body needs to recover in order to keep going. Because I’m a mother of small children, I don’t get to relax after my long runs. I get to take care of them and do some work around the house. The higher the mileage, the less I try to do (emphasis on try). I know one day I’ll look back and wonder how in the world I did this. Good thing it’s been worth all the sacrifice. I remember in season’s past putting the kids’ water bottles and fruit out on the table, popping up a movie and trying to rest for 1 hour and a half. My husband works some Saturdays, so I get to stay with them and run the household while he faithfully provides for us. Marathon training is my choice and one that I treasure, so I try to look at the sacrifices of this season as more fuel for my passion of running. All of these things seem to disappear as I cross the finish line in January.
I know that while there is still a lot of training to happen, these weeks go by super fast. We are 187 days away but I clearly remember when we were in single digits. All the work was done and we were getting ready to take our final test: the marathon itself. If the marathon is a test, now it’s time to study so I am applying myself to the basics. My goal is to run the best marathon I have ever ran to date. I want to be a better marathoner than I’ve been before. I love this race, that’s why I keep going back to it. There’s something about running Houston that makes you fall in love with the sport. I know it well because that’s where my love for long distance running started. I have come to learn that falling love requires knowledge and dedication, so that’s what I am putting in to the sport, even when I’m resting for the next run.
This is week 3 and I am feeling hopeful. Thanks for joining me in this journey friends! Registration is still open and I’d love for you to join me as we run this amazing marathon. Click here for details please.
Previously in this series:
• Week 1
• Week 2
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