1,261 is the number of miles I ran, walked and biked in 2013. I am thankful to God for being able to finish this journey and move on to my dream of finishing a marathon.
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| my last run of 2013 was epic. |
As I look back these 29 weeks, I learned that there are things that can help as well as hurt my marathon training.
• Commitment helps. One does need to be committed to the training in order to have a chance to safely cover 26.2 miles. There are some who don't train as much as others and finish marathons but there is no doubt that the will to win is nothing without the will to prepare to win.
• Rest helps. I rested every time I could. Training helped me include more rest in my daily schedule other than the 'rest' days when I didn't exercise. Rest is such a funny word to this mom of 3 preschoolers. I work all the time but when things are priorities they simply get done.
• Comparison hurts. Comparison is the chief thief of joy. It strips you down of confidence and it really, really hurts marathon training. So what is someone is faster than you? It is important to run your own race. I learned to stop comparing myself to people on and off line and my energy immediately increased. Comparison puts unnecessary weight in an already heavy load which marathon training is. My goal is to run my own race and trust my training.
• Worry hurts. Being concerned about certain aspects of life is acceptable but worry can really hurt marathon training. I've learned to give my worries and concerns to God and let Him handle the stuff I just can't. I'm talking about race fees, new shoes and personal problems. Being worried can really mess up training so releasing my worries to God has helped me run lighter.
• Commitment helps. One does need to be committed to the training in order to have a chance to safely cover 26.2 miles. There are some who don't train as much as others and finish marathons but there is no doubt that the will to win is nothing without the will to prepare to win.
• Rest helps. I rested every time I could. Training helped me include more rest in my daily schedule other than the 'rest' days when I didn't exercise. Rest is such a funny word to this mom of 3 preschoolers. I work all the time but when things are priorities they simply get done.
• Comparison hurts. Comparison is the chief thief of joy. It strips you down of confidence and it really, really hurts marathon training. So what is someone is faster than you? It is important to run your own race. I learned to stop comparing myself to people on and off line and my energy immediately increased. Comparison puts unnecessary weight in an already heavy load which marathon training is. My goal is to run my own race and trust my training.
• Worry hurts. Being concerned about certain aspects of life is acceptable but worry can really hurt marathon training. I've learned to give my worries and concerns to God and let Him handle the stuff I just can't. I'm talking about race fees, new shoes and personal problems. Being worried can really mess up training so releasing my worries to God has helped me run lighter.
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| Feeling rested before my 12-miler |
My next to last group run on Saturday was just lovely. I left my earphones in the car so I talked to my friends the whole time. Here's my accomplished face after the run:
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| 12 miles were easy compared to 21! |
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| My running group is the best. |
On my birthday (Friday, January 3) my husband and I went downtown to drive through part of the marathon route. It was awesome to visualize the places I'll be running. We didn't cover the whole course but I hope to do that before the big day. We both downloaded the new Chevron Houston Marathon App and immediately started using it. There are some super cool features that will help us stay connected before during and after the race.
As I am cutting down the mileage I am increasing my mental training. The mind is a powerful component of my marathon training. When doubts come my way I want to be ready with affirming, encouraging, God breathed messages. God is on my side and I will run an injury-free, strong race. I want to be happily surprised by my PR (personal record, meaning, the amount of time that will take me to finish the race). I also want to be built up in my faith so that I can finish strong. I have visualized myself finishing this marathon several times. I've been doing this for 4 and a half years but now I do it on a daily basis, especially when I'm running outside. Proverbs 23:7 says that as a (wo)man thinks in his (or her) heart so is (s)he. I am taking this Bible verse seriously and thinking I am a marathoner.
Thanks for reading! Your prayers are appreciated and much needed. Have a great day!
Previously in this Series:
• Marathon Training Basics (Video)
• Weeks 1-10
• Weeks 14-20
• Week 21
• Week 22
• Week 23
• Week 25
• Week 26
• Week 27
• Week 28
Previously in this Series:
• Marathon Training Basics (Video)
• Weeks 1-10
• Weeks 14-20
• Week 21
• Week 22
• Week 23
• Week 25
• Week 26
• Week 27
• Week 28
Great tips, Cintia! :) Glad you are enjoying your taper period.
You are so right about mental preparation. I had a friend in college who took this a step further and each time she ran a marathon, she would ask for prayers from friends/family and write them down on a piece of paper. At each mile marker, she would take one of the prayers requests from her pocket and kneel down and pray for that person. I love this idea, and thought you might too!
Oh wow, what an amazing thing to do! Prayer is powerful. I am excited to read about your training Lauren and I appreciate your encouragement very much!
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