I am training for my 6th marathon. I am also coaching a great group of runners who are part of USA Fit’s Fort Bend Fit. I find that while running can be challenging, finding time to train for a marathon can be even more challenging. Here is what worked for me.
• Plug your training schedule in your calendar. Introduce your marathon training schedule to your personal calendar. Whether digital or paper, add all your weekday and weekend training runs there. Once you have all your appointments, it will be easier to set boundaries when it comes to other appointments. For example, if you know you have to wake up at 4 a.m. to cover a long run, you will most likely skip that late night hangout the night before.
• Plan your week before it happens. Look at your calendar and make a firm decision on when your runs will happen. Will you run in the morning, at lunch time or after work? Plan and make a firm commitment with yourself. If you want to do even better, find accountability.
• Find a real person. The Internet is the worst type of accountability. Don’t even think about posting about your training so the World Wide Web can ‘help’ you. Find a real person who will get dressed and meet you somewhere to complete the training. Some people are really good a self-regulating. They will complete the week day training with no problem. Others do better when there’s a real person waiting for them. I find that having a real person as accountability also makes those training sessions way more fun.
• Remind yourself of your deadline. Some people dread all the appointments you are with yourself to trading for a marathon. You have to remember that you are not a professional athlete and that you have a goal race in mind. Once that race is over, you can go back to sleeping in on weekends. You pay the price for a little while and then you go back to your normal.
• Change your perspective. When training for a marathon, you need to have the right perspective. Training for a marathon will improve the quality of your life. While it is understandable that you may not have time to train, people who are busier than you train for a marathon and successfully complete it. People who have more kids than you, younger kids than yours do it. Cancer survivors do it. I know people who are going through cancer treatment (and who have consulted their doctors by the way) who do it. Whatever excuse you can come up with, there is someone who has beat it.
I have to remind you that before starting marathon training, you need to consult your doctor. If you are injured or sick, talk to your doctor about it. The information I give is for inspiration and entertainment only. I do hope that if you are on the fence about training that you will consider this life enhancing process.
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