As my marathon training is coming to its peak and taper is approaching, I can’t help but look back through past marathon experiences. It’s fun to remind myself that I can do this, and have done it before with enough enjoyment to sign up again. This always reminds me that nothing will ever compare to the experience of my very first marathon.
I enjoy looking through old marathon training runs and reminding myself what I did that was successful, and what I wish I had not done. Every marathon is different, just as every training season is different. However, there are a few things that I always try to stick with and remind myself of during preparation and on race day.
The past four marathons have all been so different in terms of where I am in life, training, physically, and mentally. Each of these races has given me such a strong sense of accomplishment that it kept me coming back for more.
Focus on the present workouts, not the future of your training.
It’s so easy to get your first marathon training plan and instantly find yourself overwhelmed! If running 4 miles seems challenging to me now, how in the world will I manage 20?! Focus on the moment you are in – your current week of training, the next run on your schedule – and not the future. You’d be surprised how your body adapts and mileage that is double what you used to do suddenly seems like a ‘short run’.
Eat to run, not run to eat.
I’m definitely guilty of this! I am all for rewarding yourself after a long run, but make sure you don’t go overboard. It took me a while to figure out why I actually gained weight during my first marathon training season.
Just because you are training for a marathon doesn’t mean that you can eat three portions of spaghetti the night before a 5-mile mid-week run. Be aware of your mileage, eat when you are hungry, and fuel up for those long runs. During the week, there is no need to be winning hot dog-eating contests or gorging yourself on cake.
Break those long runs up into smaller distances.
In training for my fifth marathon, I FINALLY discovered the beauty in this. I certainly wish I had discovered it sooner because it has completely revolutionized long runs. Instead of heading out for 10 miles and then turning around to get 20 miles, find a place where you can go out in multiple different directions.
I start in the middle of a trail and head out for 3 in one direction, then back to the start, 3 in the other direction, then back to the start, 2 out and back, then 2 out and back again. Breaking the run down into 6, 6, 4, and 4 miles has been a game changer for me mentally.
Dedicate your runs to someone or something.
Feeling like you are running for a purpose, or for someone who is really struggling, often puts the pain you are feeling during those few miles into perspective. It helps me to have a purpose and reminds me that my struggles are nothing compared to what others have been through.
Dedicating miles to others helps me practice gratitude during times when it is easy to think of selfish thoughts and get caught up in your own pains. My first marathon was something I wanted to do for myself, to see if it was even possible to accomplish. Once I realized that it was, I decided to mentally dedicate future runs to others.
