 |
| Photo by Carter Anderson Fine Portraiture |
Yes, I’ve decided to train for a marathon. More specifically, I am planning to run The Chosen Marathon for Adoption in New Braunfels, TX in late October. Technically I will run the half marathon, which is 13.1 miles.
In order to accomplish this I joined Katy Fit once again, this time their full marathon and half marathon training program. I have several other friends who have done this and swear by it, plus my buddy Dr. Scott runs it. They have literally hundreds of participants of all shapes, sizes, ages and paces.
The goal race of Katy Fit’s program is the Houston Full and Half marathon in January. Since my planned half marathon is much earlier than that, I am training with the people aiming for the Houston full marathon. Once I finish the Chosen half marathon I will decide whether to keep training with them and work towards 26.2 miles in January or back off and just run another half marathon.
Here’s the skinny: Katy Fit gives me all the tools to accomplish this huge goal. I just have to do my part and put in the miles. I’ve only really been at it for a week and a half but so far it kind of sucks. I’m running four times a week, mostly on the treadmill but with one long run in the insane Texas heat and humidty on Saturday mornings.
I thought I could manage it easily with the gradual increase in distance but the heat and frequency of runs has made it tough. I’m having to back way off of my normal 5K pace, which wasn’t that fast to begin with. My legs are pretty much sore all the time now. It’s not an injury, it’s just fatigue and muscle breakdown/recovery. I’m trying to eat better and hydrate more to help that. I make sure to stretch a lot after every run.
It’s possible that my mental/emotional stress is also affecting my runs. It’s been a brutal week in that regard, being a loyal alumnus of Penn State. Additionally my grandfather is back in the hospital with a lot of confusion and a fever. Plus one of my husband’s close friends had a heart attack and died this week. Even our adoption process has been more of a strain than a source of joy lately.
I’m still determined though. I believe I have the fortitude to stick with it. I know how much the running helps my stress and it certainly is great for my waistline. It’s a long road ahead and I’m hoping cooler weather will vastly improve my attitude about the whole thing. But who knows when cooler weather will arrive.