Marathon Training: Just an update on how I am doing here

This post prego mama runs!!!

As you know I went a bit crazy in January and decided that I wanted  needed to sign up for my first marathon.  I have been training and researching like crazy.   I have been running for fun for the last 5 years, and in the beginning I never thought I would call myself a runner.  If you know both Kiesha and I, you know that Kiesha has had a life long passion for running and she is great at it!!! (I might be super jealous of her skills here).  But I will forever love Kiesha for many reasons, but one of those is because she introduced me and pushed and helped me learn to love to run.

Our van pre run!  It was raining so hard at the finish we have no pictures.

My first race was 2 months post baby, running a relay, as I pumped in between runs and thought I was going to die, I swore I would never subject myself to such craziness and pain ever again!  Well we got to the finish line, soaking wet, muscles so sore I could barley stand, and we were exhausted, but the adrenaline and feelings of accomplishment for doing something so awesome took over in my brain and I was ready to sign up for the same craziness next year (minus milking myself in the van as we went, I will never do that again, nursing and relays don't go together).  I loved the team aspect, the support, but mostly knowing that I did something hard and I survived!  After that I still said I hated to run, but really I loved it, I just didn't know it yet.  I didn't do any other races until ragnar the next year, and then after that I started signing up for other races a few 5k's a 5 miler, and then Kiesha roped me into a half!!

Me and Kiesha Post run at the Mantua Dam Run 2012

Our Epic team 2012 (I think?)

2010 Ragnar Pre-race! 

Yep this is Sione from Biggest loose season ? 5 I think... He was at the starting line!!!

Before our half!!! Kiesha had some serious bling on!

My half was interesting, I felt great for most of the race, I wasn't going in with any expectation of finishing time other than I didn't want to be last.  I kept a pretty decent pace for myself through most of the race, I got lost in the beauty that was around me (we were in Park City, UT in the Fall), in my music and just pushing myself forward.  I got to mile 8 and had a problem however, I needed to poop! (I cannot believe I am sharing this with you all but if your a runner you understand, and if your human you poop too so hopefully you understand too).  There wasn't a porta potty in sight so I started walking.  I walked and walked and pretty soon I noticed the urge had left and I was good to run again... so I started up...  Well I was running the wrong direction...  I am not sure where or how I got lost, but I did.  OOPS!  So I turned around and started running with the crowd... thankfully I had the same mileage at the finish, but it kinda messed me up.  So my finishing time was not awesome, but it makes it easy to beat next time right.

Ash and I on the bus up to the start!

We finished (she finished long before me) but we finished in the rain!

Our last year has been a bit rough, my 4 year old fell out of our second story house and although he sustained no critical injuries (thankfully), he still had to be walking only for several months, and watched very closely (so this became my full time job)  everything went to the way side  I stopped running, I stopped crossfitting, everything was about keeping him down and safe.  My husband was working at a new job and had been commuting 2 hours each way while we were trying to sell our home and this happened during all of that.  A month later my 6yr old broke his arm (by this point we were on a first name basis with the ER doctors) so when Kiesha approached me and said hey lets get a few of us together and run the Ogden Marathon as a relay I said ok, but give me the easy leg I have too much on my plate right now.  Well fast forward a few months and we had moved, my kids were not requiring the same amount of attention and I was ready to start training again (in fact I needed to start doing something).  I was talking to my friend on the phone and she says to me, "we should run a marathon this spring"  I told her she was nuts and no way.  She was persistent though and we went back and forth talking about doing one in the fall etc.  Finally we decided on doing one in the spring so I called Kiesha and asked if she could fill my spot on the relay because I was running the whole thing.  Kiesha of course thought I was crazy (because maybe I was a bit), but she said she could fill my spot and gave me a ton of information on training and where to start.

Me and Alisha 16 miles!!!

Me and Kiesha 15 miles!!!

After I signed up I was excited and had some serious adrenaline going for a day or so.... then the reality of what I had done set in and I may have been a bit scared, but still excited to check this off my bucket list.  So I looked up a few training plans and finally decided to follow one from www.halhigdon.com  It seemed reasonable for me and felt like something I could do in the 17 weeks I had available to me.  I then started asking everyone I know about running, in addition to reading every article I could find on online, and every book I could get my hands on.  The one I have loved the very most is called IronFit: Strength Training and Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Don Fink and Melanie Fink.  This book was a gold mine of information on sooo many things that I needed help with.  I have been following my training plan (well mostly, I may have missed a few short runs here and there), learning to fuel my body for what works best for my body not only during my runs but before and after and during the week.  I am working on my hydration plans too.  The strength training routines they have outlined in the book are so wonderful and helping a ton.  I have ran up to 16 miles which is 3 miles further (well 2.90) than I have ever ran in my life.  Each week is my longest run I have ever done.  Each week I feel like a total rockstar when I am finished, it is exhilarating!  I really enjoy crossing off each run of my training plan.  I just hit my 200 mile mark for the year yesterday which is awesome for me.  I usually run 300-400 miles in an entire year! I have 6 weeks left before race day and I am excited and nervous, but I am hoping all my research and hard work will pay off and I can finish in my goal time of 5 hours or less, and be able to enjoy it.  I have very much enjoyed my training up to this point and hope that joy continues.  It has been so fun and I have even found a few new running buddies down here to run with!

I am currently running 4 days a week, strength training 2-3 days a week, and trying to fuel my body for what is to come.  I eat 5 small meals a day trying to keep it as clean as possible.  I have cut most of my sugar, soda etc.  I am drinking 3 liters of water per day, and trying to figure out how to hydrate during my runs.  Pre run I try to eat some steel cut oats and egg whites or and apple with peanut butter.  During my runs over 8 miles I fuel with gu every 4 miles (I have thought of trying for something more natural but right now the gu works for me and so I am sticking with it)  I need to work on hydrating during my long runs, I hate carrying my water so dropping water seems to be my best option so far. Post run I grab a chocolate milk ASAP and then I have found I want warm food, like a pulled pork sandwich or breakfast burrito, and I need to eat quickly or I start to feel really icky.  What does your training look like?  What have you done that has worked well for you (I would love to know)?

Me, Scot and Kylee 12 miles in a down pour!!

What is the farthest you have ever ran? Or the hardest run or hardest workout you have ever done?  I know some of you are runners and some of you may not be (deep in my heart I am a crossfitter too I have just had to put that on hold for a moment but I will be back.) but regardless of what you do be it lift, bike, swim, run... I want to hear what is the hardest workout you have done or your biggest fitness accomplishment!?