I remember the first time I read “recovery run” on a training plan I thought “what part of running is recovery!?”
The first time I participated in a 5k race with friends, I pushed too hard when I saw the finish line, not realizing I still had quite a distance to go and had to slow down and walk for a while. I was never a “runner” or an “athlete” growing up. I was a kid that came home from school and ate snacks in front of the TV. In my 20s I discovered fitness for the first time and participated in some “fun runs” and obstacle course races with friends.
Now after finishing that 26.2 miles I feel like I accomplished something that once seemed impossible. With determination and proper preparation, running a marathon is an achievable goal that can transform your life. Here’s what I wish I knew before running a marathon and what my experience was like training for my first ever marathon.
Goal 1: Run 2-3 times every week for 30 minutes
First, I committed to a schedule of running. I signed up for a 10k with a friend because I knew I could run 10 km without training but I wanted to see what would happen if I did train.
I had heard about Jeff Galloway run-walk method used to help runners of all levels complete races and decided to try that. Although I could run for 30 mins without stopping, I had to run very slowly and it felt difficult.
How I did it:
So, to break it up I would run for two minutes followed by one minute of walking and I would continue to do that for a 30-minute treadmill session. Then I increased the time spent running three minutes running + one minute walking, four minutes running + one minute walking, and finally five minutes running + one minute walking. Sometimes I would experiment with increasing my speed on the TM (treadmill) during the running portion.
Although I primarily focused on the run-walk method, once a week I tried to run a full 30 minutes at whatever pace I felt capable of.
How it went:
My leg muscles were tight! It felt like my body was revolting against me. To fight this, I religiously stretched my hamstrings and calves after each run. Additionally, when the discomfort persisted I would foam roll, which “hurt so good” the most around my IT band. In my opinion it helped improve the tightness and gradually over time I noticed less and less tightness.
So I ran my 10k and I felt good, but I was most proud that I was able to follow a running routine.
Goal 2: Increase the length of my long run
Now that I felt confident that I could stick to a running routine, which was one of my greatest hurdles, I wanted to see how far could I run. There was a park I used to frequent, that had a 6-mile loop. I had run it occasionally when training for the 10K but never more than once a week because I usually need a few days “off”, after running that sort of distance, to recover. The loop took me just over an hour to complete, so I figured I would do one “long run” a week starting at about an hour
How I did it:
I continued running three times a week: two 30 minute runs and one long run (at this point I could run 30 minutes continuously a few times a week). However, each week, I increased my long run by 5 minutes. I did a time-based goal over a distance goal because at that point I had moved to Italy and the treadmills were now in km and km/hour instead of miles so I was having a hard time with all the conversions.
How it went:
I had been running regularly for a little less than a year so I was no longer experiencing all the leg tightness. Once I got over 80 minute runs, I transitioned to outdoor long runs only because long runs on a treadmill felt too miserable to me. One day while running a long run I realized I had just completed a half marathon.
I had run a half marathon in my mid 20s (about 7 years prior) and during that half marathon I thought “that was the hardest thing I ever did, I will never do that again!” This time, however, I felt really good after my unofficial half marathon and a bit emotional because I realized I had run my unofficial half marathon faster than the half marathon I ran in my mid 20s.
Goal 3: Follow a marathon training plan and sign up for a marathon
At this point I started telling people I was training for a marathon. In the back of my mind, it had always been my goal but I was too scared to admit it until this point. I looked online at various free marathon training programs but I chose the Hal Higdon Beginner Marathon training plan because a friend of mine also recently attempted a marathon and that was the plan she chose.
How I did it:
I mostly followed it. At first, I was still running three times a week but never on back to back days. Hal Higdon’s plan included four runs each week and in order to do that I would have to run sometimes two days in a row. This was a hurdle for me because my body was used to rest days after each running day. The first 6 weeks I did not consistently run four times a week as the plan prescribed but I did start running back to back days on occasion.
The last couple months I ran mostly four times a week at the recommended distances.
Another way I deviated from Hal Higdon’s plan was I included a few extra “repeat weeks” because my family was planning an RV trip across the US. Also, I included a few extra-long 20ish mile run weeks because I wanted to feel more confident in being able to handle such a long distance by trialing it a few times.
How it went:
For the first time ever I experienced Achilles pain, which scared me because I had treated a very persistent case of Achilles tendonitis for a patient when I worked as a PTA. So I backed off any hill runs and I started doing calf strengthening exercises a few times a week (as long as the pain wasn’t flared up).
My marathon training fell mostly in the hot summer months so I had to get up super early to run and wore a hydration vest on all my long runs. I also experimented with different kinds of sports drinks because I found myself feeling unquenchably thirsty at times.
Also, my running paces were all so slow! With the heat and humidity, I just couldn’t run “fast”. So I submitted to the fact that my goal was consistent mileage each week, without any speed work or hill work during my first marathon training cycle.
I completed my last longest run before the marathon at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah because my family was on our RV trip across the US at the time. I ran 21 miles at approximately 8,000 feet (2438 m) to over 9,000 feet (2743 m) elevation. It was extremely hilly… obviously. During the run, I had a nagging pain in my proximal hamstring attachment (the upper part of your hamstring near where it meets your gluts). I slowed down substantially for this run because I was trying to keep the hamstring pain under control and avoid injury but at the same time I felt I HAD to finish one last long run before my marathon to give me the confidence that I could do it. My average pace was 13:36 per mile which was slow even for me but I did it. And the best part was when my family picked me up in the park, my Akita, Eli was in the back of the car and he cried and whimpered with excitement when he saw me.
Goal 4: Run a Marathon
Running a marathon is a major mental battle. I did not feel 100 percent ready for a marathon at the end of my training cycle. In fact, any time I set out for 15+ mile long run in the later weeks of my training, part of me wondered if I was really capable of running those distances. I constantly questioned and doubted myself. Each time I successfully completed one of these long runs, I surprised even myself.
How I did it:
I just kept putting one foot in front of the other for 4 hours and 46 minutes. I ran my first ever marathon in Lago Maggiore Italy. Of the 224 runners that completed the marathon 28 were women. To get through it I listened to podcasts and music, I wore my hydration vest full of Gatorade and had running-energy gummies in my pocket.
For a carb rich pre-race fuel, the night before I ate a margherita pizza for dinner. On the morning of the race, I ate plain Kodiak brand pancakes, which I had been eating before almost every one of my long runs during training and always sit well for me and kept me satiated. I even brought several boxes of the Kodiak pancake mix to Italy from the US when I moved there and whenever I went back to the US to visit family.
A few weeks prior to the marathon, I had listened to a podcast that talked about having a mantra for your race. I tried coming up with my own mantra, it was: how bad do you want it. At first, I thought it was a little cheesy to have a mantra but it was kind of empowering for me because I wanted to do this marathon to prove to myself that I am strong, resilient and I can do whatever I set my mind to- so that’s what my mantra was all about for me.
How it went:
They ran out of water! I still cannot believe an organized race could run out of water for a marathon. There were plenty of fuel and water stations throughout the race but at the end of the race I was completely sick of my Gatorade and wanted water. Disappointingly. at the finish line, I was informed there was no longer water and instead they offered me coca cola. I declined.
Another unexpected problem for me was I had pre-race nerves most of the night before. I had heard there was a 5 hour 30-minute cutoff and since I had never run a marathon I was terrified something might go wrong and I could be DQ’d on my first marathon. Finally, I managed to get a few hours of sleep and woke before my alarm even went off the next morning.
On race day, the weather was a perfect partly sunny 60-degree F day. In the beginning, the race was well supported, because the course was made up of a 5k, 10k, half marathon, 33k, and the full marathon 42k or 26.2 miles. However, after the half marathon the majority of the runners dropped off and it was just 224 of us brave souls. This was unfortunate because many times I found myself alone on the course and a few times a little confused which direction to go. At one point during the race we had to run through a section of the town and that’s where I got a bit confused. Thankfully I did not get lost.
Meanwhile my husband, who later told me, had had a full sit-down pasta meal with wine while I was sweating it out. I appreciate that he was able to take a boat shuttle to cheer me on at the 5k point, half marathon point, and of course at the finish line.
Honestly during the race, I felt pretty good with no pain and my half marathon time was faster than expected according to my training. However, it was around mile 24 that I got a stitch and I had to drop my pace from 12:17 to 16:08 for my last mile or so.
My husband gave me a really nice complement though, he said “I see many people crossing the finish line in real pain or like they could hardly walk after, but you seem fine.” And he was right, I was exhausted and within an hour ravenously hungry but I was fine.
Current Goal: Get Faster
Two months after the race I moved to Tokyo Japan with my husband and I had the chance to watch elite runners near the finish line of the Tokyo marathon. It was so inspiring!
Running a marathon seemed impossible for me, but I trusted my training, stayed consistent (mostly) and I did it. So now, after a couple of lazy running months with no more than 10 miles for a long run, I am ready to sign up for another race, to include weekly speed workouts and incorporate more strengthening. Additionally with my current training, I now include “recovery runs”.
Another unexpected result of completing my marathon is that I started this blog, it’s not easy putting yourself out there but if I can run a marathon I want to see what else I can do.
For more novice runner tips or to see our new life in Japan, check out my other posts.