When I signed up for the NYC Marathon I swore I would only run 1 marathon, ever. I also stated that I would “retire” from running after the marathon. The idea of being able to retire was oddly motivating and it something I reminded myself during those brutally hot long runs in August. After this race I never have to run again if I don’t want to.
Having (almost) survived marathon training, I admit it wasn’t nearly as bad as I built it up to be. I even liked certain aspects of it. At this point in time I’m still not sure if I’ll ever run another marathon (ask me after the race) but I’ll actually miss a few things come Monday when it’s all over…
Following a specific workout regiment.
I love schedule + routines. When I’m not training for a race, that sense of regiment is something I crave. Working with a run coach and training for such a huge race meant I followed a strict workout routine almost to a T for 16 weeks. On Sunday’s it was very calming for me to know what workouts I needed to do and even specifically what day I needed to do them. I know how to plan a smart workout week as being a personal trainer and all, but I’ll miss following a training plan that takes out all the guess work.
Working with a coach
I’m a personal trainer and have never worked with a personal trainer or coach for an extended period of time. Working with a run coach was nice because someone else was planning out my workouts and I had someone to talk to about my training concerns. I spent a lot of time thinking about whether the benefits of working with a coach outweighed the price tag and I’m SO happy with my decision. I’ll miss having that accountability for my workouts and someone to reach out to about all my strange body aches and pains.
The feeling of accomplishment every Saturday morning
Training for my first marathon meant I reached a glorious point in training where every Saturday I was conquering new-to-me distances. First I hit 14, then 16, then 18 and eventually the much anticipated 20 miler. Leading up to those runs I was terrified, afterwards though? I felt SO damn proud, even if I was exhausted from the actual run. Every Saturday I had a nice reminder that I am SO much stronger than I think I am. Even if I train for another marathon I don’t think that feeling will be nearly as strong as when you’re hitting those high mileage goals for the first time.
I also swear brunch tastes better after you’ve run an absurd number of miles.
Eating all the carbs.
I love carbs. Being told to eat more carbs than I typically do is a dream come true. More bread baskets and avocado toast, please! Coach Jess also recommended I eat more sushi. I’ve basically been in food heaven for the past 16 weeks.
Having an excuse to be the old soul I truly am.
I’ve been told on multiple occasions that I’m an old lady trapped in a 25-year-olds body. My idea of an amazing Friday evening is watching Say Yes to the Dress while eating takeout.
Training for a marathon was a great excuse to be a homebody on Friday and Saturday evenings. You bet I sat around in pajamas feeling zero guilt. Marathon training just meant I had a valid excuse to be the old lady I truly am 🙂
The thinking time
Long runs give you a lot of time to think. Yes, the majority of those runs were spent rocking out to Hamilton or other show tunes, but I also inevitably did a lot of thinking. Favorites things to think about? Blog posts, what outfit I’m going to wear post-run, instagram captions, really scary stuff about life like where I want to be in 5 years and if I should go to grad school, business ideas that sound cool to me but probably no one else….
I’ll miss that intense thinking time when I’m somewhat trapped with my own thoughts for 4+ hours on Saturday mornings.
Talking about training all the time.
Small talk is not my strongest suit. Training for a marathon gives you something to talk about with strangers or people you haven’t seen in awhile. Either they think you’re crazy, admire your determination, or have some story about someone they know that ran a marathon (or their own personal marathon story). My parents, boyfriend and coworkers are probably very sick of hearing me talk about training so apologies to them.
Listening to podcasts
I’m totally hooked on podcasts and love listening to them on my shorter runs. I actually don’t know what I’m going to do now that I won’t have that listening time! My commute to work is too short (plus I walk and would feel really distracted listening to podcasts) and all of my workouts minus running are group fitness related. Maybe I’ll come home from work and veg out to the latest episode of Starr Struck Radio? But seriously, when can I listen to podcasts now?
Wearing yoga every single day.
I don’t know how someone can wear business casual clothing while training for a marathon. I also don’t know how someone could manage living in a walk-up while marathon training– going down a flight of stairs after a 20 miler HURTS.
I’ve worn sneakers to Sperry’s to work every day because I’m so nervous about my feet and blisters. I couldn’t imagine if I had to wear heels to work! I’ve successfully worn yoga pants to work every day for the past 2 months. In the summer I switched it up with shorts and cute sun dresses but since it’s been cold I’m all about the spandex. I work for a fitness company so dressing like this is always fine, but I’ll miss having that added excuse to not wear jeans.
The camaraderie.
I’m so grateful for all the runners and marathon veterans I’ve connected with during this training cycle. Anyone that’s run a marathon seems to be more than happy to rattle of words of wisdom and I’ve been soaking it all in. While I’m still iffy about calling myself a runner (yes, even though I’m about to run a marathon…), I’m grateful for this community and the support they have given me as I train for this beast. It’s comforting to have people to reach out to when your body is doing weird things and to know that they understand the insanity that is marathon training. I’ll miss feeling that kind of connection with the running community when it’s all over.
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