First Marathon Story: Meghan from Little Girl in the Big World

Name: 
Meghan

Blog: 
Little Girl in the Big World

Years running
: 1.5

Marathon training for
:

Disney Marathon

Why I decided to run a marathon:


I started running last March to lose weight. I did the Couch to 5k plan with success and got to the point where I didn’t want to walk. I just keep upping my mileage, and after hitting six I decided a half marathon was possible. I trained for the Disney Wine and Dine and ran it in 2:06. I had the bug. Since then I’ve run 3 other half marathons (with a PR of 1:57.44) including one where I ran it the day after a 15k and 5k. Races are the best days of running! I had thought about doing a marathon for a bit of the training, but what did it for me for real was standing at the finish line of last year’s Disney marathon. I had run the first half of the Marathon Relay (not an event again this year for some reason) and was waiting on my partner. Seeing those people cross the finish line with such pride, excitement, and accomplishment on their faces both gave me the chills and also the full-fledged desire. I knew that that moment I would run a marathon!

How is marathon training measuring up to your expectations? What’s better or worse than you expected?

I am so scared to start the training program. I had surgery at the beginning of August and haven’t been able to exercise since. I’m supposed to get clearance on Thursday (fingers crossed), but Monday is day one. I guess missing three days of training won’t be the worst as they’re very low mileage days. I’m using the very beginner Hal Higdon training plan since I’ve had this time off, and I’m just hoping to pick up only a little behind where I left off. I worked out hard until the day I went in for the surgery.

Number of days running per week

Four. Long Runs on Saturdays, Cross Train on Sunday, Off on Monday and Friday, Maintenance Runs on Tuesday and Thursday, and building on Wednesday. It’s the Wednesday runs I’m the most afraid of. I’ve never run more than 6 miles on a weekday.

What are you most excited about for the race?

I am most excited for the race. I can’t wait to be running and knowing that I’ve worked my butt off for the experience. I am so excited to wear the bib, walk to the start, see the Disney fireworks, and run through every park. I can’t wait for the new course this year, but mostly I can’t wait for the finish line and the ability to call myself a marathoner. I think it will be the proudest day of my life so far. Plus, putting that 26.2 sticker on my car will be so rewarding.

What are you most terrified of?

I am most terrified of what running is going to be like getting back going. I am someone who races the clock and has trouble when I go a pace that I perceive to be “slow”. I know when I start back this week I won’t be running close to my normal times, and I have to mentally get over that for thefirst few weeks back. I’m also terrified of the day that my training schedule first says something over 13.1 miles. I’ve never run farther than that, and I’m so afraid that I’ll throw myself off mentally on some of those really long days. Heading out for 20 miles seems like the most daunting thing in the world right now.

Do you think you’ll ever run another marathon?


Yes. I want to run the Chicago Marathon. I’d love to do NYC and will apply every year, but who knows if that’ll ever happen. The only reason I’m scared of Chicago is because I live in Florida, and training in the middle of the summer sounds like the worst thing in the world.

Number of black toenails so far?


I think I’ve only had one in my running days (the whole year and a half I’ve been doing it). It fell off and was so so pretty. I got a pedicure and asked the nail lady to just pretend there was a nail there. Other than that, I’ve got bloody blisters and yucky looking feet to spare!