I always have a hard time committing my first month of marathon training. 

It’s kind of boring to me. Having run a bunch of halfs and fulls, ramping up my mileage doesn’t excite me until I get to past 13.1. Once I’ve run longer than a half, then it’s a little more exciting. 

So I’ll take inspiration wherever I can get it.

Yesterday on our run, Ashley and I were talking about Kelly’s marathon training and how she says she hasn’t missed a workout yet.

Then I went on a date last night with a fellow runner, and we geeked out about marathons and PRs, etc, and I told him my goal (sub-3:50) and my current PR (3:56…three years ago.) 

OH! You can totally do that, he said. “It won’t be easy, it will be hard work, but you’ve done it before.” 

This morning, I had yoga on my schedule. I woke up with killer cramps and snoozed hard, and then just had an annoying morning — Bailey being a brat, got to work to find out our site had crashed and had to deal with unhappy customers on social media.

I left work with a soul (or skull?) crushing headache but with a class reserved at Laughing Lotus. I laid on my couch with my eyes closed for a few minutes and contemplated, again, bailing.

I thought of what this dude said. I thought of Kelly’s training. I thought about how successful race training is not just the running. I thought of how I told a friend the other day I really wanted to do more yoga. I thought of how it’s usually just easier to do the damn thing than to make excuses. I really want to meet my goal on November 12, and not wish I had trained harder/better.

And then I got my ass off the couch and went to yoga. I told myself I could leave if my head didn’t feel any better…but what do you know? About 1/3 of the way into class, my head started feeling better.

And I left class with a total yoga high and, per usual, wondering why I don’t yoga more.

Especially because, hello, my favorite studio HAS FLASH TATS.

What are the non-running things you do to help during race training? What do you do/tell yourself to psych yourself up?

I’m exhausted as all hell…

…but I had an AWESOME long run this morning! The kind that gives you confidence in the rest of your training.

I had to run 9 this morning, and I didn’t really have any sort of plan to speak of as of yesterday afternoon. Ashley and I were texting and we figured out we’d both be doing some running this morning, so therefore we should do it together.

Despite going to sleep early and not going out last night, I still had a really hard time waking up this morning for reasons I cannot explain, so I met Ashley at 8:30 instead of 8:15, like we were planning. 

98% of the time, I run up and down the West Side Highway, and so I needed a change. 

“Why don’t we meet at the Manhattan side of the BK Bridge and then run over it and see where it takes us?” I asked.

I live about 2.5 miles from the base of the bridge, so I ran down there to meet her. Sometimes it’s a huge pain in the ass to also have to take Bailey for a walk before I can run, but at least it gives me a preview of the weather. Today? Drizzly! I was happy to have that little preview so i could grab a hat. Let it be know that I HATE wearing hats, but hate my face getting wet more, so. 

I have a few go-to podcasts I listen to when I run, but this morning I listened to a new-to-me one — HerMoney. I could always use a little more financial responsibility in my life, no? (I mean, I ordered a llama lamp last night, so…)

The first few miles felt a little rough, both because I was still sleepy and I always feel rushed when I’m meeting someone to run, no matter how much time I actually have. I was very happy to get to the bridge and see Ashley.

We ran around Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park (and we reminisced about the first time we ran there six years ago and how much has changed there!) and then back towards where she lives in Carroll Gardens.

Humidity was at 95%, so everything felt like a slog, but I was really happy we managed to keep an 8:59 pace. REALLY happy. I know it was “only” nine miles, but I’m not sure I’ve ever kept that kind of pace for any sort of long run.

After a crappy spring of running and being sick a few weeks ago, I really needed a solid run like this to give me confidence for the rest of the season. Check.