For the past 4 days, I have been busy moving in Boston. I am still in the South End but now have a little more space. Moving while training for a marathon is exhausting! I ran 13 miles on Saturday morning and then had to pack, unpack, carry boxes out of the old and into the new apartment all day.
On Thursday, I packed for most of the day but squeezed in a YouTube upload featuring my August mission for the Warrios In Pink which featured my Chicago Marathon announcement as well as my beginner marathon running tips.
My first tip, is to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Take training one mile at a time. Thinking about running 18 miles makes me feel uneasy. Running 8 miles and then getting to eat my energy gel does not. After the 8 mile “warm up,” I walk and enjoy tasting my liquid energy. I then look forward to mile 12 when I get to have some jelly beans or gummies. Breaking it up makes the long run seem manageable. Also know, that really only once a week do you have a long run like this. I am running 4 days a week and most days, my runs are 4 or 5 miles with an occasion 7 or 8.
Prior to my first half marathon, I never though I could run longer than 7 miles. The reason was that I always ran out of energy or my feet hurt. Two solutions fixed my previous “tap out” mile, good shoes and energy gels. The shoes that fixed this problem are the Adidas Energy Boost. The gels are key for runs longer than 90 minutes in my opinion. My favorite are the Clif Shot Gel Energy Gel
My other saving grace is rolling out. I have mentioned this many times to you guys, but for real, myofascial release is so helpful in preventing injuries. This picture is a shot of my rolling out my calves which I get cramps in at night sometimes. Drinking plenty of water that has electrolytes and is alkaline like Essentia helps prevent cramping and is better for rapid hydration but still, I need my massage. My side booty, specifically my piriformis, has been bothering me during training but other than that, I feel pretty good.
My last tip is to invest in a damn fuel belt. I used to always see people wearing them and always think either that the person wearing it was training for a marathon or a geek. I am now both. They are not very comfortable to wear but they are so helpful when it comes to running long distances and preventing dehydration. When you get dehydrated, you lose concentration, energy and your body just doesn’t function quite like it is supposed to. Staying hydrated allows your body to regulate it’s body temperature and prevent heat exhaustion.
The shirt I wam wearing in the pictures above is from the line from the Warriors In Pink which promotes breast health awareness. All net proceeds are donated to one of four breast cancer charities. You get to choose which one when you check out. Wearing a breast cancer awareness article of clothing helps others think about their own breast health which increases the chances for early detection saving lives.
My goal is to raise $1,500 for Susan G. Komen for the Chicago Marathon. You can donate here to sponsor a mile. For those of you living in Boston, I’m planning to host a charity workout coming up so make sure you “Like” my Facebook page for updates!
You can check out my WIP MOC profile and purchase your own Warrior’s gear to support the fight against breast cancer here.
Disclaimer: I am not being compensated by Ford for my participation in this campaign. For has provided me with a 2014 Ford Fusion, gas, insurance and admin costs.
Clif shot gel is my favorite race fuel. I have been trying to limit processed food so it’s good to know they are almost all organic. I trained for my first marathon I loved the chocolate flavor. The only problem is that on snowy runs it got frozen!
Is a gel vital for you to complete a long race? Just wondering, because I don’t eat anything before, during or after my workouts!
I discovered your blog recently (through workout videos actually) and now see that you are a runner too. And, it’s funny because I am training for my first marathon for this fall too 🙂 It will be the Santa Barbara Marathon. I was thinking of the same advice you gave. I would just add to not forget the fact you are doing it because you WANT to. It is supposed to be fun. We are not athletes. We do it to feel good, for the challenge, to be proud of ourselves. So, I think it’s good to keep that in mind. The training is part of the fun 🙂 Personally, I really enjoy it so far. I am learning so many things along the way: new distances, new ways to fuel during my run, noticing how my body is handling new territories.
Thank you for your blog and videos. You are really “refreshing” in the running/fitness blogging thing. You seem accessible and natural. It’s really nice 🙂
Awesome tips! I’m training for my first full and boy, am I learning how important foam rolling is! I need to invest in a stick 🙂
I love foam rolling and the like. It has so many benefits for before and after workouts. Hope your move went smoothly!
I’m training for my first half marathon and would like to continue lifting weights--Can you give some tips on adjusting a weight lifting routine when training for a half marathon?