Revel Canyon City Marathon Training - Three Weeks Done, Thirteen To Go

Last month, I shared that I am starting a new training program to prepare for the Revel Canyon City Marathon in November. It's been three weeks and so far, so good. Not perfect, but good.

First, the background. In the first half of 2015, I ran less than ten times (three of which were in the same relay race in February). I don't know why, but I just quit. I tried to restart several times but I just couldn't find the motivation.

In July, I started the Run Selfie Challenge. It was a good idea but trying to run at least one mile every single day was a bad idea. My shins hurt, my motivation fell off, and I quit after a week.

But I didn't give up. I turned my attention to the marathon I am running in November. I created a new challenge and got right back in the game. But this time, I made some significant changes.

1. I started running at the gym on the treadmill instead of on the pavement. It is allowing me to get my "runner legs" back without injuring my shins.
2. The treadmill also allows me to run at a slight decline. Normally, I would consider that cheating. But my next two big events - the Yosemite Half Marathon and the Revel Canyon City Marathon - are both mostly downhill, so it is actually more helpful and productive to train that way.
3. My training includes rest days.
4. I am as focused on my eating/nutrition as I am my running.
5. My marathon training is part of an overall larger plan for the next year.

So, let's talk about the results so far. 

The first week was good. I followed a walk/run interval plan and was able to do the nine miles with no problem. I also made sure to track my eating on MyFitnessPal and stay within my general calorie ranges for each day. I wasn't perfect but I was much more conscious of my food choices than I had been all year. And that makes a big difference. As I have been reminded many times, you can't out train a bad diet.

The second week was trickier. It started off with a pet having seizures and needing 24/7 attention, and I allowed that to disrupt my training. I did stay on track with the eating, though, with an exception or two. So even though I didn't run, I still managed to drop a couple of pounds through the week.

The third week, I was back on track and all in. I made the miles, even setting some new 2015 personal records for speed and distance.

I'm back. And I was reminded of how amazing it feels to commit to a goal and stick with it. Knowing I ran a near 9-minute mile fees great. Who knows what records I may set this coming week?

If you take anything away from this blog post, I hope it's that you can start right now, right where you are, and do something to make yourself feel better. I'm proof that you just have to do SOMETHING that moves you in the right direction.

Now let's get out there and be awesome.