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Photo Courtesy of shoothead (flickr)

A few weeks ago I outlined my Marathon Training Schedule, which I considered to be a little suicidal.  Below I’ve listed the results of the training so far and it has indeed been as difficult as expected.  To say the least, each of the runs I’ve completed could be compared to the feeling of being involved in a head-on collision going 90 miles an hour.  My body feels like I tried to kill it.  However, I have learned a few things so far that are vital to completing any race or other challenging goal you may have in your near future.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

#1 – Breaks are Essential

If you have any desire to complete any large task, especially a marathon, you have to schedule breaks.  I use the Jeff Galloway system for my training, which means I run for 10 minutes, take a 1-minute walk break, run for 10 minutes, take a 1-minute walk break.  I run like this for the entire duration of the race, for any run longer than 5 miles.  I try to run continuously for anything shorter than 5 miles because I can usually handle the pain.  Short walk breaks work wonders on your muscles and heart rate because they give you the change to breathe and refuel.  Even if you’re writing a long paper, doing chores, or driving across the country, breaks are incredibly beneficial and necessary.

#2 – Your Mind and Body Need to be in Sync

I have run and completed a marathon before.  I also consider myself to be fairly athletic.  However, I am also 207 pounds and not high-school skinny anymore.  Somehow my brain thinks that I am just as athletic now as I was 2 years ago when I finished the marathon, or even as fit as I was when I ran track in high school.  My body knows that I weigh over 200 pounds and that going up the stairs can get me winded sometimes.  As I began my training I have had to readjust what reality looks like and take an honest, truthful look at my level of physical fitness.  The only way I can make real progress is to know exactly where I am and then make a plan to move forward with aggressive, but realistic goals.  In other words, if you’re mind and your body are not in sync, you are highly likely to push yourself too hard, leading to an injury, or not challenge yourself enough, which means you’ll probably never complete your goal.

#3 – It’s OK to be Weird

If you’ve ever tried something new, especially something that others in your social circle, city, or culture rarely attempt, it can make you stand out.  Maybe it’s the south, or maybe it’s just Nashville, but there are few runners to be found.  When I put on my short running shorts, water bottle belt, headphones, and sunglasses, I turn into a man ready for battle.  I look like I’m heading out for an African safari and I get weird looks from everyone. Typically, I get cursed at, spit at, and have a handful of trash and/or beer cans thrown at me on most of my long runs.  Whether it’s ignorance, jealously, or fear, people don’t understand what I’m doing and they like to point that out in very odd ways.  The moral of this short story is let it go.  It’s okay to run.  It’s okay to be different.  It’s definitely okay to challenge the status quo, especially when they’re overweight, smoking, hillbillies who have nothing better to do than drunkenly harass marathon runners.  Keep everything in perspective and run for your goals despite the obstacles.

Jeff’s Marathon Training – Long Run Saturdays

Week 1: 5 miles or 1 hour              COMPLETED: 5.3 miles in 43 minutes
Week 2: 10 miles or 2 hours          COMPLETED: 10.4 miles in 1 hour 36 minutes
Week 3: 15 miles of 3 hours          COMPLETED: 14.8 miles in 2 hours 34 minutes
Week 4: 20 miles or 4 hours          TBD
Week 5: break
Week 6: 13.1 miles – Nashville Country Music 1/2 Marathon
Week 7: 26.2 miles – Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

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The Clueless Graduate,

Jeff & Tessa Sanders

Jeff Sanders