Nanci

My journey to 26.2

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Nanci

It’s here. Day 1 of my marathon training. For the next 18 weeks, I will be running 4 days a week, building up my mileage and endurance.

Sorry, but I’m not sorry about all the marathon training posts and status updates I’ll be sharing. This is huge for me. This journey to 26.2 miles doesn’t really start today – it started in January of 2012 when I ran my first half marathon. I just didn’t know it then. Every run I’ve gone out on in the dark before most people are awake had brought me to this day. Today is a game changer. I am committing to give this my best and enjoy every minute of it.

I swore I would never run a full marathon. I didn’t need to do it, I didn’t want to do it. I couldn’t imagine running that far and I had no interest in it.

Somewhere along the way, that changed. After running my sixth half marathon I had this little voice in my head and I started thinking about it. It was a possibility. That possibility turned into a definite “I want to do it. I need to do it.” And the day registration opened, I registered for the Space Coast Marathon.

Am I scared? YES. Am I excited? YES. This could be a once in a lifetime journey. After running 10 half marathons and many other races, I’ve already learned that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought I was. A full marathon is the next step. I am ready to run 26.2 miles.

This morning started early, with a 3 mile run. I am literally off and running on my training. 18 weeks and counting until Space Coast Marathon.

I hope you’ll follow along with me as I work towards this amazing goal. I am be surrounded by so many who support me and inspire me to do this.

Friday Five: Goals

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Nanci

Happy Friday! I am super proud of myself for participating in the Friday Five for two weeks in a row now, especially with how busy I have been.

I love this weeks topic – GOALS. I love setting goals and working towards something. I wish I were better at setting the RIGHT goals, but I guess I’m a work in progress. These goal I am sharing are health and fitness related.

Let’s jump right in, shall we? And don’t forget to visit Mar, Courtney and Cynthia for the Friday Five link-up!

1. Train for my first marathon

This one is top of the list priority as training starts on Monday. I have 18 weeks blocked out in my planner, 4 runs a week with PiYo on off days. I want to stay on plan as much as possible which may be challenging depending on weather, work, etc… I have a great post I am working on where several great runner friends have shared their marathon advice with me and I plan to use their advice wisely.

2. Get back on track with Weight Watchers

I have not been doing my best with WW in the last couple of weeks and I can feel it. I know it’s possible to gain weight during marathon training, so I need to get back on track from the get-go and try to keep any weight gain to a minimum, but not short my body of the energy and nutrients that it needs. I missed my meeting last week, but I will be there bright and early tomorrow morning!

3. WATER

It is so darn hot outside, I feel like I can never drink enough water. If I’m at my desk or home, I do better with drinking water than when I’m on the road. So, I need to make sure I take water with me when I’m on the go. Drinking water has always played a huge part in my weight loss success and it’s such an easy tool.

4. Fruits and veggies with every meal

Another great tool that I need to utilize more often. Fruits and veggies are power foods and are great not only for vitamins and nutrients, but by eating the right fruits and veggies can help you feel full faster and longer. Power foods are going to be very important for my marathon training as well. I’m going to be eating for fuel and energy as much as I am for enjoyment.

5. Enjoy the journey.

This one is big. I am likely going to sound like a broken record for the next 18 weeks – it will be all things marathon training in my world. But this is huge for me and anyone who know me, knows that when I do something, I give it 150%. With that said, it is going to be balance between training properly to build up the endurance I need to run 26.2 miles and avoid injury, but also enjoy the experience of this major event that I never imagined I would ever do. When you look at the world as a whole, there are really few people who can say they have run a marathon and I am excited to say that for myself. It is really an emotional thing for me.

Share one of your goals with me!

Friday Five: Friday Favorites

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Nanci

I am excited for a few things today. One it’s Friday and I love Fridays! The other is this is the first time I’m taking part in this Friday Five hosted by Courtney at Eat Pray Run and others. Also, my friend Haley at Running With Diapers does this one as well and I decided I wanted to join in!

1. PiYo.

Oh my goodness, I just cannot get enough of PiYo. Many moons ago, back when hubby and I were first married I remember I had a Pilates DVD workout that I did several times a week. I loved it. Then in 2007-ish, I tried Yoga for the first time and fell in love with it. So this concept of mixing the two for a major sweat session of strengthening, lengthening, and tightening up everything is perfect. It’s going to be such a great compliment to my marathon training which officially starts in one week. All you need is a mat, floor space, and 25 – 40 minutes depending on the workout. It. Is. Amazing.

2. New running shoes

I recently got new running shoes. Two pairs to be exact. I bought the Asics Gel Nimbus 16 and I love them. The colors are so cool, I love how bright they are. They are also very comfortable and plenty of cushion for all the hundreds of miles I will be running. It is very exciting to me that these are the shoes that will get me over that finish line in November.

3. My niece.

I mean really, how can I not adore this little person? She brings me such joy whenever we spend time together. She is just the sweetest little girl. I get to see her this weekend for some fun girl time AND she will be with me for the day on Monday.

4. Coffee.

Yes, I love coffee and I can definitely say I am addicted to it. My recent addiction would definitely be for Trader Joe’s Cold Brewed Coffee. This stuff is super strong, which is how I like my coffee and it is amazing in my morning Shakeology. Can’t wait till Monday to get my hands on the two bottles Caitlyn has for me!

5. The thought of crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles

Can a thought be a favorite? Absolutely, it can! I think about this a lot. I try to visualize myself running 26.2 miles and crossing the finish line. I remember how I felt when I finished my first half marathon – I cried like a baby. I can only imagine what this will feel like. I will have to stuff tissue down the my shirt, I’m sure.

What are some of your favorites on this Friday?

Weekend Fun!

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Nanci

What a great weekend! I really hated to see it end. My Saturday morning WW meeting was great and although I used my no weigh-in pass due to the pizza we had for dinner Friday night, I enjoyed seeing everyone and sharing great tips for the week ahead. On Saturday after some necessary running around, hubby and I spent some quality time together in the afternoon and went out for ice cream in the evening before hitting the hay early. We had an early wake-up call of 4:40am to run 7 miles!

This time, my InstaGram / Facebook friend Angelina met us out at Memorial Causeway to run with us. Angelina and I have been virtual friends forever, after sharing a common love of WW and running. We’ve run several of the same races – Women’s Half, Gasparilla, Iron Girl – and she is training for her first marathon also. We decided it would be fun to run together and I am so glad we did. She is so sweet and that 7 mile run just flew by with all the talking we did throughout. We already have plans to run together again in two weeks, this time in her neck of the woods, downtown St. Pete.

Hubby was also a super sport and ran the 7 miles with us, which is his longest run to date. I am so proud of him. He does not love to run like I do, he struggles with it, but he enjoys the time it allows us together. I love having him out there with me, watching out for me in the dark, and he makes sure I drink water. he is the best and I am a lucky girl. He has also been working hard, going to the gym very early in the mornings and I have to give him major credit for that. It’s certainly not easy to do.

After that fabulous start to the morning, I had a breakfast date with my fabulous friend Caitlyn. I met up with her in Tampa and we went to Oxford Exchange for breakfast and coffee. So much goodness there! It’s a beautiful building across from the University of Tampa. They have a delicious restaurant, a cute little coffee bar, a tea bar with loose leaf tea, a gift shop, and a book store. I was in heaven and I’m quite sure Caitlyn and I could have sat there for hours chit chatting.

After breakfast, we went to lululemon in Hyde Park. I’ve been past this store many times and I have dreamed of their adorable workout clothes for quite awhile now, BUT this was my first time ever to go in the store. I told Caitlyn she was corrupting me. I ended scoring a great yoga towel mat on clearance and I will definitely go back again. I still want a running skirt….

We also made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s for a couple of necessities and we ran into Steph while we were there. Small world!

Such a fun weekend and I am so sad to see it end. But, it’s time to tackle Monday and work. I am focusing on the positive this week and feeling determined to make things happen!

Mentally preparing for marathon training

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Nanci

How much of running is mental vs. physical? I don’t think my body was made to be a runner and it does not come easy. And sometimes, I fool myself into thinking I just can’t run farther or faster or longer. As much as I love to run, it’s not always easy to get out the door and go. But once I do, usually close to a mile in, I am glad I did it. And during my run, there are times I can psych myself out into thinking I need to walk, I can’t possibly run anymore. This is when I usually push myself further just to prove I’m full of it. It usually works. So for me, running is definitely more of a mental challenge.

When I trained for the Women’s Half Marathon last year, it was the first time I stuck to a true training plan. In fact, it’s the one and only time in all 10 of my half marathons that I followed a true plan and didn’t just run to get miles in. It worked well and I ended up PR’ing and beating my goal that I set.

In deciding on a training plan for the Space Coast Marathon, I asked my friend Beth to help me decide between two Hal Higdon plans and we decided on this plan.

I have new shoes, two pairs actually to get me through training and the race itself. I need to invest in a couple new pairs of shorts and sports bras to train in. I will continue with my GU Gels on my longer runs which I have always had good luck with.

As for hydration, I am really just a water drinker. I am not a fan of sports drinks, although I have been known to chug a cup of it during a race. The longer miles may require electrolytes.

Training actually starts the end of this month, on July 28th. Currently, I am getting my Sunday long(ish) runs up to where I need to be for the 8-mile long run start of the plan.

If I think about the training too much, it is very overwhelming. The thought of a 20-mile training run is mind boggling to me and if I’m being 100% honest, I question my ability to do it. Bottom line is, marathon training scares the heck out of me.

But, I can’t think like that. I have to focus on one week at a time. By the time I get to that 20-mile long run, I’ll have already done 17, 18, and 19. Between the 19 and 20 miler, I’ll cut back to 12 which will probably seem like nothing.

I think about running my first marathon a lot. There are days that I picture myself crossing that finish line. There are also days that I wonder if I’ll really be able to do it. I am sure these are all natural thoughts. And it is this constant thinking about it that made me decide to do a full marathon in the first place. Two and a half years ago I was contemplating my first half marathon and I’ve now completed ten. It’s definitely time. My desire to do it outweighs the fear of doing it.

These are my thoughts as the official start of training quickly approaches:

I have a great support system in place. I have a husband who goes out with me, dark and early, so I’m not running by myself. When the miles get to be too long for him to run, he’ll ride his bike with me.
My family is supportive – and proud of me. That is a great motivator.
I am fortunate to have many running friends who can offer encouragement and advice to me along the way. If it were not for the friendships I’ve made and inspiration I’ve received from them these last two years, I’d likely would not be racing like I have been.
Forget the time. This will be hard because in my last four half marathons, I’ve really tried to push myself on my time. Now is not the time (no pun intended) to set time goals. It’s as hot as the face of the sun outside and I am just running slower and that’s okay. Marathon training is about endurance and going the distance. I also have no specific goals for finishing, other than I will finish. Besides, my first full marathon automatically makes it a PR, right?
There will be good runs and bad runs. I can’t let the bad runs set the tone of my training.
Enjoy the training. This is a big deal for me and a huge undertaking of miles and training to run those 26.2 miles on race day. I’m doing it to prove to myself that I can indeed do it. What I once swore I would never do, I am now determined to do.

This is what motivates me and what I will think of as I am putting my heart and soul into training. I will keep imagining that day where I can finally say “I did it”.