Training a second time around

Wow! I can’t believe it’s less than two days until the Savannah Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon.

That’s a lie. I can totally believe it. In my head this marathon should have happened ages ago. To say the least, I am over marathon training.

I haven’t done a lot of recaps on my training. In fact, the last time I really talked about a long run was my 14 miler back in August. I’ve had some yucky runs, but I’ve been pretty lucky for the most part. I’ve checked them off my list without much to say about them. I plugged along, got my miles in, but didn’t find the inspiration to write about them.

During training for my first marathon, almost every long run was new and exciting because I was setting a personal distance every other week. Although the past few months haven’t been as exciting, I have felt more at ease in my training. There’s just something about doing a marathon once that makes the second time around easier. Maybe not physically, but mentally…

I’m a little older (10 months) and a little wiser (okay, that’s questionable), so here is what I’ve learned the second time around.

1. Training plan, shmaining plan.

This is probably a bit controversial. Runners, by nature, can be a bit extreme. I’m sure there are people out there who live and die by their training plan.

Not me. I create a training plan just so I can rebel against it. Sure, long runs are important, but skipping a few mid-week runs, running a mile more, a mile less, a full minute slower or faster, will not make or break your ability to run a marathon.

Please notice that I said “ability to run a marathon”. If you’re trying to PR, I’m sure being a little more strict with speed work is mandatory.

2. One bad run…or two or three…ain’t no thang.

My first 16 miler and 18 miler became a 14 miler and a 16 miler…then I turned around two weeks later and ran 20 miles, no problem. I only finished half of my second 20 miler, then breezed through my third 20 miler (technically my second since I didn’t complete the prior one) like I run one every weekend.

I did a better job of not getting completely discouraged this time around when my long runs didn’t go according to plan, but ultimately, they didn’t negatively affect my other long runs. Ultimately, I knew I had it in me, I just had to wait until my body was ready to carry out what I wanted it to do.

3. Running buddies are a gift from God.

I did a lot of my long runs in my previous marathon training experience completely solo, but this time around was different. Thanks to some wonderful ladies, I was able to run large portions of my runs while being distracted by something other than my own thoughts.

I get incredibly bored with myself when running for hours and hours alone, but give me a running buddy and the miles just seem to fly by. Hopefully, the crowd and other runners during the mary will prove as entertaining as the friends who have helped me push out miles and miles these past few months.

4. Close races are way less stressful than destinations marathon.

Even though this race is out of town, it’s only about 3 1/2 hours away. My first marathon required a plane trip, which ultimately required tons of planning and more more than I ever planned to shell out for a single race. Our hotel was just okay, figuring out where to eat was a bit of a challenge, and a winter snow storm pushed back our return trip by two days.

This time (knock on wood) it’s going to be way less stressful. I’m staying at Brittney’s parents house, which is free and I’m sure will be so much more comfortable than a mediocre hotel room. Having a friend along for the ride that knows the area is also a big plus because she knows exactly where all the good places are to eat. Following a marathon with mediocre food is just tragic. I know Brittney will not let that happen.

5. I’m really not cut out for being a repeat marathoner.

And I’m okay with that. I initially decided to run a marathon because it was something I had dreamed about doing, but didn’t really believe I could do it. When I finally decided it was something I wanted to accomplish, I set a tentative goal to do it before I had a baby. Well, I did it. I met my goal.

But then somewhere along the way I decided that I should run another one. I thought, “I’m not a real marathoner if I don’t do this on a regular basis”. I got caught up in the excitement of the actual race that I forgot how bummed I was to be staying in on a Friday night during training. I forgot that it’s really wonderful to have the option of sleeping past 6 am on a Saturday morning then cooking pancakes for my husband. I forgot that life is going to happen and things like moving into a new house are way more important than dedicating my weekend to training and recovering.

I’m glad I’ve gotten this out of my system. I’m still debating on whether I’ll run the Key City Marathon in Vermont come May. I deferred my entry into the marathon until May 2013. I have until January to decide, else I have to pay way more money than I think one race is worth.

We’ll see…

This might be my last full marathon for a while or even indefinitely. But I don’t have to be a marathoner to be a runner.

For now, I’m going to enjoy this weekend — enjoy the people I meet, the encouragement from my family and friends, and the experience as a whole.