Less than two weeks until my first marathon!
I am so excited. This is the first time since the high school cross country team that I’ve trained for something this long.
And I’ve loved the whole process.
It’s been fun figuring out my weekly workout schedule, calculating my mileage, and cross training to build my strength.
I’ve loved strategizing on nutrition and figuring out what works best for my body.
Even getting a stress fracture earlier this year was a blessing in disguise. It taught me a ton of patience, introduced me to the joys of stretching, and helped me to enjoy running again.
Before I got hurt, I was so zoned in on running fast. Now I’m just glad I can run. So while I’m so excited about next Sunday’s race. Ironically I found myself getting a little sad.
I knew it would feel weird not training for something.
Just “working out” to burn calories so I can strive for a certain number on the scale has lost the thrill it once gave me.
It made me realize that I really love training to achieve a goal.
Just like when I run. I need to run to something. A goal or destination.
Be it the Capitol Building in Sacramento, my favorite park, or just running back home. I need an endpoint.
I’m not the kind of person that just likes to go out for a jog and see where things take me.
I’m sure that’s some sort of character defect, but in my long list of things to work on, it’s definitely towards the bottom.
So what’s next? I’m definitely setting my sights from marathon to triathlon.
I love to run, so that leg of the race makes sense to me.
I love to spin, so the challenge of taking the bike out of the spin studio onto the road excites me.
And as for the swim- I’ll be honest… that does make me nervous. But nothing is better for tackling a fear than facing it head on!
Training with a goal in mind has been so rewarding, that I don’t want it to end. Thankfully it doesn’t have to. Life always presents another opportunity to push your limits!
