I am currently training for my first full marathon (my second attempt.. last year I got to the 14 mile run and the next week popped a rib out of place while running and .. well. .. refused to go to the chiropractor until it was too late and I was stuck in bed for 6 weeks!)... ANYWAY... I have been slowly working my way back up... just ran a half marathon the end of June and decided to continue with the training to run a full marathon in Sept.
Tonight was my 14 mile run. While I am excited I finished and feel like I have "come full circle".. from where I was last year....
I am exhausted! ... I sat in a cold bath afterward and am currently drinking a protein-fruit shake... but oh my goodness..!
I walked and jogged the whole thing.... it took me on average about 12 mins a mile.. but i am doing the walk-run program and trying hard not to focus on time... and just wanted to try and enjoy being out and being healthy.
I am just wondering if its going to always feel like this after each long run. Feet are tired and kinda throbing, legs are shot.... is this what it is spose to feel like? while I get use to it eventually?
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I'm only half crazy and will only ever do a half marathon, but I can tell you from testimonies of friends of mine who have done a full (a few times) that the pain along with the journey is part of your experience. It what builds your character and gives you strength. You might not think so as you soak in the ice baths, but you are in fact building up your armour....and will kick butt! Keep with it girl xo
It is supposed to be this hard? Well... yes. But you wouldn't want it to be easy because otherwise, where would be the accomplishment? That said, it does get more tolerable as you get more conditioned. Embrace the shot legs and tired feet. Do what you have to do to forge ahead. Then, when you earn the title of "marathoner", you'll know you have earned it and it'll be all the sweeter.
Long runs will not always wipe you out like that. Your endurance will increase. Remember to get all your mid-week mileage in. The more your total mileage for the week, the better you will recover from your long runs. If your long runs are more than 50% of your total mileage, you shouldn't increase your mileage each week.
Keep it up. You'll have good runs and bad ones. In the end, you'll cross that finish line and it will all be worth it.
good luck!
I am training for my second full marathon and did a 20 miler this morning...I had the words from Kanye in my mind for some reason the whole time..."that that don't kill me can only make me stronger". I decided that was true for the day. The long runs do get easier but it's still always hard...but like has already been said...that is where the accomplishment is. Good Luck!
It's a good idea to keep track of what you ate, drank, and of your activities in the 24 hours before your long run. It can really impact the quality of the run.
But, to answer your question- no, it won't always feel like this. It's like each runner has a threshold of distance that they have to cross. For me it's 15 miles. Once I hit that in my training, I feel like quitting. But, when I go past it, it's exhilirating.
thank you so much for the advice and encouragement.
I have been so happy to find today that I am not near as sore or worn out as i thought I would be.
could it be that cold bath and the protein I drank before going to bed?
I was expecting to wake up very sore but I feel like I would have if I ran just 6 or 8 miles!
this is all so new to me and sometimes gets to be overwelming to think of really how far i will be running... hard to think of myself as a it crazy for doing this...
:)
happy running!
r
I still remember training for my 1st marathon 2 years ago and certain runs were awesome, while others were torture. (Relatively speaking, of course, because they are never 'easy'.) I can tell you today that my 14 was great, while my 12 was misery. My 18 was fabulous. My 20 was harder. So I do think that, just like running shorter distances, some days are easier than others.
That being said, I'm training for my second marathon now, and it seems to be easier to push myself harder. :) Hang in there! It is all worth it.
And I agree, the ice baths and protein shakes (which I didn't incorporate last time) speed my recovery.
A first marathjon is absolutely the most exhausting. Time to get to know your favorite sports drinks, GU and long distance routes. The feeling of accomplishment after each long run is almost worth the pain! For inspiration, rent Spirit of the Marathon and the NOVA show about marathons.
Jamie
www.aboldpace.com
Ruthie, you are such an inspiration to keep going and keep striving after the injuries and the issues you have had. It's all mental- so if you're determined you will do it. You will succeed.
I agree that the recovery drinks (cold chocolate milk) and ice baths totally help. And like others have mentioned, some runs are just harder than others. I try to pay attention to what I eat the night before and how much sleep I get too. Good luck with your training!
hi there! i just came across your blog and i really like it. good luck with your marathon training! by the way, how did you manage to pop a rib out place while running?
i hope you don't mind me checking in every now and then. while i'm not a mommy yet, i hope to be one soon. :)
Thanks again for everyones comments..its great to have such advice from so many who have done this before.
.....
as far as how I popped a rib out of place while running. My ipod string was behind my head.. running from my ears behind me down to my ipod on my arm. While I was running I reached back over to the opposite shoulder, grabbed my ipod string, and lifted it up over my head so it would be in the front of my head instead of behind. The simple movement of my art up and over my head popped a rib out of place in my upper back.
If i would have gone to the chiropractor that day or the next I would have been fine.. but I waiting until my lower back was effected too... and really inflamed. Resulting in months of recovery.
My chiro. said that many runners have issues with popping out ribs because they twist to look behind them while running ... i was the first he had seen for a ipod string adjustment :)
wow i just stumbled upon this site and am super-excited. I am training for the NYC marathon...my first marathon. I've done a 1/2, but that's it. This week's long run is 13 and soon after i will be going to where i've never been before!
I just injured my foot, am having major arch pain. Am hoping to be healed soon....like by this weekend.
Oh yeah, and I'm a mommy too!
So, I am training for the PDX marathon and it sounds like we are on about the same schedule. My girlfriend, who just finished her first 1/2 Iron Man and PR by 45 min in her last marathon, recently told me about a book called, "The Maffetone Method." I just got in the mail yesterday so I can only give you the premise. You want to train in such a way that creates aerobic muscle. You do that by following your heart rate rather than time. I am planning on implementing it in my training starting this week. It sounds intriguing and will let you know if it works. Has anyone else heard of this?
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