#marathontraining

Running and drumming are two things that I am very passionate about and they feed off of each other.

Drumming is physical and running is rhythmic. In this blog, I explore the connection between the two.

Marathon Training Week 15? - You're Not Wasting Your Time

My last long run of the marathon training cycle was a couple weekends ago now. This was the run I was waiting on before I made a decision on signing up for a race. I wanted to feel good after hitting a 20 mile run and then I would feel good about signing up for a marathon with 3 weeks to taper. I made it about 8 miles in before I realized my body was not - and is not - ready for a marathon. My legs were cooked. The problems on this run were largely to do with the fact that

Marathon Training Weeks 10 and 11 - The Time Involved In Training for 26.2 Miles

(I think those week numbers are right.) The most consistently difficult thing about marathon training, that I've found, is the time that it takes. Even having dropped back to only running four days a week, I'm logging somewhere on the order of 7-8 hours weekly. That's not even taking into account warming up, cooling off, the extra time it takes to get out of bed the day after running 18 miles, meal planning, meal prepping, and the list goes on. Any kind of exercise is a com

Marathon Training Week 9 - Putting DIY Hydration Solution To The Test

My homemade hydration mix got its first intense field test this past weekend due to me forgetting that I was out of Gatorade powder and not wanting to buy it anywhere but Costco (it's a much better deal, ok?). Fortunately, my prep paid off: my 17 mile run went great and I felt like my concoction kept my hydration at a good level. I stopped for a top off at a water fountain that is beautifully located about halfway down my long-run-route, but hell, in this humidity I probabl

Marathon Training Week 8 - Get Salty

Staying hydrated is an ongoing struggle. Particularly, as I noted in my last post, since I sweat a lot even when running isn't part of the equation. Add in running, the heat and humidity of a summer in the southeastern US, and the miles that I'm logging and my hydration situation can actually be a health concern if I'm not careful. I noticed after my long run this past weekend that I had salt build up on my upper arms - it was probably other places as well, but my brain was

Marathon Training Week 7 - Picking Up Where I Left Off

This past Friday was the first day in months that I went out for a run and the weather felt legitimately cool. Cool, in this context, is certainly relative. Stacked up against running in 80+ degree weather with humidity about 95%, my definition of cool weather is biased. Regardless, those 4 miles felt wonderful. There's an incredible difference between feeling close to death by the end of a run and feeling refreshed and even if I'm only marginally less sweaty in the latter

Marathon Training Weeks 4 and 5 - Back To Actually Feeling Like A Runner

It's alarming how derailing it can be when something gets in your head. When the weather started warming up, I didn't have any targeted running goals, my schedule was a bit off, and I straight up was not ready for the effect that heat can have on running. I peaked with a 14 mile run that felt great back in March or April and then had a decent 15 mile run the next week, but since then it's felt like a steady decline in my ability and/or confidence to get both the distances an

Restarting Marathon Training...Again (Week 1)

For what is at least the third or fourth time now, I'm digging back into a marathon training program. I've settled on a target race date in the first couple weeks of November and there are races in Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Outer Banks that I'm deciding between, but the training schedule is already in motion. Finishing up The Bear a little over a week ago, I took a few days off from running before starting to crank on a Hal Higdon marathon training program again. Having r

Changing Up Training To Prevent Physical and Mental Burnout

As logical as the situation may seem, it took me literally months to come to the conclusion that trying to run my first marathon in June or July was not a great idea. Despite the fact that there are - rightfully - not many marathons in those months, I was still trying to make it happen until I eventually came to the conclusion that my high sweat rate and proclivity for running in the middle of the day do not mix well with 14+ mile training runs this time of year. After many

Marathon Training - Week ?

About half way through training for my first marathon, I've stalled. Only the first attempt, though. After clicking along well for 7 weeks, I had three weeks of my training going progressively off the rails. I muddled through the 15 miler in week 8 despite torrential rain about halfway through and generally not feeling great through the run. The next week was supposed to be lighter, tapering down with a couple days of rest before having a simulated half marathon race. I w

The Difference Between Eating Well and Eating Right

As my long runs get into 14-15 mile ranges for marathon training, I've had a few different instances where I hit the wall. Hard. It's somewhat disheartening, but it isn't as distressing as it has been sometimes in the past, primarily because I believe I know the culprit in my hardship. The words of a friend of mine ring in my ears as I feel my body slowing down and my legs get heavier: "Fuel your body like a Ferrari, not a minivan." Costco makes frozen food look good. Keep

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