I've learned I have a lot to learn!

I'm officially registered for the marathon and have begun my training. One thing that I've learned is that I have a LOT to learn. Running a marathon isn't as simple as running - as long as you can, as far as you can, as often as you can. Just doing that will quickly lead to injury and burnout. I've become a bit of a sponge, trying to learn as much as I can so that I can succeed. Here's what I've realized that I know little to nothing about when it comes to long distance running:

Running- This seems simple enough, but its not. At least if you want to prepare yourself in a way to actually succeed. How far do you run? How long? What shoes do I need? Luckily these answers are easy to find online. I'm using Hal Higdon's "Super Novice" running plan, which is a 30 week program and breaks it down day by day of what you should do. As for shoes, local running stores can analyze your running and determine what shoes would be best for you. 

Eating- After spending a couple days this week feeling sick or starving all the time, I realized that it was because I didn't know how to eat, or rather, WHAT to eat. Eating a healthy, low cal diet isn't going to cut it, but I've yet to figure out what the balance is so that I can lose weight AND have enough to sustain me on runs. 

Stretching, weight training, balancing runs with the rest of life...these are all other components that I've yet to figure out. Luckily I've still got some time.

Days until marathon: 224

Total Miles Run this week: 13

Starting my run to 30

On May 7, I will turn the dreaded 3-0. My life will be over....ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but still. I decided that I needed to do something drastic to jump start my "eat better, lose weight, exercise more" plan that I have yet to succeed at. Last week I found myself looking on active.com, which lists practically all of the races (running, biking, etc) in the country. I'm not entirely sure how i got there, but I had fun looking at all the things I could do- provided I was a runner/biker/triathlete. As of now, I can't run a mile without walking for a little bit. But, one particular run caught my eye. It's the Colorado Marathon and it's being held on May 6 in Fort Collins, which is where I live. It got me thinking- what a better way to end my 20s than my successfully completing a marathon. The more I thought about it, okay, I think I thought about it for about an hour, the more I realized that I didn't really have a good reason not to. If I start training now and doing a little bit at a time, there's really no reason I can't do it. I won't win, in terms of coming in first place anyway, but crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles in any position will count as a win for me.

Some people think I'm crazy for doing it. Shouldn't I start with a 5k...a 10k...or even a half marathon before just jumping in and doing the full thing? The way I see it, I'll cover all those as part of my training for the full, so why not just start there. Plus, 26.2 miles is terrifying, which is exactly what I need to actually do it. I know that if I don't train properly, and eat better then there's no possible way I can finish. It's the size of this challenge that will keep me going.

I realize that not everyone is quite as daring (or crazy) as I am, but I'd love for you to join me in whatever capacity you'd like- running the race with me (or the half, 10k or 5k), being there to cheer me on (I will certainly need that), just praying for me throughout my training process, or taking on a challenge of your own.

Countdown to the race: 227 Days