Marathon Training Begins & #FFHolidayChallenge
Week 1 - Day 1 - MARATHON TRAINING STARTS NOW!
According to Hal and my novice plan, today is technically supposed to be a rest day, but I'm traveling to Dallas for work tomorrow and Wednesday (where it will be 40 degrees, ha!). I don't want to already derail these four and a half months of marathon training, so I'm running today and Friday instead to stay on course.
I've found that If I don't start something this terrifyingly coordinated with 100% willpower and commitment, I usually won't last very long. I miss one or two runs and then I never quite feel on track again.
To prevent self-destruction, I'll be diligently following Hal Hidgon's 18-Week Marathon Novice 1 program (below). I've followed his half marathon plans before and like that they don't require hundreds of miles every week with six types of interval speed work and three types of cross training. It's simple and the miles build up in a manageable way and that's all I'm really looking for right now with my current running goals. I'd like to be able to physically run 26.2 miles at once, and ideally, under 4.5 hours.
Unlike a lot of runners that I meet, I actually enjoy running and I don't want it to become something that I dread doing every single day, and that is bound to happen if I start putting with it too many unnecessary expectations or rules. Running is just moving your legs at a rapid enough speed so that both feet are off the ground at the same time. Why make it more complicated than that?
To get back into a consistent movement routine over the last two weeks, I've been having fun with Fellow Flowers' #FFHOLIDAYCHALLENGE. To join the challenge or follow along, check out the Facebook group here!
The goal is simple - move your ass for thirty minutes a day between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
The challenge time frame is obviously quite intentional as many of us begin to deeply hibernate, spending our nights pouring chili on our faces and seeing what Disney+ has to offer. So far the group has provided a pleasantly positive space for a couple thousand women to hold one another accountable and chat about their daily challenges and wins. I like that there aren't any suggestions about the type of activity that is to be completed - just 30 minutes - high or low impact - whatever feels good for you or necessary on that day.
My minor critique is the amount of pre-set challenge images that have to do with exercising to combat the effect of eating.
"Because all the food."
"Because extra calories."
"Because cookies."
"Because pants size."
"Because desserts."
"Because seconds (and thirds)."
Women are already pressured to fit into a weirdly narrow feminine caricature - professionally, socially, physically, romantically, etc. It seems odd to add body type and diet pressure into a woman-led, women's movement challenge. It's okay to eat desserts and have thirds. It's also okay to not feel guilty for being a certain pants size. You'll never stay committed to improving your well-being and physical health if your mindset is to regularly punish yourself for normal behavior. Anyway...
Staying consistent and motivated during Midwest winters can be difficult when it starts getting dark at 4:00pm and it's cold/wet/snowy/icy/gross. A few years ago when I was living in Austin, I tried training for the 3M half marathon mostly inside on the treadmill. Looking back, I'm not really sure why I went this route, besides it being an usually chilly and rainy "winter." Although I kept up with the indoor training plan, I find that I just don't exert the same effort on a treadmill as I do on actual streets and hills outside, and every single mile of that 13.1 mile race was painful as a result. Why isn't the pavement propelling me forward like the treadmill belt?! Fortunately, my fitness is typically at a level where I can crank out a half marathon if I want, even if it's a bit ugly, but full marathon training isn't something that I'll be able to half ass on a treadmill all winter.
For this 18 week training period to be beneficial, I'm going to have to suck it up and run outside for at least 90% of my runs or I'll be calling in sick on April 11, 2020. It's now dark when I wake up and when I leave work, and my lunch breaks are now taken up by a dog walking gig, so finding a good time to run outside this season should be interesting. Just like with everything else that needs to get done, it'll have to get scheduled into the planner and treated like any other life responsibility. With the support of my new BibRave Pro community, the Fellow Flowers crew, and you lovely readers, I'm already feeling a little less terrified of starting my very first full marathon training cycle!
The one hiccup I an having is finding an affordable pair of warm running tights. I got a great pair from Old Navy a few years ago that I have to wash 5x/week now as I don't have another pair in my winter running mix. Anyone have suggestions for something under $60 that's good for 20-40 degree weather?
