Marathon Bound: A Quick Look Back

"Disclaimer: I received entry to the Tobacco Road Marathon and access to the AfterShokz #262squad Marathon Training Experience on Motigo to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

It's almost time. Just 3 more days and I will be running my first marathon. Let's take a quick look back at the journey so far.

We started with Theoden memes, might as well end with them too

Over the summer of 2018, I somehow got the brilliant idea that I wanted to run a marathon. I figured, people keep asking me if I have and I am getting older, so if I were to actually do it, it had better be sooner rather than later. So, I decided to let the fates decide. If BibRave partnered with Tobacco Road Marathon again in 2019, I would choose it for my first marathon. I had enjoyed running the Half (read about it here) and even posted a Half Marathon PR at it. It was a great, flat, well organized race, so yeah, why not. 

Me at Tobacco Road after the Half in 2018. Technically,
I ran the 2nd part of the Marathon, which is the hardest
part, so should be a piece of cake, right?

Well, as you have figured, BibRave did partner with Tobacco Road and I registered. I was even given another awesome opportunity through BibRave on a super supportive, Beginner's Marathon Training Program through BibRave and Aftershokz through the #262Squad training on Motigo (check out more info about that here). Seems like all of the stars were aligning for my Marathon Dreams. All that was left was to put in the training.

Oh boy, what a training it was!! Practically every single weekend (and most weekdays in fact) it rained. This Winter was the wettest on record. I'm not even exaggerating. There were studies done and articles written like this one:

Oh look, a picture of me running in the rain. How novel.
At least it was warm in this one... 

https://www.wfae.org/post/2018-now-wettest-year-record-washington-and-other-cities#stream/0. 

And do you know what an outdoor runner with no access to a treadmill does when it rains? They get wet. Really wet. Add in to that the fact that it was Winter, they get cold and wet. But still I logged the miles. Almost 500 of them in fact, no matter the weather. Using the #262Squad plan, I put in long run after long wrong, steadily increasing my miles over 18 long weeks. Though those weeks, I honed in my nutrition plan and hydration plan. I switched from a fuel belt (which never sat right on me) to a backpack. I practiced different outfits and ran over all the scenarios again and again. I never missed a single training run.
Along the way, I had a few local friends also sign up for Tobacco Road, which was such a help. 2 ladies from my Fleet Feet Running Club signed up for the Half and a guy for the Marathon. We'd put in our first few miles (whatever was on their plan) with the girls and then Harman and I would finish out our miles. This will be Harman's first Marathon as well. I could not have put in the long runs without them. 

Post-20 miler in the cold, wet rain. We're smiling, but we don't mean it.

Week 15 was a particularly challenging one. It was cold, and it was wet. Really wet. I rained and rained and rained. We split the mileage into 3 parts. 7 miles with the main Fleet Feet Club. 6 more with the Tobacco Road crew. Then the final 7 just Harman and I. I would have given up for sure that day without a squad. After the first 13, I removed 3 shirt (all totally soaked through) and put on 3 more (all of which got soaked through as well). It wasn't pretty, but Harman and I figured if we could push through that day, we were unstoppable. I hope we were right, because it's almost time to prove it. 

All there is left now to do is to enjoy it (so people keep telling me). The family is coming with me again to Cary for the race. We are going to try and make it a fun weekend where I just so happen to have to stop in the middle and run for hours and hours on end. I'm excited to see some of my BibRave friends there and again, it really is a great race. The medal is adorable and I plan to wear it for a week striaght. Plus, automatic PR when I finish, right? 

At leas the weather is looking clear, so I am choosing to think as I had in the beginning, this Marathon was meant to be run. Wish me luck. And if you'd like to join me, online registration is now closed, but you can still register for the Marathon at the Expo starting tomorrow (the Half Marathon is sold out, however).