My First Marathon - Staying motivated

[Lynn 007]

I joined a running group in April of this year with my plan/schedule to run the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C. this October. The more I think of the distance and what an accomplishment this will be for me (I quit smoking in February) the more self-doubt rears its ulgy head - telling me marathons are for serious athletes not for people who start running in their 40's. In my core I know I can do this and I see myself crossing the finish line - mind you most people have gone home by the time I finish but I finish on my own two feet and that is my goal.

Although it is still months away I'm finding myself starting to make excuses not to cross train three days a week and put in all the miles I should be putting in. The thought of success is overwhelming. Any tips on staying focused and reaching this goal?


Thanks

[Tuumble]

Originally Posted by Lynn 007

I joined a running group in April of this year with my plan/schedule to run the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C. this October. The more I think of the distance and what an accomplishment this will be for me (I quit smoking in February) the more self-doubt rears its ulgy head - telling me marathons are for serious athletes not for people who start running in their 40's. In my core I know I can do this and I see myself crossing the finish line - mind you most people have gone home by the time I finish but I finish on my own two feet and that is my goal.

Although it is still months away I'm finding myself starting to make excuses not to cross train three days a week and put in all the miles I should be putting in. The thought of success is overwhelming. Any tips on staying focused and reaching this goal?

Thanks

Lynn, you WILL do this Marathon.

I am a veteran of 4 London Marathons and have yet to run one weighing less than 182lbs!

I ran my best time of 4:57:29 with just over 8 weeks of training and the last race I completed I had a finishing time of 6:15:30.

I am not an elite athlete. The race is what is known as a personal Everest and I cannot tell you the pride, satisfaction and joy you will feel when you cross the finishing line. It is a memory that will stay with you forever.

Don't miss this chance. You will regret it for the rest of your days if you don't do it.

Forget about 'hitting the wall' at 18 miles - it might not happen. If you are putting the mileage in it may not even be an issue for you.

Don't even worry about walking because it is finishing that is important. Imagine your biggest buzz you've ever experienced. If you know you will have that as your reward at the finish it will keep you going.

The Marathon isn't easy it's true but people in their 90s complete them so this is a challenge for everyone.

One year I was overtaken by a man with one leg, crutches, on a roller-skate!

All you have to do is pace yourself and not go off too quickly. If people go past you like a rocket at two miles you will almost be going past them 10 miles further on as they will soon tire.

Forget everyone else - run your own race and finish.

Send me a PM if you want to talk some more.

[aaronmp2003]

Lynn,

Although I spent 3 years as a personal trainer, my time spent training for long-distance running was not inspired by my profession, but rather by what I was going to have to do in order to accomplish it.

Although I was in good shape, I had smoked during most of my adult life, and I had always hated running.

I knew that by training for the event (a half marathon), that I would have to train harder and more consistently than I ever had before, and that my level of health would soar as a result.

As it turns out, the race that I was going to do with a few friends never ended up happening, but by that point I was already in love with the benefits that I was going to get from the training, so I kept at it.

I ran 13.2 miles twice, and I wasn't even registered for an event. I just wanted the benefits and to be able to say that I did it.

So, my official advice is to ask yourself why you want to do it. If your "why reason" is strong enough, it will keep you on track for the long haul.

[Lynn 007]

Congratulations to the two of you for reaching your goals - and inspiring me. I appreciate your comments.

After reading your comments and knowing that I can do it I have decided I needed to look at it from a different angle to put things in perspective. I was getting overwhelmed by the big picture of pack a day smoker to marathon runner in less than 8 months. I want to prove to myself that my mum was right "There isn't anything I can't do if I put my mind to it". This is a big goal for anyone but I think it can be accomplished by anyone if they dedicate the time / energy and make it a priority so they can accomplish it.

For the past few days, I've been looking at it as I'm preparing to run 4 x 10K runs and a 2K run back to back instead of running 42K. Although the distance is the same (42K) breaking it down doesnt' seem as intimidating for me. I feel great once I"m out there and love getting into my pace and doing my thing and thankfully I do not seem to have a problem with the distance yet (just take my time).

Thanks again for your comments.

[aaronmp2003]

Lynn,

That's awesome. Breaking your goals down into smaller chunks is always a great way to tackle a big project, even if it is just a mind hack. Glad to hear that you are going to go forward and tackle it!!

[Tuumble]

You can break it down even more, especially in training:

Just to the next lamp post....Just to the next lamp post....Just to the next lamp post....Just to the next lamp post....Just to the next lamp post....Just to the next lamp post....