"I may or may not be crazy"
::Thee Doll Shrug::
At this point, it doesn't even matter why I want to or if I will because guess what? When one goes public with endeavors via social media it has to go down. With that being said, I have OFFICIALLY signed up for the Anthem Richmond Marathon!!!!
To be honest, as freaked out as I am about being at this point in my running, I am pretty amped and determined to GIT ER DOOOONE! One of my "running mothers", Alicia, is training for a full marathon as we speak and I am so inspired by her! It would have been nice to be doing our training and running a full together but we are both going at this solo! My other running mother, Brandi, has a few fulls under her belt and is cheering me on also!
***Commercial break to explain calling them my "running mothers": they raised my running self, taught me all I know about running and continuously encourage and support me, outside of being two of my favorite dolls, lol***
Their support is awesome and so is yours because I am definitely going to need it!
Currently, I am focusing on strength training because I spent all last fall in physical therapy to correct my stride and strengthen my hips (side note: as a woman, being told your hips are weak, is pretty awkwaaaaaaaaarrrrd)!
I participate in a boot camp twice per week. This week, I added running to the boot camp (about 2 miles from my house) in my Vibrams! I have to say that I absolutely loved it! I have had these minimalist shoes for about a year but was weary about actually running in them!
It is strongly suggested that one eases into the transition from a traditional running shoe into a barefoot running shoe. Injury is imminent, if the transition is not slow and steady. I was especially concerned about this due to my knees, hips, and heel striking situation. However, upon some additional research a few days ago, I learned that running in these shoes can actually alleviate pain in those areas because the shoe forces you to run in a natural stride (barefoot, more on your mid- or fore-foot NOT on your heels). Most of us are conditioned to run/walk in traditional shoes which alters our natural stride. (I really hope I am explaining this right, but hopefully if you're like me, then you'll research further when intrigued by anything. I strongly encourage this!)
So, I am geeked about my transition into the minimalist shoes because it felt so free and awesome to run with light feet and nothing on my but my Garmin 410 GPS watch (ah, discontinued, IDK why, I love mine, got it on Amazon for the low). I am not looking forward to wearing my traditional running shoes ever actually! Based on my research, most people took about 9 months to transition fully into the Vibrams. Funny story: I have exactly nine months until the Anthem Marathon! Will I run my first 26.2 in my Vibrams!?!! I will listen to my body and I will not press it but if all goes well, then I am definitely here for that!!!
I am keeping my miles really low for right now (less than 6 miles; I usually have short runs at 4-6 miles and long runs at 8-10 miles). Again, I am focusing on strength training for a couple of months and also, in order to transition smartly into my Vibrams. I am NOT here for injuries! This will be another project towards this patience I am trying to grow because I just want to run like a wild horse, no limitations! But, I always remember "slow and steady wins the race" and "grind now, shine later" and also, "no pressure, no diamonds"!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
That is twenty weeks out from the marathon! Which means that is Day 1 of my official marathon training (20 week training is the "rule of thumb" schedule)! I will begin my voyage to conquer this:
In order, to get every runners favorite thing at the end of the race:
Sparkly (sometimes), cool, fun medals!!!!!!!!!
I may or may not choose races based on the "swag" (t-shirts, medals, etc) provided. Trust me, after you get a few races under your belt, you'll be a little snobby about what you are getting for your money (this is a pretty pricey hobby) and your dedication! I mean, running such great distances and getting sub-par rewards is not fun!
Either way, I am definitely here for the challenge!
Stay tuned for updates!
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