For those who have no idea what it is like to train for a marathon, all I can say is, “join the club!” Neither do I. But this past week marked 20 weeks until the NYC Marathon – a key milestone where training programs officially begin. Now, a week into my first ever marathon training program, I am filled with countless thoughts flowing through my head. I want to do my best to share it all as I go through this unfamiliar process. No matter whether I succeed or fail by the end of this program, I think we may all learn something.
Over the course of this blog, I’ve shared my thoughts, learnings, and experiences where I have developed some level of proficiency during my journey. The time I’ve put in to studying and employing various tools to improve my life has given me insight that I can confidently share with expertise in the methods, science, and application of it all. That said, when it comes to running a marathon, I have no expertise. This November will be my first one.
While I don’t have any experience running a marathon or training for one, I do have expertise in one related area. I’m an expert in failing at it – and that’s something. Over the 10 years of this journey, I tried before and realized that I was nowhere close. From that experience, I learned that the first thing I had to do was get my body where it needed to be to give it a shot. As I got back into running a year and a half ago and realized that the marathon was a possibility, in my mind I told myself that I was training for it. I ran races. I increased my distance. I increased my speed. And I completed multiple half marathons. I made easy what previously was impossible. But as this week marked the official beginning of my training program, I realized that up until now I wasn’t training for the marathon, I was training to be able to train for running the marathon.
Michael Jordan is famous for making up things to the point where he believes them to motivate himself. While not quite at his level, I realized that I do a bit of the same. Over the years I’ve told myself I’m training for a marathon. Similarly, when I climb, I tell myself I’m training to be able to be able to do big wall climbing one day. But really, I’m simply telling myself whatever motivates me. I dream of running a marathon so that motivates me to run. In climbing, I would love more than anything else in the world to summit El Capitan. In much the same way as was the case for the marathon 10 years ago, summiting El Cap is currently impossible. But sometimes the only difference between possible and impossible is the barrier we build in our minds. Sure, there are physical requirements that may be beyond our current abilities. But our mind is the space where we either limit ourselves to what we are currently able to do or imagine beyond those to what we may be achievable with enough focus, determination, and hard work. Targeting the “impossible” removes the artificial barriers we place on ourselves. That’s how I made it to today, where I am now officially training for the marathon.
To be honest, even just two weeks ago, I didn’t have much of a plan for marathon training. I knew I had to reach certain milestones with long runs throughout the next four months, and I knew that focusing on running and strength training will get me there. But I also believed that if I simply adhered to my general routine of working out most days, I’d keep getting better and would be just fine. I was confident that would be enough to finish the race, and simply crossing the finish line is my number one goal. But deep down, I also realized that I want to finish the race in the best possible time I could achieve, and I dream of finishing in less than five hours. Would I feel shattered if it takes me longer? Not a chance. I could cross the finish line in the dark with the runners in the back and fulfill my biggest dreams as long as someone is still handing out medals when I get there. But . . . if I put absolutely everything I have into this training, then no matter where I finish, I will know that I not only reached the dream of crossing the finish line, but I also will have crossed it in the shortest amount of time that I possibly could – whatever that may be.
With that realization, just a day before training began, I landed on the program I will follow. I chose to be ambitious too, as I’m skipping the beginner level and am following a plan designed for intermediate runners. At this point, 20 weeks out, I can always pivot down, but once it starts, I believe it would be unwise suddenly take a big leap up to a higher level.
Already one week in, the first thing that has occurred to me is that sticking to this plan is going to rock my world. While my workout routine to date has been a consistent one where I often workout six or seven times a week, it has often prioritized fun over substance. The most I’d ever run was three times a week, but typically, it was once or twice. I rarely decided my schedule until I woke up in the morning and determined my workout based on my WHOOP recovery score and what I felt like doing that day. If I want to go to my climbing gym for fun rather than put in any work that focuses on my body, I could do it. But I can’t do that any longer – at least not for the next four months! If it’s a long run day and I wake up in the red on my WHOOP, I’m running. If it’s a shorter run day and I want to work on climbing problems, I’m running – and only then, if I have time, will I also go climb at the gym. Yes, there will be days missed. My body will likely dictate that at some point, as will my job. But within the frame of all that’s possible, nothing that’s optional should get in the way of my program.
So, with that, here’s a little insight into how training — and recovery — has gone during the first week (the day and training plan workout are listed in bold) . . .
Sunday June 15 (20 weeks until the marathon): 30–40-minute easy pace run
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8-mile run (1:25:14): My plan all along for Sunday was to do a long run, particularly since I hadn’t run since Thursday. What I hadn’t planned on until a day earlier was that I was going to be following this training plan. I realize that it is best to stick to the program, but I ran for a bit longer than it called for today, as I enjoyed Central Park early morning in a refreshing light mist (because it’s always raining this year).
