Becoming a marathoner: The fatigue factor

It's been some time since last being able to write something down.  Real life, work, kids, training, makes it a bit hard at times to get something down on the blog.

I've still having fun on my marathon journey, but the true reality of what I am taking on is setting in.  I've gone from a short course triathlete to single focus on running the marathon.  What does that mean?  Well, instead of running a few days a week, broken up by swimming and cycling, and all sorts of 'brick' workouts I'm now training 6 days a week.  I used to train 5 days a week.  Now I train 6 days a week with at least 5 of those being run days.  The miles are adding up, and the workouts are getting longer.  The mental and physical fatigue is starting to settle in. 

The problem is I still have a LONG way to go.  My long run to date is 14 miles.  Just a wee bit short of the prize of 26.2.  Interestingly I'm finding myself excited by the new long run distances I'm putting in.  I guess it is always fun to push past a previous best, so I really do look forward to pushing an extra mile further than my last longest run.  This coming weekend will be 15 miles, and will include a hill that I pretty much don't like to even ride up on the bike, let alone run up it!  I used to ride up that hill and look at the runners saying "dang, sure glad I'm climbing this on the bike instead of running"  Ha Ha, look who's running up in now......

While I generally get Saturday as a cross training day (bike trainer in the living room usually), the week day runs are starting to become much more of a challenge.  What used to be an easy 3 miles before or after work, is now getting to the point of 6-8 mile runs during the week.  While it isn't too difficult to get out at lunch for 3-4 miles, it is a bit more when you need to get out for 6-7 miles multiple times a week.  Even more so when the day calls for 7 miles 'easy'.  Easy pace for me isn't very fast at all.

I laugh inside when I say that, especially when I think back to my previous post about 'comparison', but when I now think of as a slow/easy run is a pace I used to work hard at to achieve.  So I guess that helps put things into perspective, but it doesn't get away from the fact that it is starting to be a rather significant time needed for my weekday runs.  Fortunately I have a flexible enough schedule that I can put in more time on Fridays and essentially make up for taking off 30 minutes early from work earlier in the week.

But recently I've noticed the fatigue factor creeping in.  I'm tiered.  My body is getting tiered.  I'm sure this is all part of the adaption process, and both mentally and physically getting used to the mileage, but I'm tiered.  My Achilles is starting to act up again, and mentally I'm losing my edge and enthusiasm for all this running.  It might be easier if I just wanted to complete the marathon, but that isn't my goal.  I want to race the marathon.  I want to the best time I can, and take on this challenge with a full effort.  So with that in mind, I've got to pay the price along the way I guess.

I'm sure this is something that many if not most all people go through on this journey.  I started this process back in November, it is now end of February.  Essentially I am a little over half way through this marathon journey.  Earlier in the year I thought this would be a great "jumping off point" into my first half Ironman Triathlon.  Now I think that when the marathon is done, I'll go back and enjoy a few short course tri races and call it a season.  As of now, I don't have the energy or desire to push on harder and longer after this.  It will be interesting to re read this in June and see how I feel.

Tomorrow is my rest day.  Get to bed early and get ready to lace 'em up again on Wed!

Becoming a marathoner: Overcoming injury

So I've decided to take on my biggest challenge yet.

Overcoming injury on the path to my first marathon

This is one that I'm confident that I will be able to achieve, yet still not fully convinced.  As I finished the Rock n Roll half marathon last year I was already thinking about running my first full marathon.  At the conclusion of that race I thought to myself..... well.... that was lap 1!  Granted I won't be running a full marathon at the pace I ran the half, but I still couldn't imaging going back out and doing it all over again at that point.

With that said, I knew way back then that I needed to put in some serious work to pull this one off.  So shortly after finishing the RnR half in 2013, I started up running again.  Very quickly I injured myself.  My Achilles started aching a little, and very quickly went from a dull pain to something rather serious.  I spent about 8 weeks not being able to run at all.  The pain would mostly go away, and I would try to run again, and instantly it would be back as strong as ever.

I was pretty much ready to give up when I ran into a friend of mine at the local Tri Club Aquathon.  He happens to be a triathlon/running coach.  When I talked with him he agreed to help me out.  First step was to get healthy again.

After a lot of stretching, self massage for my calves, and foam roller work, I started to feel a bit better.  Carefully we started off with easy 10 minutes of running max.  Gradually we got back up to running a mile, then two, then three.  Difficult to say the least for someone who just ran his fastest half marathon, and was used to hard interval triathlon training.

But with help, I learned to take not just one, but several steps backward before moving forward.

Since then, I have grown so much as a person and as a runner.  I've reached new levels of fitness and beaten times I never thought possible.  I've now run my first 15k race at a pace I never would have though sustainable for even a 5k race.  Shortly after I ran almost that same pace for a half marathon besting my previous personal record by several minutes, and on a harder course.

So now I cross over into the "official 18 week marathon window".  I'm actually 2 weeks in, and the level of the challenge ahead of me is becoming rather apparent.  Last weeks long run was my previous longest distance.  13 miles of just running, and I know I obviously am going to be going up a lot before I get to June and my first marathon.

As of now, 2 weeks into my training window, I'm still optimistic and eager. 
We shall see where this journey takes me and how I feel along the way.


I still have to find a way to reach this goal while taking care of work, family, kids, etc.