Preparing To Train For Our First Full Marathon

A while back Rachel and I came to the realization that life is short and it’s important to make the most of what it has to offer.  We stopped thinking in terms of limits and broadened our expectations on what exactly we wanted out of life.  We then, slowly, but surely, began the process of breaking out of our shells.  It all started with small things, little goals that fed into larger goals and culminated with even wilder expectations.  During it all we found that our love, not only for life, but also each other, grew immensely.

Running has been the catalyst in propelling our sense of adventure into new realms.  It has awakened every sense imaginable and made us more confident and happy individuals.  For us it is a part of our lives that simply can’t be compromised.  Looking ahead we know we have our work cut out for us in training for our first full marathon.  Perhaps that is why we have avoided the inevitable – the beginning of training.  It’s not that we’re scared.  In fact, I would say we’re kind of excited.  I guess we’re both a bit hesitant because of the near 100 degree weather that has so nicely invaded Texas.  Running in the heat is exhausting and I know we’re not ready to pour out gallons of sweat from our bodies.  Plus, training takes time and immense amounts of devotion.  But, I think we’re both getting tired of standing on the sidelines and we’re ready to get back in the game.  After all, running is another one of our adventures and a step closer to a fulfilling life.

109 thoughts on “Preparing To Train For Our First Full Marathon

  1. Great Post I feel exactly like you while my husband always finishes so far in front of me if we are training for a common goal We are both more successful. We eat better we excercise daily we make small wagers with each other! Keep it up. We are training for our first 1/2 marathon in November San Antonio 🙂

    1. This year will be my first Rock N Roll in San Antonio. I’m doing the 1/2 and my husband is doing the full. This will be my 2nd half and his first full. I’m excited.

      1. That’s where we’re running!! Great!! Maybe we will see you there. We loved the SA half last year…so well organized and great course…you will love love love it!!

      2. I live in San Antonio and our training route overlaps the Rock N Roll route. I want to finish in 2 hours 10 minutes. The following weekend I’m going home to Philadelphia to run their half marathon. Kind of like a marathon week for me 🙂

      3. That is great! I am originally from SA so it’s always nice to go home to run. It’s a great route and definitely possible to get 2 hours and 10 minutes. That was our goal time when we ran our first half marathon. We were able to finish just under 2 hours and I believe you will do the same 🙂

  2. Good luck on the Marathon Training! I start training for my first Half in July. I agree, the heat makes it hard to get motivated, though.Here in Oklahoma, it’s just about as bad as it is in Texas…not quite, but almost. I’m planning on doing as many of my runs early in the morning as I can.

    1. Early in the morning is always best! That’s what we were talking about today. We were thinking we will have to wake up at 5:30, but at least there will be no sun!! You will love running your first half. I loved it!! After our first one we couldn’t wait to run another. Good luck in your training. Let me know how it goes… 🙂

  3. Your post really got me motivated. I have been struggling with my weight for about 4 years and this post reminded me about how important it is to seize your goals because our time on earth is short. Thank you 😛 I hope that you guys really enjoy your training! I’m going to get my boyfriend to train with me and hopefully we can find a few 5ks to participate in around Dallas.

    1. Running is wonderful. That’s how it started for us…a 5K. It is a great cheap date to go and run together. 🙂 Keep me informed of your progress and let me know when you run a 5k…we may want to run it too!! 🙂 Let’s just not run one in this Dallas heat.

  4. Nice post! I love the blog you have here. Running is a great activity to get involved in. I started running three years ago with my roommate from college. I raced my first 5k in April on a hilly and muddy course in a downpour. It took me 31 minutes to complete. I trained on a flat course months before that and was able to run 3.1 miles in about 24 minutes. I’ve been slacking off lately, now that I graduated college and my running friends are no longer around. It helps to have all of the motivation you can get! After reading through some of your posts and information, I’m going to get on my treadmill and go for a run!
    Keep running! 🙂

  5. CONGRATULATIONS on all of your success in such a short time and also being featured on wordpress. I’m so glad to be blogging friends with you two, Raul & Rachel! God bless your efforts in training and with ALS!

  6. Go for it! Great post. I used to play basketball but now that I’m older, women’s competitive leagues are few and far between. I started running only to stay in shape and I hated it at first, but now I’m addicted. I can’t go more than 1 or 2 days without going for a run. I’d love to train for a marathon! Power to you!

  7. good luck! i’d love to run a marathon, but my biggest problem is that i have the attenion span of a pre-schooler. i find running more than a few miles to be monotonous. i try to stay in fairly good shape, so i know i’m physically capable if i trained, but a several hours of running seems like too much for me! i’d be thinking about all the things i needed to get done. i have my sites set on a half marathon in October…we’ll see how that goes. regardless of my distaste for marathons, i commend you. good luck, and i look forward to seeing how it goes!
    http://www.icoudlntmakethisshitup.wordpress.com

    1. Believe me…we had such a distaste for marathons and long running before we ran our first half marathon…just wait…you will catch the bug. You start to love it…I can’t explain it…you just do

    1. That’s great!!! Wasn’t the feeling great when you finished that first half marathon? We debated for a while whether to run a full…then we realized we could help raise money for ALS and it definitely helped. It is what keeps us motivated…that a cure for Rachel’s mom will be found.

  8. My grown children run in the BIX race every year in Davenport Iowa. It happens to be next week-end and it has been in the high 90’s every day for the past week. Almost every year someone from Kenya or someplace like that wins but they don’t care–they still keep running. Terrific post.

  9. I hate to be a party-pooper, but running is usually more of a health risk than a health enhancer. It’s terribly stressful on your spine and your heart, and can be deadly.

    Remember Jim Fixx, author of the 1977 book “The Complete Book of Running”? He virtually all by himself set off the “jogging”explosion in North America. Fixx died at the age of 52 of a fulminant heart attack, after his daily run.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx

    Walking is much healthier. Or swimming. Almost anything BUT running would be a safer goal for you to pursue.

  10. I am training for my first half marathon. The Rock N Roll Las Vegas in December! I start training in September. Good luck to you both!

  11. Have fun guys, running really is a great way to not only get in shape but also bond with your loved one. Keep up the hard work and have fun.

    1. I agree with everything you said!! We don’t want to keep up the hard work but we do want to have fun 🙂 But…well…you have to do what you have to do!

  12. The great thing about finishing your first marathon is that no matter what time you finish in, it is always your personal best. How great is that?

    Congrats on being Freshly Tired..oops I mean Freshly Pressed.

    Have a great day.

    Mr Bricks

  13. I’m training to do my first half-marathon, so I really can appreciate your blog. I’ve done a few 10K, but the added training for this longer run has been a challenge. Since both parents died from heart disease I run for my health, but I also enjoy the peace and solitude of the outdoor.
    Keep up the good work. Take care and God bless.

    1. Thank you so much!! Good luck with your training…it will get easier and prepare you well for your race. Honestly…I think the race was so much easier than the training. You will never forget that half marathon!!!

  14. What an exciting adventure! Finding something to be motivated about can truly be inspiring. I wish the best of luck to both of you. As a runner, I am aware of the hard work and dedication it takes. It is very important to integrate cross training into your training, and a resistance band workout might just be the best option for you two!

  15. You are definitely doing the right thing by saying preparing to TRAIN for a marathon. I made the mistake earlier this year to run a full marathon without following a proper training schedule.

    Sure, I had a few 1/2’s under my belt so what was another 13.1 miles?

    Truthfully…at 18 miles…the remaining 8.2 is a LOT. Nearly took me twice as long to finish the last half as it took me to run the first half.

    Good luck!

  16. You are very inspiring 🙂
    I had a goal last year to run a race a month, and i didnt. 😦
    This year, I said Id start in may and see where it took me. I did one in may, two in June and I have one in July that is next weeked, and im pretty sure i know of my net one for August and september.
    I love the feeling and the emotions of crossing the finish line.
    I am by no means a great runner, but i am working at it, and doing what i can. cross the finish line, thats all that matters to me.
    Keep up the great work!

  17. Thats awesome…found you on freshly pressed. There are so many blogs out there that can inspire and keep you motivated during training-not to mention good tips and things to be prepared for through training and on race day. Good luck and get to it! You won’t regret it…those endorphins from long runs are super addicting!

  18. Good for you! I just started running last year, and it has already made so many parts of my life so much better. I hear you about training in the heat, though – boo to that!

  19. Yea! Congratulations! I did my first Triathlon a few years ago. Had a setback this past year, so I fell off the training wagon, but it’s truly inspiring to read your blog. Thanks, and congrats on being freshly pressed! 🙂

  20. Congrats on choosing to run your first marathon. I just completed my first marathon in May. I had the opposite training weather, winter up here in Canada. It’s an amazing journey and just keep envisioning the people cheering for you at the finish, it’s what kept me going when the training was sucking. If you need any other inspiration or any tips/hints with training let me know.

  21. Good luck with your training. Completing your first marathon will give you the all time runners high. After that you might get hooked. I did my first marathon last year while raising money for charity. I thought it would just be something I crossed off my bucket list, but I got hooked. I ran 2 halfs & another full since then, and I’m currently deciding what my next race will be.

    You can do it! A lot of times it’s more mental than physical.
    Good luck again, all the best.

      1. Good luck with the training & fundraising. I ran my past two full marathons raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I didn’t have anyone close to me diagnosed with it, but once I signed up for the first event, the cause just grew on me. I will probably do my next marathon for LLS as well.

        I’ll bookmark your battle als blog and follow you guys. Good luck hitting your goals.

      2. Thank you so much!! That really does mean a lot!! We run for hope that Rachel’s mom will be cured of this horrible disease. We appreciate your help more than words can say!

  22. Agree with life is short and it’s important to make the most of what it has to offer, both of you are great!! What I want to do is let my parents to travel around our country or the world.

  23. wow! good luck!
    one day i will do the full marathon run… for five years now..i been doing only the half- every nov. for seattles marathon run 🙂

    thanks for sharing.

    -debi Intha
    spread the love…

    1. We never thought we’d want to run a full marathon. For us the half marathon is the perfect distance…But, an opportunity to gain awareness for ALS and the challenge for running a full marathon was too much to pass up.

  24. Good luck training 😀 As Auspicious Wedding Dates mentioned above, thinking about people like us who start panting like anything after 10 minutes of running will probably help motivate you 😀 Take care not to overexert yourself though.

  25. Good luck with your training. I’ve had a similiar epiphany with biking. (http://huffygirl.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/too-old-to-start-the-training-or-mr-toads-wild-ride/) We can’t all be runners, or bikers, but we can challenge ourselves to achieve our goals in whatever is our sport of life. To the naysayers above who caution you about the “dangers” of running, I say, let common sense and good judgement prevail (at least among those who still have common sense). Obviously, not everyone is fit enough to run or train for a marathon, and there will always be someone who had a bad effect from some kind of exercise, whether it be from an accident, poor judgement or an unanticipated or unknown health complication.

    Congratulations on being chosen for Freshly Pressed.

    1. I could not have said it better myself 🙂 I think there can be fear or danger in anything we encounter…but I’d rather battle it than turn away.

    1. It will all be worth it. All the fear leaves your body the second you cross the starting line. Your training will prepare you well. I bet you run another 1/2 in less than 6 months!! 🙂

  26. I saw your blog featured on “Freshly Pressed” (congratulations!) and as a fairly low-key triathlete (looking to improve my running), I’ve found your advice and links very helpful… Thank you! Your dedication (both to running and to blogging) are very impressive. Do you find it easier to train with a partner?

    1. I find it so much easier to train with a partner. If I didn’t have Rachel I don’t know what I would do. We feed off each other. It’s wonderful to talk on long runs to help the time pass and to make sure we keep a comfortable pace. My suggestion to anyone starting out running is to find someone to run with. Not only is it more fun but much safer!

  27. Healthy and active lifestyles are just as much about mental health as it is physical exercise- congrats on realizng this interconnection, and good luck on the races!+

  28. Nothing beats finishing your first marathon – best feeling ever! Training gets really tough but it’s worth all the effort. Good luck to you both and most of all, ENJOY it!

  29. How great to want to do that together! I ran my first marathon 2 years ago and its a great accomplishment. Good luck!

  30. Hi I’m Tony I live in the UK and currently training just like you for a marathon. mine’s next years Virgin London Marathon. I hope we can share with each other as the weeks go by.

    Anyone else reading this is very welcome to visit my blog and join in the conversation.

    Tony 🙂

  31. I’m resuming running after six months off. Luckily I’m in Sydney Australia, so it’s the middle of Winter here. Gotta run to keep warm. I’ll be following you for encouragement. Thanks.

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