I’m a little more than halfway through my second marathon training block, and when I say this training block has me feeling all the things I didn’t feel during my first marathon… I mean it. My first marathon was run as part of the Dopey Challenge, and those feelings and experiences were vastly different. Running influencers make marathon training – or any race, for that matter – seem like all fun and games followed by a sweet reward. But there’s way more to it than that.
Here are four things that the run-influencers don’t discuss that often:
1. It Will Suck
Okay, let me back up. The ability to train is a blessing in itself. There are plenty of people out there who don’t have the ability to move, so yes, I should be grateful to run, have a bib for a race, and get to experience this.
But there are times when it just sucks. You miss out on a lot. If you’re running a fall marathon, you might miss football games, tailgates (speaking from experience here), and more. You have to call it an early night because you have a training run bright and early. Your weekends are immediately booked. In my case, long runs require me to block out four hours and then some. My 15-mile training run required me to wake up at 4:15 a.m. I made breakfast, packed my vest, stretched, and set off for the trail. I was running from 5:15 to 8:30-ish. You might think, “Oh Danielle, you still have the entire day ahead of you.” You would be wrong—well, kind of. By the time I got home, showered, stretched, recovered, ate more food, and dozed off for a bit, it was noon. In my head, my day was completely gone.
You will lose your weekends. You will cry. You will cry mid-run, post-run and pre-run. You will question why you signed up. It. Will. Suck.
2. Every Week is Different
One week is great, and the next you’re trying to figure out how to run again. This happened to me last week: I had the best run: 7 miles at a great pace I hadn’t seen since spring. Half the miles were sub-11, and I was happy. Ayeee, I’m getting my speed back!
This week? Said speed was missing in action. Granted, the weather here in Texas is still God-awful hot, and I’m desperate for cooler weather. I’m hoping it shows up in October when I have a half marathon scheduled. All I’m saying is that not every week is the same. Some weeks you feel like a badass; other weeks you’re wondering what the hell you’re even doing. And this isn’t even my first marathon! Every week is different—don’t judge your progress based on two weeks alone.
3. Training is an Unpaid Part-Time Job
The wild part is you’re not getting paid. This is a big thing people online don’t tell you. This is a part-time job where you pay the boss. In fact, you’re paying hundreds – sometimes thousands – of dollars to train and run the race. Not to mention, over the course of a training block, the day-to-day money adds up. I did a cost breakdown when I trained for Dopey, but I haven’t tracked as much of what I’ve put into New York City. Let me know if you want to see a cost breakdown for NYC!
You may be wondering: Is it really a part-time job? Is it really that expensive?
LOL, yes, babes. Yes, it is. You have a schedule featuring four runs, two strength sessions, stretching, and Pilates. Your sleep is also part of that work schedule—it’s so important to your performance. You will find yourself constantly calculating how many hours of sleep you’ll get each night, and that alarm clock comes fast.
The crazy part is when it’s all over, the race is run, and you get that medal… it just ends. And then you’re left thinking, Okay, so what now? Your part-time job has come to an end.
4. You Will Be Hungry… All The Time
I went to dinner with family the other day with a 15-mile training run ahead of me the next morning, so I planned my meal accordingly. I was pounding the bread, ate all the calamari, had spinach and crab dip as my side, and then hammered a Caesar salad with grilled shrimp. I washed it all down with lots of water because staying hydrated is key.
See, this is another thing they don’t tell you when you sign up: you can go to dinner with friends, but you have to plan. Look at the menu ahead of time. Can you get pasta? Is there something that will properly fuel you for what’s ahead? (Also, try to avoid alcohol while training—I mean, you can drink, but I don’t recommend it.) Let’s face it: when I’m not eating, I’m thinking about eating. There’s
I wanted to keep this post short and limited myself to four thoughts, but there are so many more running through my head that a Part Two will likely be coming soon. I know many of these things don’t seem like a big deal on paper, but you don’t truly feel them until you’re in it. When I say I’ve been eating non-stop since June, I’m not kidding. I can’t stop eating or thinking about food! I’m deep into training, and these long runs require a ton of fuel. Check out The Feed for all your fuel needs.
As for the amount of money spent on training and what will be spent on race day… well, we’ll get into that next time!