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This podcast episode deals with a lot of racing firsts.
My sister Autum ran her very first marathon. Trevor completed his first half marathon (a long anticipated event). And this was my first time going 26.2 after having a baby 5 months ago.
You may be preparing for your first marathon or going into your one hundredth race. Each time your training is going to be unique and there will be some firsts to deal with.
I want to help you be prepared for your marathon experience. Here are some tips to remember going into your race.
Lessons from the Little Rock Marathon
Every runner has some obstacles to overcome. These may come in the form of health issues, time constraints, or injury. The triumph comes in overcoming these barriers. Autum talks about how she had to overcome a knee injury and inflammatory arthritis to train for her marathon. She also had to deal with a very cold winter and ran on some tough hills. These factors didn’t stop her, they made her a stronger person.
Don’t let last minute setbacks stop you. It is rare for training to go perfectly. The important thing is to deal with the setback, re-evaluate your strategy, and keep working toward your goal.
A week before the Little Rock Marathon both Trevor and I got sick. He missed his last long run and was in bed for three days. It wasn’t the ideal way to go into a marathon, but we adjusted, listened to our bodies, and still had a great race.
People have different motivations for running a marathon. You have to tap into your payoff factor and know what will motivate you. The rewarding thing about doing a marathon is conquering the distance, no matter what pace you run or walk.
It’s important not to compare yourself with others. If I compared myself to an elite athlete like Kara Goucher, I might be so discouraged I wouldn’t even run. I’ll never have that level of athletic ability and that’s okay. Going into this marathon I realized that my time wouldn’t be a PR (personal record).
My motivation for doing the race was simply to have the discipline of training back in my life, to enjoy my ability to run post-baby, and to have a great time. I finished this marathon in 5:08 and enjoyed every minute of it.
Also Mentioned in this Episode
Quick Tip . . . Smart Coach a place to get a free personalized training plan to help improve your race times. This tool is available at the Runner’s World website. Though Smart Coach is free, you have to be a registered member in order to access it. Once you are on their home page click on the “Tools” tab and then select on “Smart Coach”.
Pictures from the Little Rock Marathon
Meeting up with MTA fans at Starbucks.
From left to right: Paula, Tricia, Autum, Angie, Trevor, Julie, and Rod.
Autum, Angie, and Trevor posing for a picture with Bart Yasso of Runner’s World.
We interviewed Bart on podcast episode 19.
Trevor found a new mantra for the Little Rock Marathon. He was releasing krakens all over the course.
My sister and I showing off our HUGE medals from the Little Rock Marathon. I heard that next year (the 10th anniversary) the medals will be even bigger.
Thanks for reading this blog post. I hope to see you at a race some day. I have made it easy to leave a comment below. Tell me what you think of this episode.
Keep taking action toward your dreams!
Congratulations and Way to go! Truly inspirational! Thank you for all the useful tips and continued encouragement!
Cheers and Best Wishes to you and your family always!
Thank you. All the best as you pursue your running goals.
Thanks for posting this – I am two weeks from my first half marathon and I hurt my foot this past weekend on my 12 mile run. I finished the run but now can’t even put on a shoe without feeling pain. I’m glad to read about having to deal with injuries before the race – it gives me a bit more motivation these final two weeks.
Hey Rob. It’s exciting to hear that you have a half marathon coming up soon. I’d encourage you to ice your foot and give it a few days to recover. It’s better to go into a race slightly undertrained than risk worsening the injury. Stay positive and you’ll do great!
This is my favorite podcast to date. Once again you have motivated me to set a new goal and go back over all your helpful running tips. I want to train for a half marathon. I do not have an ipod or a running partner, but my Savior, Jesus Christ is with me wherever I go. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
Thank you! You do have what it takes to run a half marathon. When I was training for my first marathon I didn’t have an ipod or running partner either. But, I also love the truth in Phil. 4:13. Keep working toward your goals.
Thank you Angie; you and Trevor are a great team. I’ve been running on n off for about 30 yrs and find your podcasts both entertaining and motivating. Praise God for your service to us.
Best wishes to your growing family!
Thank you Raul. It’s great to hear from someone who has spent so many years as a runner. I can’t wait until I can say that I’ve been a runner for 30 years! Keep up the wonderful work.
Angie,
Congratulations on your first marathon since having your baby! You are a true inspiration! I love your book, it has been very helpful.
BTW, did you see that over 500,000 people completed a marathon last year?
Congrats,
Joe
Thank you Joe! I appreciate your kind comments. It’s so exciting to know that more and more people are taking on the marathon. I think the figure for those who completed a half marathon is over 1 million! Just awesome.
Angie & Trevor – congrats!
Angie – I was in training for my first half-marathon which is in two weeks in NYC/Central Park and is an all-women’s event. My training was sidetracked by illness and work influenced time-constraints and travel. I’m very undertrained for this. I’m wondering if I should go ahead and do it anyway? They say you can walk it as long as you finish in 4 hours (about an 18mins/mile pace) and its an all women’s event so I think the support factor would make me feel less bad if I had to walk a lot and be at the back of the pack. Or do you think I should just pick another future race and be more disciplined and try to be illness free training for the next one? What are your thoughts?
Hey Gen. I’m sorry that your training didn’t go as planned. I’d encourage you to go ahead with the race (if you aren’t currently sick). Focus on running as far as you can at a slow and steady pace and then walk when you get tired. Believe me when I say that you’ll have lots of company if you do have to walk and that you certainly won’t come in last. Believe in yourself, listen to your body, and have a great time!
Great job to all 3 of you on your races!! I just listened to the podcast, and it was fun to hear about your experiences in the Little Rock 1/2 and Full Marathon. What in the world do you do with a medal that big? (I’m certain it wouldn’t fit in the little basket I stash my medals in 🙂
Also, I just have to say that you and your sister Autum definitely sound alike. If I wasn’t paying enough attention I would almost forget which of you was talking!
Thanks Lisa. Right now my medal is propped up on a shelf. It definately takes up lots of real estate 🙂 I have another sister (besides Autum) who also sounds like us. If all three of us got on the podcast it would be really confusing!
Just discovered your podcast…wow you are a blessing…I need that Well on my Way song….is it available on itunes? Thanks so much for the wonderful presentation and example you two are. Tell Trevor, along with my husband, I count him with the True Real Men of the World. Love how he is alwys so excited for others accomplishments. Love how he loves words and mantras as much as I do. Keep the “marathon” love coming.
Hi Latosha. It’s great to have you in the MTA community. Thank you for your kind comments.
The song “Well On My Way” is by the group Acappella and is available on iTunes.