5 Things I'm Loving about Marathon Training

Okay, so are you done laughing at the title of this post?  Loving and Marathon Training are not words that I would normally use in the same sentence but to be honest, this training cycle is going REALLY well so far. In fact, it's going so well that I'm super nervous that something horrible is going to happen during the last few weeks just like it did last year.

Since we are linking up with the Friday 5, I thought it would be a good time to share why I feel this training cycle is going so well.

1. It is almost Halloween and I'm still wearing shorts and tank tops to run in. This may not be a big deal for you Florida folks, but in our area it tends to get a bit chillier this time of year. We've been really lucky with lots of great weather here.

2. I honestly could not see myself ever getting through another marathon (or training for one) without my thick soled Altras.  Since I made the decision to ditch the Altras due to too many injuries, I have discovered the Mizuno Enigmas. To my knowledge, these are the most cushioned shoe in the Mizuno line up. They are perfect for running on the trails and for the higher mileage I've been running. I can definitely see another pair of Enigma's in my future!

3. This training cycle I've had company (and my own cheering squad) for my long runs on the weekends. Every Saturday morning Scott goes with me to the trail. He rides his bike while I run.  It's a great thing for us to do together and I have to say that I feel so safe knowing that he is there with me.

4. I really feel that my physical therapy/gym time is really paying off.  My speed is not back where it once was, and that's okay. What I am really concentrating on is getting through the long runs with out any of that nagging, debilitating pinching behind my knees.  Sometimes I can feel this slight  "phantom pain" in my leg and worry about how it's going to hold up during the run but so far it hasn't been an issue during a run.  So far I've done 12 miles without pain. My knees will really be put to the test tomorrow when I go out for my first 13 miler of this training cycle!

5. This last one is really the inner nerd in me coming out. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to actually track my runs in my running journal. I have become such a numbers cruncher and a data nerd this time around. After my Saturday runs, I shower and then take a little "recovery" break on our big comfy couch  while icing and filling out all the data in my running journal. It's like my little "me time" that I look forward to.  I dissect each mile and then compare to my last runs.  I honestly don't know why I do all this because on race day none of it is going to matter.  I think it's just the organizer in me!  

                             We are linking up with the gals from the Friday 5.

Do any of these things make your training "enjoyable"?  -M