Making running fun…by making fun of it
Registering for your first marathon can be intimidating. Forget running 26.2 miles, training for a marathon is whole other marathon in and of itself! How can you adequately prepare to toe the starting line with confidence? With five marathons under my feet, I prepared a checklist of the best first marathon training tips. Follow these and you’ll be golden come race day.
I have a lot to be thankful for in 2023, both on and off the roads. With Thanksgiving around the corner (best of luck in dealing with your relatives), I figured I’d spend a blog post detailing why I’m thankful for running (and more) and sharing it with complete strangers like you. After all, gratitude helps us feel positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve health, and more. I can’t fit everything I’m thankful for into this post, so I chose six, in no particular order.
Like most children growing up, I never could’ve dreamed I’d be running marathons. I mean, I never thought I’d even be running, period. Like, who chooses to run for fun? But, thanks to my dad, I was introduced to the wonderful sport at just the right time in my life. It would take awhile to stick with it, but once I did, my relationship to sports—and life—changed forever.
I used a modified version of the 18 week/55-70 mile Pfitzinger marathon training plan to try and run my first sub-three-hour marathon at the 2023 Marine Corps Marathon. Simply put, I got in the best shape of my life because of the 18-week plan. I’ve been running for nearly two decades, and I never had more fun training for a marathon—or any race. Find out if the plan is right for you.
Last Sunday, I ran the 2023 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC — my fifth marathon and first with a sub-three-hour goal. The stage was set for a fairytale ending. Yet, despite the stars aligning, I fell like a crashing meteor. So, what went wrong? Well, I’m not one to make excuses, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the role of one very important element. Here’s what happened…
Last month, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced a cutoff time of 5:29 for the 2024 Boston Marathon. 11,039 runners who qualified for the 2024 Boston Marathon weren’t granted entry. Let’s change our perspective on what it means to qualify for Boston Marathon.