Today is my first day for a couple of things...First, it's my first day of training for my very 1st marathon. Secondly, it's my first time blogging.
Here's a little about myself. I'm 39 but soon to be 40 (April 9th). I'm married and have 3 wonderful daughters with a fourth child expected at the end of June. I started running consistenly last January and have been dedicated ever since. I did however, take about 6 weeks off during the holidays to help my body recover and take some time for myself. I ran once in a while, just to stay with it, but not at all with the consistency I've ran the rest of the year at. I started off with a couple of 5k's and built my way up to running four half-marathons all year. It was exciting to see myself improve physically and mentally. Plus the friendships that come from running are great! I've met a lot great people from different running groups which always seems to help push me a little more than if I was just running by myself.
I've said all last year that I want to run a marathon this year. So what better 40th birthday present to myself than to sign up for a marathon four days after I turn 40? It's something that will really get me in shape and this will also help with eating more nutritious. But there are other factors that play into continuing to run more. I feel great throughout the day and it's also fun to see my children get excited for watching me want to stay in shape and promote a good attitude towards staying in shape. This led me to my first day of training for the marathon today.
I woke up at 5am today and looked at the weather. It was 18 degrees but felt like 10 degrees. See I'm more of a cold weather runner. I love running in the cold vs. the heat. My thinking is my body can always warm up from running, but if it's already hot outside, you will just get hotter. This morning was the coldest day so far this winter for me. I wore my hat and gloves as I normally do, but this morning, I had to wear a scarf over my face so I could keep my face warm during my run. By the time I was about a half mile from being done, the scarf kept falling below my nose and mouth and realized just how cold it really is. This will probably lead me to go to my favorite running store in Northville, MI and purchase a balaclava or a hat that covers the face.
It wasn't a long run by any means, just under 4 miles, but it was the first run I've had in a while and it felt great. One thing I love about running in the cold is feeling the ice on your eye lashes. That's when you know you're crazy for loving to run outside in the winter. I'm not a fan of running on treadmills or inside, but that's just my opinion. The one benefit I see from running on a treadmill is you will never hit a patch of ice. But that just makes me concentrate more and stay focused. If I lose focus for a minute, then I can hit some ice and have an injury that will sideline me.
When I got home this morning, my hat and scarf had frost on them and I felt a little ice around my eye lashes. I know this is going adventure for training for my first marathon will be an experience and so that's why I decided to start a blog. I would like for other people, not just runners, to know that it's never too late to push yourself and set a goal for you that seems unreachable. Last year, at this time, I was running 3-4 miles for a long run. By the end of last year, I completed my 4th half-marathon with a goal of completing a marathon this year.
I will continue to update the blog and see where goes. I love talking about running and have a lot to learn so any advice or information is always welcome! I look forward to a wonderful four months of training and many great stories to share with you along the way. I may even tell you my story of becoming deathly afraid during a run in a park that scared me so bad, I fell backwards and rolled over not once, but twice! More details to follow!!
Have a great run!
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