Looking Back

Since I’ve been “clean”, obviously running has become a huge part of my life. I wish I could run more quite honestly, but I’ve realized now that I need to listen to my body and try not to go too overboard on the mileage. I plan on continuing to build up after the marathon is over.

Since I’ve finally made it through my training and I’m now tapering for the race, I’m able to reflect back on a few things that have helped me over the last few months. I’ve pinned it down to a few things that I did right and a few things I did wrong.

So let’s start with what I did wrong...

I’ve repeatedly mentioned it throughout my posts, but the biggest mistake I’ve made is increasing my mileage too quickly. This is not some esoteric finding either. Every piece of advice out there lets you in on this secret. Apparently I’m an exception to this rule, though, or so I thought! Turns out trying to follow an advanced training plan when you’re a mere beginner spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Start increasing mileage by more than 10% over multiple weeks and it’s a recipe for disaster. “Hey, I could do it as a kid though” was not being very realistic with myself, as much as I wanted to believe it.

The second mistake I made was regarding speed work. I do understand that it’s not a vital part of training for the beginning runner. However, I had very little of it in my training from the get go, which has made it that much harder to incorporate it now that I’m in the final minutes of the game. My short, fast runs of late have been very beneficial to say the least. They’ve sure taught me a lot about pushing hard.

The third mistake I made was not listening to my body. I recall on numerous occasions going out the day after a tough run because the schedule told me to. My body was nowhere near recovered, yet I thought I had to follow the schedule to reach my full potential. Come to find out that it did much more harm than good for me.

Of course there were some positives though…

First and foremost, my goal was to find a positive addiction. Everyone around me will agree that this addiction is much better than my last. End of story.

Second, I’m in great shape! I wouldn’t have dreamt I’d be in this position six months ago. I can run around for hours and not get tired. I can spend an entire weekend working on projects rather than sitting on the couch (although I still enjoy relaxing when needed). I sleep better, I work harder, my mind is more focused and I’m more positive. All good things, right?

Third, I’m a goal seeker. I’m not quite where I’d like to be, but if I didn’t have goals there’s no need to keep pushing, right? So I’ve set some lofty goals for myself over the course of the next year, hoping that continually having something to strive for will push me to new heights!

Since I figured there should be one more positive than negative, the final positive is that I’m content. Of course I’ve still got those goals pushing me, but I no longer sit around and think about what I could be doing. I’m going out there and doing it, every single day. That, in and of itself, is reason enough to continue doing what I’m doing and make this a lifelong pursuit.