The Marathon itself is only 26.2 miles, done in one effort over the duration of about 5 hours. On November 6th, I will be dedicating roughly 7 hours of my life to this one singular event. Show up to the race about 1.5hrs early for parking and moving to the start followed by a 4-hour race and then another 1.5 hours of enjoying the finish and rooting on my friends before going back home.
It’s only 7 hours of just one day of my life. Will preparing and training for this one singular event alter my life? Is this a lifestyle change? Will I miss out on anything over the next 13 weeks? What aspects of my life will be altered in the short term, long term and permanently?
My life is incredibly busy and managing my time and prioritizing my efforts takes dedicated thought and action. I work full-time supporting our Military Members, own a small-business with my wife, full-time father and husband, all-around friend and leader of my local Run Club. To be prepared for Race Day will required more than just dedicated planning, it requires dedication to following the plan.
Early Morning Sanctuary
I’m not sure if I was ever a natural early riser or it was forced upon me by Uncle Sam and their desire to “Stand To”, to be ready for the sunrise attacks that seemed to never happen. Whatever the reason, I can now naturally wake up between 4:30am and 5am. For the last few months my mornings have been used for drinking coffee, reading and and researching. (Daily habit of reading refdesk.com)It’s now time to change that up. It’s now time to start running.
Early morning runs will help me get over a few hurdles that are inevitable. I can make a valiant attempt to beat the heat and humidity that North Carolina can seemingly put on us for months on end. Getting up early allows me to focus my attention and energy on achieving my running goals before business opens, e-mails pop up, questions need answered and the requirements of life pull me away from the trail.
I’m blessed to know a few people in my Run Club who enjoy early morning running and don’t mind a running partner, even an overweight, Clydesdale runner like me. The real trick for early morning running is how to sneak out of the house like a ninja! You see, my wife is a hard working woman and when I disrupt her sleep, things seem to spiral downward rather fast. I do what I can to avoid such disruptions in my every day life! Undoubtedly you will read a post about an early morning scuffle when I woke her up.
Early mornings are a place and time of sanctuary for me. I reflect on where I’ve been, where I am and where I want to be.
Clean Out the Fridge
Over the course of the next week I will start purchasing the fuel needed to maximize running performance while decreasing bodyfat. To prevent injury, be faster and increase endurance I need to lose weight.
Nutrition Goals for August (First 4 weeks of training)
No Extra Sugar
Natural sugars only from fruits. No candy bars, ice-cream, energy drinks, sugary cereals, cookies, chips, etc.
No Red Meat: This is a 13-week goal.
I’ll be focusing on eating chicken and fish, specifically salmon. It really is a super food!
Increase Protein intake. Aside from the chicken and fish mentioned above, I’ll be adding egg-whites (scrambles and HB eggs), Protein Shakes.
Supplements: I’ve decided to go with Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN). It is a Veteran Owned Company with a CEO that leads from the front.
Only Water for hydration in August. Yes, I will forgo my Wednesday beer until September.
Gather the Gear
Time to get all the running gear together! Be on the lookout for another post detailing all of my running gear. In the meantime here is the checklist of items I’ll need for August.
Running Shoes, Socks, Shorts and Socks (S4)
Handheld Water Bottle, Water Bottle Belt, Running Vest w/bladder.
Reflective Gear (For those early morning runs)
Headlamp and batteries.
Watch (Apple Watch Series 3) - Looking to upgrade. Comment Below!
Shokz headphones
Running Gu (Lickeys and Chewys)
Rehydration Salts (I.E: Liquid IV, Pedialyte)
Plan, Prepare and Execute
I’ve got my training plan dialed in with enough flexibility to allow for modifications to align better with my physiological adaptations. I’m preparing to execute the plan starting on August 1st. Mental preparation, gear prep and time preparation. In just 6 days and a wake up, I move into the Execute phase of this adventure.
This is my first official Marathon. I’d love to hear from my friends, followers and the experienced runners out there. What am I missing? What is an unexpected situation or circumstance that is bound to happen that I can prepare for now?
My man, you have the same if not more tenacity than the day I met you and the days we worked together. I look forward to hearing your story and watching you reach and exceed your goals. You will never know how many around you you will inspire but don't stop doing what you do. Thx for the kick brother, good luck out there and I'm always a phone call away.