Marathon Training: Day 1, Week 1

Today is the first day of my marathon training. I have to say, its starting out on a good note. Today is a rest day. It just worked out that way, I swear.

Mondays and Fridays are my rest days, so technically, tomorrow starts my real training. I am going to do some stretching today to make sure I'm starting myself off on the right foot tomorrow.

One of the goals I have for this training program is to really make sure I'm stretching well everyday. During my training for the half I ran in November, I got really hung up about a month before the race because I wasn't stretching properly. My hamstrings were so tight that I could barely walk. I don't want to run into the same problem this time around, especially knowing that my mileage will be so much higher, seeing as this is a full marathon.

My other goal is to actually run all my long runs. That is not to say that I will never stop and walk during them, but I mean, I need to actually get out and do them. During my training for the half I found myself making excuses and not running on days I was supposed to. I still did well in the race, but I also had experience with the distance, so I kind of knew what to expect from it. A marathon? I do not have experience with, nor do I know what to expect. Therefore, I want to be as prepared as possible and I think mentally, I'm ready for the training. I'm hoping that the next 18 weeks of training prepares me mentally for the race.

So there you have it folks, my goals and plans for the next 18 weeks. RUN.

I hope you'll follow along with me and offer support along the way. I know there are going to be times that I need encouragement and I ask that you all cheer me on during this process!

*I'm admittedly not cool, so if you all could let me know of any cool new workout/upbeat music I can add to my iTunes to run to, that would be awesome!

**Also, don't worry, I'm not going to post about running every single day for the next 18 weeks, in case you were nervous.