The Long Run

Distance running is tough.  The only way to make yourself able to run long distances is to run long distances.  But you can't just go and run 13 miles if the longest you've ever run is 4 miles...you have to build up to it.  Once you get there, you can maintain your fitness level with some key runs.  If you slack over winter, "Muscle-Memory" makes it a bit easier to get back to the level you were at, but you still must build to it.

Prior to January 2014, I was a comfortable Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) runner.  I was at a fitness level where you could ask me on a Friday to run a Half Marathon the next day, and I could do it.  In fact, I could probably do it 3 times a month.  My weekly long runs were averaging 9 to 12 miles a week.

Sometime late last year, I got the crazy idea that it would be fun to run a full Marathon (26.2 miles).  As I began putting together my training schedule, it looked great.  Several long runs coincided with races that I already wanted to do.  When January rolled around, I was ready.


January and February went by rather well (except for the weather).  I did all but 2 of my runs outside, in the snow and cold.  Then March hit.


March was the third month of training, and the third month is where you separate the men (and women) from the boys (and girls). My weekly long runs through March and April looked like this:
15 Miles - 13 Miles - 17 Miles - 18 Miles - 15.5 Miles - 20 Miles - 13.1 Miles - 20 Miles - 10 Miles
and that's not counting the many shorter runs in between.
Slowing it down this week...got a bit of a cold I gotta get over and got to rest up...big race May 4th.

478 Miles