Starting today the countdown is on and my eyes are focused on the Columbus Marathon that happens one week from today. I am running my first half marathon and this is going to be a week of mental preparation because the physical should be done by now!
Half Marathon Training
Yesterday I ran my last pre-marathon run. It was super cold (37 degrees!) and was not a fun experience. But I am dedicated to achieving my goals and that isn’t always easy.
Starting today I am going into rest mode.
For this week I will not be running and I have cancelled my training sessions in the gym. I will go for some walks and will spend some time each day stretching but I am taking it easy all week. I want my body to be fully recovered and ready for Sunday.
I am eating the way I normally would but may work to decrease the alcohol a bit this week so I can focus on hydration. My plan is to try to up my water intake all week and try to get 2 gallons per day. I know that sounds like a lot but I normally get over a gallon per day.
On Friday night we have an annual family bonfire and Weiner roast.
During this event I plan to focus on consuming carbs as much as makes sense. I want to get the carbs in me a day early and let them burn but not overly carb up my diet on Saturday and risk sluggishness during my run. Good news, beer is loaded with carbs!
Finally I am going to spend all week mentally preparing. I am going to run through the course and my plan over and over in my head and on paper. I am going to visualize success like top athletes do. I am going to read a lot about other people’s “week of”experiences. And I am going to the Columbus Marathon fitness expo on Friday afternoon. I will pick up my packet and immerse myself in the energy there before the bonfire.
I never pictured myself running a half marathon or even a half block for that matter. This is very big for me and I will be successful! It doesn’t matter one bit that I am not planning to run all 13.1 miles and I am using a run/walk strategy, I am still going to finish faster than those people on their sofas. Plus I am going to finish faster than I could have imagined a year, or 6 months or even 3 months ago!
I got this!
Personal Record
While this upcoming week is a time to rest, this past week was not!
I started this week with a bonus free day thanks to Columbus Day being a State if Ohio holiday. On my bonus day I went for a bonus 2 mile run to the gym. Then I did a 30 minute workout focused heavily on weight training including body weight exercises. Then I ran back home. So it was a pretty serious workout for a random Monday.
Then on Thursday was the day of my latest personal record. I had my personal training session and I knew I was taking a week off so I pushed myself hard.
As I have mentioned I am working on achieving a goal of deadlifting my body weight. The week prior I had made progress and got up to 65% of my body weight. Just one week later I increased my total lift by 20 more pounds.
My deadlift total is now up to 75% of my bodyweight which is a new personal record!
Clothes shopping
My final update is about clothes.
The other thing I did on my bonus Monday funday this week was buy a new fall wardrobe. I went to multiple stores and bought tons of new shirts, sweaters, jackets and pants. I spent a ton of money but at least I have clothes that fit me.
My last fall clothes buying experience happened last September when I reached the 50 pounds lost mark. Fast forward a year later and I am 80 pounds further into my journey. As such, last fall’s clothes look ridiculous on me. I even have a winter coat that I wore twice that is way too big now.
As I mentioned in my Milestone Moment post this was a rewarding and emotional experience. I was buying shirts in size large after being a 3XL just a few short months ago. I bought pants in size 36 waist after being a size 52 just a few months ago. I had tons of options and I could buy stylish things. I could go into any store and have my pick of clothes and not just at a big & tall store. Plus the clothes are so much cheaper that I probably got literally double the amount of clothes for my money.
I am a little frustrated with myself that I waited so long to get where I am in life. Plus I am frustrated that I ever let myself get to my starting point in this journey. But I have to remind myself that I just wasn’t my time yet. I wasn’t ready to invest so much in myself. It wasn’t important to me yet.
Well it is important now and I am happy to celebrate my success! I am going to do everything I can to help others feel this same feeling of accomplishment. Anybody can do it but it has to be important to you.
Thanks for reading! Check back next week for more…. Including my marathon report!
Last week’s stats (10/1-10/7):
Distance walked/run: 43.9 miles (+4.8 vs. LY)
Total calories burnt: 23,639 (-6,604 vs. LY)
Total calories consumed: 16,484 (+2,880 vs. LY)
Net calories this week: -7,155 (+9,484 vs. LY)
Weight change: 0.8 pounds GAINED (+1.2 vs LY)
