POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Thousands of people compete in them every year. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combes did it, Oprah did it, and I want to do it too.
Why I started to run and train for my first marathon is irrelevant. What's important is what's going to keep me training and will ultimately get me to the end of the 26.2-mile route at Wright-Patterson AFB September 16.
That's where I want to be, and I'm going to take you with me once a month until I cross the finish line.
The first place I started looking was the marathon Web site at
http://afmarathon.wpafb.af.mil/. I read Wright-Patterson's exercise physiologist's training series which includes a detailed month by month training schedule, and I thought I was all set to start training. I soon learned there's a lot more to it.
The next step was to talk my husband into running it with me. A good training partner can be very motivational. Often, their unmotivated days end up being your motivated days and vice versa. You keep each other on track. Although he was more than happy to support me, it took some talking and a little more research to get him committed to the run. The bookstore was my next stop for tips to train, and to my astonishment, I was greeted with shelves full of books on running and specifically running marathons. I gathered a stack of the most interesting looking versions and started skimming. Immediately, I noticed this was no joke.
One of things you have to do is make sure your have the right equipment. This includes appropriately fitted shoes, a runner's belt, a heart-rate monitor, a runner's log, comfortable loose clothes and much more.
The shoes are the most important item on a runners shopping list, and according to Bruce Fordyce in the Marathon Runner's Handbook, shopping at a small store that specializes specifically in running shoes is the way to go. Bigger chains often lack both the technical expertise to evaluate your foot type, and they also often have a limited running shoe inventory. There are three different types of running shoes that are all suited to very different feet, and the wrong type of shoes could make for some very miserable miles. Getting two pairs of shoes and alternating them is also suggested. Regardless, running shoes should be replaced every 500 to 700 miles or about every six months for very active runners. The next important item is a runner's log. Runner's logs are available in any bookstore, or you can make your own out of any notebook. It's just a journal where you can actually write down your goals and your performance. A basic heart rate monitor is the next vital part of any program. I have to keep my heart rate in an aerobic zone throughout the run. This means 60 to 75 percent of my maximum target heart rate. Any monitor with basic features will do. The last important item is a runner's belt — meant to carry water, Gatorade and energy supplements through your long runs. My routine is to take a gulp of water or Gatorade every 15 minutes and eat an energy supplement every half an hour. This basic gear is essential, but there are many other items available to help get you through your run.
Picking a training program is the next step, but I first had to evaluate my goals. As a first time runner, I'm not as concerned with speed as I am with just finishing, so I picked a program that is meant to bring me in within five hours. The program can be viewed at
www.jeffgalloway.com/training/time_goal.html#00. It starts me at an 11-mile long run once a week and takes me all the way up to a long run of 24 to 26 miles two weeks before the race. The rest of the week is three days of cross training, and two days of timed 40- to 55-minute runs. Cross training is any kind of aerobic workout that does not involve running.
With that said, I've finished my first week of training. My 11-mile run was Sunday. Although, my legs felt like Jell-o until the next morning, finishing my first short-term goal felt sensational.