It’s been almost 3 months since I had Finley and I am starting to get that crazy desire to train for a marathon again. I am feeling healed and ready to take on that challenge. Over the past 3 years I have either been training for a race, pregnant or both and since I am not pregnant anymore (thank the lord) it’s time to sign up to run marathon number 3. This time around I picked the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront marathon on October 22nd!! I couldn’t be more excited. Kev and I watched the documentary “Spirit of the Marathon” on netflix the other night and I sat with a big lump in my throat the entire time. If you haven’t run a marathon I don’t think you can fully understand how it changes you. Seeing the runners get up before the sun & getting ready for their 20 mile training run, the ocd that develops on the day of races, the pain, the tears, the joy, they are all emotions I know too well. I don’t run because I love running. I run to train for races, I need that end goal. I know I will never, ever win anything. That’s not the point. It is such an inner, personal win for me each time. I am not a very disciplined person but training for a marathon forces me to be and I like that.
I always make myself running calendars that I hang on the wall in my bedroom. I will look them over hundreds of time from now until October. It’s a little daunting these first few weeks but I’m ready to start this journey. I am ready to get out there in the fresh air. I am ready to get rid of this baby weight and I am ready to feel strong and beautiful.
Plus, I love getting some new gear to kick my butt into gear!
Love these shoes!
Love these pants!
Love this jacket!
Love this sports bra!
Love this tank!
Running really is a personal journey, whether your running a 5k, 10k, half or full marathon. Do you have a running story you would like to share? I’d love to read!
Leave a comment below!
Good for you Jen!
After doing team sports in high school, I took up running in college just to stay in shape and be disciplined. I did not enjoy it at all at first, but over time it became such part of me. I learned to love it. I ended running some cross country my last year of college, and then going on to love races–from 5K’s to marathons, and even was fairly competitive in them for a season. (Also did a few small triathlons, but never did great in those–:)) Now that I’m home with four kids and homeschooling, I get to run about three times a week, and not for very long. But it is totally my “me” time and I love it. I can’t imagine not having that in my life. I’m starting to get the itch to train for a run again, but I’ll probably start with shorter runs–a 5K or something. It’s true–there is NOTHING like the feel of a race….the crowds, the adrenaline, the fellowship of suffering (in a good way) with other runners. I LOVE IT!
I’ll be cheering you on Jen! 🙂
Aloha.
oh! I live in Toronto! Would it be totally weird if I showed up to cheer you along?
I admire anyone who can do a marathon, let along run a 5K – no matter how hard I try (which, is probably not hard enough at all) I cannot catch the running bug.
Looking froward to your training updates and to the Big Day!
That’s awesome! I’m the same way, running marathons helps give me an end goal and a reason to train. I hope your training goes well!
Glad to see you’re back in the game! Looking forward to seeing the “end of the race” pics in October!
Go Jen! My mom has been running half marathons for years and I definitely want to try to train for one. I recently pulled my IT Band though and my knee has been killing me so I haven’t run in so long and it’s killing me!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
I trained for a half marathon five years ago, and it was such an amazing and empowering experience. At the time, I was going through a lot personally and being able to get out of that and run with my training club was a great way to escape and take care of myself. I had never run more than 6 miles in my life, so by the time we got up to the 13 mile training run, I was so nervous but excited. It is still a moment that I am so proud of. I sometimes drive the road we did the run on, and I am amazed. I like to say to myself, “Still running, still running, still running,” as I drive for miles and miles. I remember being at mile 8 or 9 and feeling like I could just run forever. It was an incredible experience. My body was strong and I felt mentally and emotionally unstoppable. I don’t know if I will ever run that distance again, but I love knowing that my body and mind are capable of it!
I don’t love running but I love training as well. I’ve run one half marathon and one full. I love setting that goal that seems so far fetched and then accomplishing it. I also have been thinking of picking a race to train for to get my post baby (4 weeks) body back in shape. Is there a particular training you follow? I previously did 4 months to a 4 hour marathon but feel that with 2 children that may be difficult to follow this go around.
Good luck!
I used to run, not very fast, and completed 3 marathons, a two day relay, and dozens of other races in the span of two years. I was the fittest I’ve ever been, and then I met my now husband. I decided I would much rather hang out with him every second than run and stopped exercising completely (horrible, I know). Four years (and LOTS of pounds) have passed and we now have a beautiful baby girl, and I’ve decided it’s high time I start running again. I started again with the couch to 5k program two months ago, and it’s been hard, and I’m slower than I’ve ever been, like 14 1/2 minute miles slow, but. BUT! On Sunday, I not only ran the furthest I had gone in 4 years, but I did it without any walking breaks, which is HUGE for me. I haven’t done that since I trained for my first marathon and interpreted Jeff Galloway’s run/walk method to mean that I can take (LONG) walking breaks whenever I feel even the slightest twinge of discomfort. It has been really hard, but I’m really proud of my progress and I’m working hard to attain my goals, which include a balls to the wall 5k (can I even say that???) and a half marathon. Should be an interesting year!
Good luck with your training!!
I’m pretty new to running, but my first 5k is this Saturday. During the process of training for it, I realized that I set my goal too low. So, I’m now training for a half marathon this June. I still can’t quite wrap my brain around a full marathon just yet. 🙂
I have come to really love running! I have only done mud runs so far though. I’d like to do a half marathon at the end of the year and then a marathon next year though!
I’ve run several halves and completed my first full marathon last year. I think loving training and loving running are sort of two sides of the same coin. The more I train the more I love running, but I also feel like I loved running before I started training for races. But no matter where I fall on the love/hate spectrum on a given day, training is really, really helpful to stay disciplined and stick to running on a regular basis.
But mostly I was inspired to post (for the first time after following your blog for a few years) to say hurray for sports bras with cup sizes! I have worn under armour bras for several years and was shocked at how jiggly I have found some other cup sizeless bras to be recently. Thanks for the link to a new option!
I am planning on running this marathon as well! Doing it with a friend to keep motivated. Would love to see your training schedule for some guidance! Do you plan on doing a blog post about it?
I ran a 5K when there seemed to be a lot of odds against me. I got very sick when I was 28 (I am now 31). My babes were only 1 and 2 years old at the time. I found I had a debilitating autoimmune disease that would not allow my muscles to work properly (paralyzed at times) as well as a tumor the size of a baby in my chest. After tons of medication, tons of recovery time and tons of radiation, I started to get back to my old self. I started to feel stronger. At about the year and a half mark, I decided to start running (I have never been a runner prior to this point in my life). I started in august and ran my first 5k the following october. I proved to myself that I could do whatever I wanted to do. If I could run a 5k with a horrible disease that made my muscles stop working after 30 seconds of use (an hopped up on medications that impede your ability to run), I could do anything.
I ran my third marathon 7 months after having my daughter. I was bigger, slower, exhausted and in the most pain but I’m extremely proud of that one. Getting out for runs at night in the dark after my husband got home and/or after the baby went to bed was what made me feel like “me” after having a baby turned my life upside down. Running keeps me sane and happy.
I can’t run to save my life! I am an expert swimmer though so at least that’s something, ha! I really would like to give running a try but i just seem so un’co at it. Will persevere though, i have the feeling that there’s nothing as refreshing and stress relieving as pounding out your day with a good run.
**ps i had the most bizarre dream last night that we met while i was on holiday in hong kong, i was so excited and vividly remember taking a picture of the two of us to post on instagram… considering i live in australia i’m not thinking this was a vision of the future, more wishful thinking!
That’s really exciting – I’ve been contemplating the same marathon! Still undecided though, as it would be my first and I am going to be on vacation for a portion of Sept and would miss out on some training.
I wish you all the best!!
P.S. Any chance you could share your schedule with us?
I’m training for my first 5K right now, the ColorVibe 5K! I’ll be able to cross it off my 30 before 30 list!
I teach high school art (isn’t the ColorVibe just perfect?) and am also currently codirecting this year’s musical, so needless to say, I don’t have much time. But I have found some sort of zen in running. It’s the only time that I don’t think about…..anything. I just go.
I have to admit I’ve been following your blog for a few years, and I’ve always been really impressed by your dedication to running….so thanks for being one of the sources for my newfound goal!
I’ve only been running for about a year. I set a goal to run a 5K by my 30th birthday last year and proudly, I achieved it! I’m still at it and hope to run a 10K this year. My husband is an ultra-marathoner, so I understand what you mean about being OCD when it comes to training and race days. Electrolyte replacements, energy gels, solid fuel, sunscreen, vasoline, etc. It gets a little excessive. We make our list and check it twice…sometimes even three times.
Best of luck with your training!
i just started running last may and have done two 5k races and two 10k races. i am pregnant with my second baby due in sept so i have just been running for fun right now. one 5k in may and then after baby in sept i will start training for my very first half! i am so excited! running have the same effect on me, its personal and i feel like i need the discipline. thank you for posting about running too!!
you go, girl!!
i ran my first 5k a few months after having surgery to remove endometriosis. i’ve had two more surgeries since then, and run in three more road races. after the first surgery, i had to do something to prove to myself that my body was still a good, working thing. the feeling when i crossed the finish line cannot be compared 🙂
I was just wondering what kind of training schedule you are using. Could you maybe do a post about what your calendar looks like? I would love to take up running again, I just lack the motivation!! Good luck!
i know it’s silly, but i feel that running has changed me. after i had my second child i really took to running. i ran a half marathon seven months after he was born and was hooked. there is so much emotion and such a sense of satisfaction. numerous races later i still get that same satisfaction, mentally and physically.
thanks for the tip on the documentary! sounds like i need to watch it.
It’s so inspiring to read this post. I’m the exact same way – I don’t run for the love of it. I run because I like sticking to a training plan and aiming for personal records. I run half marathons though, not full! I stopped running when I found out I was pregnant because I was so tired and exhausted. Now I have 8 weeks left before my due date and I’m really looking forward to getting back into a running routine. This is my first and I’m nervous I won’t be able to find the time to run. I’m curious to hear how other Moms find time to train for big races like marathons.
I have an old entry about my struggle with running: http://lucyndiamonds.blogspot.com/2012/05/on-running.html
Good luck with your training!
I ran the 2006 Scotiabank half marathon as my first “major” race and a year later I did the full because I was totally hooked on the high of completing such a long-distance run. You did a good job of explaining the feelings behind running, as I usually sign up for these things with a friend who lives in Hamilton, and even though I’m up north, we’re still training at the same time and complaining to each other at every stage of the way! BUT, when you hear us talk together to other people about why we run, we get all giddy and sentimental about the races we’ve done because there is just nothing like it. Right now we’re signed up and have started training for the Beaches Jazz Tune Up 20K, in Toronto, which is actually a “training” run for the Scotiabank!
Oh, and the night before our second full marathon, in Calgary, we went out to the Stampede the night before. I DO NOT recommend doing that!!!
Yay for your Canadian roots! I’ll be there and rooting you on from afar (aka the 5K). Congrats in advance for wanting to cross another marathon finish line.
PS – last year it was damp and cold. Boo to late run dates.
I love this. I always have to be training for something too. I recently got injured (before a big race) and it’s been the hardest thing not being able to run and train. I’m excited to see your progress!
It might be the time of year in Southern Ontario that is making me feel like running, but it’s funny you should post this because I just committed to doing my first half marathon with two friends from work…okay this might seem crazy but we have promised each other we will run it sept/october 2014…it might seem like a little far off but I’m 6 months pregnant, so I figure I can start running again by September this year the latest and it gives me 1 year to go from NO running my entire pregnancy to half marathon. Good luck in october:)
I love running. Been doing races for 7 yes and even though I’m not fast I love the excitement. I did my 2nd marathon, 15th half and 8th 10k last year. So much fun. Races are great inspiration for me but what I really love is being outside & being so in tune with my body. I have very similar Nike tights as those as well. Nike has been upping their cute factor lately & luckily I live close to their outlets. Good luck!
Have you read Born to Run? I loved it – and I’m not even a runner. Good luck with your training 🙂
Well done – such a good goal. Just wondering if you were still nursing Finley and if so do you plan on following a particular diet to combine successful breast feeding and training? x
Good for you!! I’ve never done a full marathon before, only a half. I don’t know if I could do a full! More than anything it seems like a huge time commitment. But it does sound tempting.
I love hearing about your running. Maybe it’s because, like you, I run for training and not necessarily because I love it. I need a goal too. I keep trying to motivate myself to start training for another half marathon – maybe you will be the kick in the butt I need to get going!
You are so inspiring! I will be running my first half marathon in a few weeks and I am so nervous for it! I can’t even imagine running a marathon, but I’m hoping that running and training for races will be something I will continue to do to keep in shape.
I can cheer you on! With embarrassing signs!
Last year I trained for my first marathon and just five weeks before the BIG day, I actually had to have minor heart surgery. My doctor quickly cleared me to run, but I took two weeks off to listen to my body and heal. Well, they day came and I actually went into cardiac arrest around mile 14! When I finally came to, I was crying my eyes out not because of what happened, but because all that hard work was “for nothing.”
This Saturday I’m running my first 5k since that race day last May. I’m not looking to PR but celebrate the fact that I CAN run and will NEVER take my health for granted. Thinking about starting training again soon because I too need that structure in my workouts. I’m near you and if you ever need a running buddy, reach on out! Best of luck!
Hooray for coming to Toronto! All the best with this!
I’m the Hamilton friend that Carla mentions above! I think I can speak for us both when I say that we both totally understand what you’re saying about needing to sign up for a race for motivation. After a bit of a break, we’re both trying to get back into running again and therefore have signed up for a 20k this July! On Friday I went for my first run in months and I nearly threw up, so it’s going to be an uphill battle to say the least. Haha! Andit will all be worth it in the end, as you know. Good luck!
I’m a little behind on the comment here but just wanted to offer encouragement along with everyone else and say that the Scotiabank marathon has a special place in my heart because it was my first (and only, so far) half marathon and I ran it with my Dad. At the 6k mark I had to stop to pee and I told him then and there that I was expecting my second son .. Our times probably would have been a little better if we hadn’t had to stop for a hug! This year I am hoping to run it again with my Dad and with my 3 yr old and baby (he’ll be almost 18 months by then), cheering me on 🙂
See you there Jen! I plan to run the half that day, maybe we will see each other in the start gate 🙂 good luck with your training!