Sixteen weeks. One-hundred twelve days. Sounds like a long time. And it is! Sixteen weeks from today is Monday, April 17th. Not a day that stands out to most people, but to me it’s the best day other than Christmas. It’s the day of the Boston Marathon. For those that don’t follow running or marathons, it is the ultimate goal for the serious marathoner. You can’t just sign up for this one. You have to qualify for Boston by running a marathon beforehand in a certain time.
Today marks the official start of my training for the Boston Marathon. From last May when I qualified at the Pocono Marathon until today, running for me was optional. I run because I love it, but if I woke up and didn’t feel like running, I could skip a workout and not feel guilty about it. I don’t worry about how many miles I’ve run or will be running. But as of today, running is more like a job. Runs and workouts are not optional. Even if i don’t feel like it, I have to run.
Now I don’t want anybody feeling sorry for me. I’m choosing to do this. You see, running in the Boston Marathon is like participating in the Super Bowl for runners. And to get to this place seemed almost unimaginable to me. I was an average athlete. I made the travel teams and all-star teams, but I was usually the last one to make it, and it was almost always because of my last name. My mom and dad were involved in all of the leagues so I guess they had to include me. In high school, I was varsity in soccer and wrestling, but never won any awards or made any teams. So now that I have earned this opportunity to participate in this event, I will not waste it.
This will be my fourth time running in Boston, and each training season I learn a little more. Last winter I think that I finally found the routine that is perfect for me. I don’t have a specific plan that I follow, it’s more of a blending of lots of plans with the guidance of a few friends. Six days a week, with Fridays off, for the next 13 weeks until the taper comes. But the biggest difference that I found last year was what I was doing besides running – I was actually taking care of myself. Sleeping better, eating better, and of course, implementing doTERRA products into my daily routine. Even with a huge increase in the amount of miles that I ran, for the first time in 6 marathon training cycles I didn’t miss a workout due to illness or injury.
So here we are, 16 weeks until I race again. My favorite 16 weeks of the year.
Please check back here or on our Facebook page for updates on my training.
