Training to Train

Training for any upcoming race is one of my favorite parts of my running experience. Sure, I have now become in my mind an “actual” runner meaning that I will go out for a run even when I’m not in training, but just for the love of running, keeping up my fitness, to work off that extra Oreo, etc. But as I may have mentioned once (or a thousand times), I am a goal oriented person, so one of the first things I do after signing up for a half, or full, marathon is grab my handy paper agenda (yes I still use one, I just got a gorg Lilly Pulitzer one that starts in August) and starting with race week, work my way backwards filling in my training schedule a la Hal Higdon (at least mileage wise).

This fall I am running the Philadelphia Marathon (and the Rock n Roll Brooklyn Half which coincidentally is the weekend my training plan calls for a 13 mile long run, talk about timing!) and my 18 week training plan starts the week of July 20th. Now I have been running about 3 times per week, and recently upped my “fun run” mileage, and the times I run more than 3 miles in my week. I have also been having a gel before my morning run if it’s going to be 5 miles (or more, like today I planned to run 5 miles, but ran a different route and miscalculated, so rather than run 5.5 I ran 6 because I like symmetry and that half mile would have bothered me). Then yesterday I went to Target to start stocking up on my distance running drink of choice (G2 low cal in Fruit Punch), not knowing there was a sale on it, and of course that was the only flavor where there wasn’t any size left, only the regular fruit punch was in stock. I had a few in my house so today I made up a bottle (I fill about 1/3 G2 to 2/3 water). I’ve also been listening to an older running mix on my Spotify so that next week I can make my training mix.

As I was thinking about it today, I realized this was all part of my training to train. I want to be ready, have things in place, see what still works, and what doesn’t before I embark again on this wonderful 18 week adventure. I’m pumped! I can’t wait! And like my previous two marathons, I will be chronicling my training with a run photo a day, and this time lots of blog posts too. You can track my adventure socially with #tamsphillytraining, and of course follow along on Instagram.

So tell me, do you train to train. And also I need some new tunes for my training mix – what do you have for me?!