Marathon Training and Childbirth

Training for a marathon is a lot like childbirth. No, really, it is.

Pre-Planning...You toy with the idea for months. Should I pull the trigger and sign up? Gosh it's a time commitment, but the rewards are great. What an opportunity. Ok. I'm gonna do it.

Training/Pregnancy...When it starts, you are so excited. You stick to each and every day. You revel in a schedule. But after some time, you get tired. This is a lot of work. There are days when you wish you could just "do what you want to do". You push your body and ask so much of it. Tiredness sets in.

Race/Birth...It hurts. You give it your all. But when you cross that finish line...man was it worth it!

This training cycle has been quite the roller coaster ride. When I signed up for Eugene, it was for a couple of reasons. First, I was ready to have a schedule in front of me again...something to work towards. And second, after reading all of these blogs, I really felt like I was in the prime shape of my life. My pace had increased. I thought that if I put for the effort in my speedwork, I could actually qualify for Boston.

I do love following a schedule but after a while, it does get "daunting" because there are so many other schedules in this house that need to be followed too. And while I didn't think it would be difficult to balance Michael's odd work hours with my runs, it has been a bit of a stretch. One that I won't be putting us through again any time soon. Mother Nature has been EVIL! :) Cold and windy!

Now, I'm to the end of this training schedule and I'm just ready to RUN!