I’m trying to PR at this year’s Marine Corps Marathon, but here’s the thing: I’m not that good of a runner. I’m worried that I won’t even make it to the starting line. I’ve trained for four races now, and I have a 50 percent success rate when it comes to finishing.
My first marathon was in October 2012, in Hartford. I’d only begun running the year before—after running 13.1 miles for the first time ever that spring, I felt confident enough to sign up. I completed it and celebrated by getting myself a subscription to Runner’s World and a proper pair of shoes—I’d been running, up until then, in discount sneakers.
The success of that first race made me cocky, and when I started training for my second, the following year, I didn’t take it as seriously, even skipping a couple long runs when scheduling them got difficult. And then one day, lifting my 3-year-old daughter, I felt a twinge in my left knee. The next day I had to end my long run early, because it hurt so badly.
I limped—sometimes literally—through the last few weeks of training. I showed up for the start of the Pensacola Marathon in 2013, but halfway through the race that knee—and some awful leg cramps—took me out. I didn’t finish.
In 2014 I tried again, this time registering for the Maine Marathon in Portland. I took the training more seriously—I followed the plan more closely, and even wore a knee brace on occasion just to be safe. I managed to avoid injury, and set a new PR.
I was pretty sure I had this whole thing down, but last year, after registering for the local Via Marathon, I only made it about halfway through the training before a whole host of issues—including knee problems again—kept me from even making it to the starting line.
Health & Injuries?
She Raced 18 Horses in an Ultramarathonand Won, I love running. It calms me down, and gives me a sense of balance and daily accomplishment. I want to be running for the rest of my life. I feel lucky to be working here, and surrounded by some of the best in running experience and advice there is. But I’m in week three of my training, and I’ve already experienced a couple issues—some ankle pain and shin splints forced me to slow down considerably on Sunday, and I’m taking this next week easy, doing more cross training.
But I’m seeking advice from But Im seeking advice from and I’m not trying to solve these problems on my own, which I might have done in the past. I feel like I’m better equipped this season to not only make it to the start line, but to break 3:15 (my current PR is 3:35, so I’ve got some work to do).
I turn 40 next June, which is when a sub-3:15 becomes the qualifying standard for Boston, so I’m hoping this might even get me to my BQ.
That is, if I don’t fall apart. I’ll keep you updated.
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A Part of Hearst Digital Media Runner’s World VIP, which he fully expects to actually complete at the end of October.
