Week 3 - Recap

Miles: 31

This post is almost a week late, but I still think it's good for me mentally to take stock of each week and see where I am. Miles-wise, I stayed about the same this week. I had another race, which accounted for the lack of increase in miles. The one area that is increasing, though, is my long run. This week was 13 miles.

Physically, I'm still holding everything together with no major pain or aches that last longer than a day. I really hope this continues. Part of the reason for this may be that I waited until I had three solid years of running banked up before I started marathon training. Another reason is that my coach and I are really focusing on diet, hydration, and rest, rest, rest during my off days.

Mentally, I can feel myself getting stronger. The long run gets easier from a mental standpoint each week. The hardest part for me is still the turnaround, or the halfway point, and those last two or three miles when everything hurts and there's nothing you can really do about it. I think the heat training is also helping with my mental development because it's so oppressive and requires much more effort to stay focused and keep proper form. Come September (which will, hopefully, be cooler) my mental toughness will literally have been forged in the fire.

Another constant that has really been helping me through this journey has been the support of my friends. They are always sending me encouraging messages via text and Facebook. It doesn't sound like much, but that constant support is a huge motivator for me.