week 1

my marathon training officially began on monday.

i'm training with the chicago world vision running group. our first group run was saturday, where we ran 3 miles to see what our marathon pace would be. it looks like my pace was a 9-10 minute mile, which means i'll run the marathon at 11-12 minutes per mile, which means i should be able to run the whole thing in about 5 hours.

my goal though, is to get myself across the finish line.

it really helps to have a running group. showing up early on saturday morning wasn't easy, but once i got there i felt pumped and more motivated than when i run alone. i can already tell that it will be a bonding experience for everyone.

also, i learned a lesson. go pee before you run. i started the run and realized i had to use the restroom but there weren't any along the lake path. so i tried to hold it. but by mile 2 my bladder was in major pain and i thought i was going to have to just pee in public. luckily, there was a restaurant nearby so everyone didn't have to see my naked butt.

this is my training schedule. i'm using mapmyrun to map out my running paths since i don't have an iphone or a gps watch. here's the map of the most recent run i did. as you can see, i'm very blessed to be able to run through lots of greenery and the lake.

i've been running with a cotton tank and long pants, but with the weather warming up it's been hot. so this week i got some shorts, and a moisture wicking tank and long sleeve (go to nordstrom rack for good deals! i got all nike stuff for like half off).

i also got a little pouch that you can strap to your shoe. i usually put my key and fob in my bra (sorry, tmi for the men), but for the group runs i will need to also carry my cta pass, pocket money and id, so i got that for $6 at fleet feet. i had been fitted for a good pair of shoes and moisture wicking socks a few months ago so that is set.

lastly, i want to get a watch. when i run alone i have no idea how fast i'm going or how long i'm taking. the watch will help with that.

i'm trying not to buy a bunch of stuff for the marathon but just the essentials (although it doesn't looks like it from this post).

i need to cross train with some strength and core training. i'm still trying to figure out how i will do that!

for you veteran marathoners or runners in general, send me tips if you have any!

this week's runs:
mon: 3 mi [done]
tue: 3 mi [done]
thu: 3 mi [done]
sat: 5 mi [done]

wish me luck!