Dallas Half Marathon

When my friend Erin asked me this summer to train for the Dallas Half Marathon with her, I was very hesitant.  I have tried to train for a long running race several times in the past, only to be sidelined halfway through due to various injuries.  Having dealt with a back injury since college, I just figured that my body wasn't able to handle such an intense training regimen.  But I agreed, mainly because she told me I could back out at any time.

only three miles

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably remember this post when I decided to train for a marathon.  You may also remember this one, when I hurt my left calf and had to rest.  Then I was dealt a pretty severe knee injury that left me unable to walk down the stairs without pain.  It was pretty bad.  So my marathon training went on temporary hiatus.


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running recap: week 5

This post is part of an ongoing series to recap my runs as I train for a marathon - you can read more about that here! 

Well, Week 5 didn't quite go as planned.  After my long run from Week 4, I started to really struggle with pain in my left calf muscle.  I tried to push through it for two days, which was not a good idea.  After being unable to walk down the stairs without significant pain, I decided it was time to give my legs (well, really just my left leg) a break.  I'm pretty sure it's my soleus muscle that's causing the problem. 

running recap: week 4

This post is part of an ongoing series to recap my runs as I train for a marathon - you can read more about that here! 

If there is one word to describe Week 4, it is this: asthma.  Also known as my worst running enemy.  My seasonal allergies have kicked in the past couple of weeks, but this week in particular I started noticing shortness of breath in the smallest things.  I grew up with exercise-induced asthma, so this was no surprise but it amazed me how difficult it was to breathe during my runs this week.  So I slowed the pace down a little a lot, and focused more on just getting the miles in instead of how fast I was running.  That helped immensely. 

running recap: week 3

This post is part of an ongoing series to recap my runs as I train for a marathon - you can read more about that here! 

running recap: week 2

This post is part of an ongoing series to recap my runs as I train for a marathon - you can read more about that here! 

running recap: week 1

This past winter was a tough one for me.  I battled sinusitis/bronchitis through the majority of February and March, and have really struggled since then to get my body back into decent shape.  Now that it is warmer outside, I'm finding myself pulled more and more to pick up long-distance running again.  There's something so therapeutic about running to me, and I've missed it.

So I decided last week that I am going to train for a marathon.  I tried this once before - right after I got married - and had to stop due to injury (among other things, including the craziness of newlywed life!).   I have always wanted to run one, but life just seems to keep getting in the way.  But this time, I plan to train smarter, be better at setting aside time to myself for training and better prioritizing my mental and physical health.