How to Run a Marathon (A Beginner's Guide)

I just finished my fourth marathon today.  No matter how many times I complete one of those, I don't think the feeling of crossing the line at the end will ever stop being exhilarating.  Today, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon started right outside the front door of our church.  Not many people can say that!  And, seeing a man running a full marathon while carrying a huge American flag over his head the whole time held even more significance than usual.  There are so many beautiful things about racing that you can't possibly explain to someone who looks you in the eye and asks why you're crazy enough to run 26 miles.

Although I'm no expert, I have learned a thing or two about how to do these things.  My friend recently asked me if I could talk about how a non-runner could run a marathon, so, as promised, I'm sharing the tips that have helped me most.

General Advice

-Not everyone can run a marathon.  I don't say this to toot my own horn.  However, some people are more prone to injuries than others.  I have been very blessed that this is not the case for me, but please hear me say that it is not worth doing permanent damage to your body for the sake of proving a point.  I do believe that, with proper training and mental fortitude, most people can run a half marathon.  But running 13 miles and running 26 miles are actually two very different things, and, speaking from personal experience, your body just starts breaking down after 20-22 miles.    

-Don't go into training for a race with the intention of losing weight.  Make sure that you are eating enough, or you will not have the strength to accomplish your goal.  Your body may become more toned through the training process, and your clothes may start to fit differently, but you should not be losing weight.

Training

-Find a friend or a running group to help you with your training.  Even if you and your buddy don't run the same pace, have at least one person with whom you can be accountable about your workouts.  Sometimes the hardest part of training is just getting out the door!

-Prior to beginning your training plan, you'll need to build a running base.  For a half marathon, you need to be able to run at least three miles without stopping.  For a full, you need to do six.  If you haven't run a day in your life, never fear!  There are many "Couch to 5K" training plans that can help you reach your base of three miles.  

-Use a good training plan.  Here's a hint: The training plan that you have created off the top of your head is not a good one.  My favorite one is Hal Higdon's Novice Training Program.  You'll need at least 12 weeks to complete your half marathon program and at least 18 to complete the full.  (That is assuming that you have already built up your base of three or six miles.)

-It is acceptable to occasionally skip a midweek training run, but DO NOT cheat on your long runs.     

-Get the proper running gear.  It may seem ridiculous to you to buy special clothing for running, but you will be glad that you did.  Go to a specialty running store to get fitted for shoes.  You'll also want to make sure that you have moisture-wicking socks, shirts, and shorts.  Cotton will give you blisters and will also overheat you more quickly than you can say "Jack Robinson."

-People often ask what they should eat and drink on long runs.  Unless the weather is exceptionally hot, I usually stick with water.  (On hot days, I'll have some Gatorade.)  My favorite "food" is GU Chomps.  You can buy them at Academy, Dick's, or any sports/running store.  GU will provide you with the caffeine and sugar that you need to keep going.  What do I do with my water and GU while I'm running, you ask?  I usually map out a loop of 4-5 miles and leave my water/GU at the starting point so that I can come back around to get it every 45 minutes or so.  It's okay to stop running for a few seconds to fuel up.  On race day, I put my GU in the pocket of my shorts, since water and Gatorade are both set out along the course already.

Race Day!

-Get a good night's sleep.  
-Don't obsess about the weather.  More likely than not, the weather will not be ideal for racing.  You can't do anything to change it, so don't trouble yourself with checking it every hour for a week before the race (like I do).  

-Plan to be at the race much earlier than you think is necessary.

-Ask people to come and cheer for you.  Adrenaline can carry you for miles!

-Dress appropriately.  My general rule of thumb is that you should be freezing at the starting line.  You will certainly warm up after you have run for a few miles.  

-Eat breakfast.  I normally don't drink caffeine, but long runs and race days are exceptions.  I have a cup of strong coffee and a PB&J.  I've also heard people say that things like Nutella toast and orange juice are good options.  Whatever you do, DON'T have a glass of milk or a cup of yogurt.  

-This seems obvious, but go to the bathroom before the race begins...even if you don't think that you should.  Running for 2-4 hours at a time can do crazy things to your body.  In the words of a friend, "You can't have a PR (personal record) without a PRP (pre-race poop).  Enough about that.  

-Don't do anything different during the race than what you have done during training.  There will be pit stops at least every two miles on the race course, but that doesn't mean that you should stop at every one.  If you have been getting water every 4-5 miles during your training runs, that is exactly what you should do on race day.

-Walk briskly through water stops but try not to walk otherwise.  Once you stop to walk, you may have a very hard time getting started again, if you're anything like me.      

-Slow and steady wins the race.  Seriously.  Don't try to be a hero and run faster than your body can handle.  After all, with thousands of other people racing, the goal isn't to win but just to cross the finish line.  

-Believe you can do it.  A great deal of success in running comes from training properly, but it takes more than good training to keep going once you have already run 10 or 20 miles.
-Celebrate your accomplishment!  Less than one percent of people in the world will ever run a marathon, and you just became one of them!  That deserves at least a big bowl of ice cream or something.  

Remember this:

"More powerful than the will to win is the courage to begin." 

-Unknown Author

Happy Running!

The good will win.

If you're reading this, you're probably old enough to remember exactly where you were when 9/11 happened.  Events of such significance, such tragedy, and such horror seem to impact you forever as that seemingly "normal" day that began just a few hours earlier suddenly turns black and the whole world starts spinning.

For the past ten years or so, I had not experienced such a striking moment as the one when I walked in late to eighth grade science class and saw the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.  And then those moments started happening practically faster than the news could keep up.

July 20, 2012.  

Aurora, Colorado.  Mass shooting in a movie theater.

December 14, 2012.

Twenty elementary students and six teachers die at Sandy Hook Elementary.

April 12, 2013.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell goes on trial for first degree mass murder of babies over the span of 30+ years in Pennsylvania.

April 15, 2013.

Boston Marathon is bombed, killing three and injuring many more.

"Why?" 

Aren't we all asking that question?  Why would someone choose to do such a thing?  Why would God allow that to happen?  Why those precious children?  Why couldn't someone stop it?  As much as I want to continue to have faith in humanity, events like the one on Monday are a vivid reminder that all is not right with the world.

I'm preparing to run my next marathon in less than two weeks, and I am a flood of emotions.  I'm heartbroken for the people who lost loved ones in Boston.  I'm angry about the pure evil and hatred that exist in our world.  I'm scared to run in my own race on April 28th.

One of the few things I have a sense of clarity about through Boston's tragedy is the following:

I cannot choose to live my life in fear.  

With these horrific events taking place all around us at such a rapid rate, it is a wonder that we choose to leave the safety of our own homes anymore.  But, what happened in Boston could have happened anywhere.  What took occurred in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, could have occurred at my school in Norman, Oklahoma.  Whether it's teaching or running a marathon, anything worth doing involves taking a risk.  I still get up in the mornings and go to work, though the possibility exists that someone might bring in a gun.  On April 28th, I'll run the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon to remember not only the people killed in the OKC Bombing in 1995, but also those who died in Boston this week, doing exactly the thing that I am setting out to do.  

And finally, I have to hold on to this hope:

One day the good will win.

Even in this sick world, there are glimmers of hope reminding us that evil will not triumph forever.  Amid the tragic events in Boston, some marathoners kept running after they crossed the finish line and went to the local hospital to donate blood for those suffering injuries.  A few small voices found the courage to testify against the unspeakable murders taking place at Dr. Gosnell's clinic.  One teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary chose to give her life to save her students.  

Today and every day, I am thankful that a brighter day is coming and that, in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien in his book, The Return of the King, "Everything sad will become untrue."  

May that day come quickly!

"'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'  And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new!'  Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"

-Revelation 21:3-5  

Mission Accomplished.

Normally, I am of the opinion that it is a little pretentious to blog about one's possessions or the amount of money in a person's bank account.  That said, I hope that this post doesn't come across as bragging because this is not a story about our hard work or savvy money-saving skills; it's really about the generosity of people and God's provisions to our little family.  

Somehow, we've come up with enough money to pay for this adoption.  

It's crazy to think that we began this journey just three months ago, and our needs have already been met far beyond what we ever could have imagined.  I can't even explain how it happened.  

The garage sale that we had this weekend was the perfect example of how everything has fallen into place so beautifully as we have been waiting for our baby.  It rained for two days straight this week, and the weather is looking uglier again today.  But for the two days of our garage sale, the sun came out, and we had a high of 75 degrees.  We sold 90 percent of our stuff on Friday, and Saturday was almost as successful.  This whole process has been that way.  Things that have been completely out of our control, like having great weather on the two days of our sale, have just happened.  No reasons, no explanations.  It's as if, in the midst of our doubt, God smiles down on us at exactly the right time and says, "You don't need to worry about this."

Do you ever hear those commercials for medications that explain all the benefits of taking a certain pill and then hurriedly rattle off 500 side effects, one of which is always death?  If you were to only listen to the side effects for those medications, you would never take the pills!  Adoption is sort of like that, too.  We knew how expensive this would be, and for awhile, that is the main thing we considered.  "This is impossible for people in our financial situation," we thought.  (Okay, Andrew didn't think that nearly as much as I did, but he isn't nearly as much of a control freak as me.)  Then our friend, Andy McDonald (who has adopted three children), told us that "if you wait until you have the money in front of you, you'll never do this thing."  In that moment, I knew that we just had to trust beyond what we could see and believe that, if adoption was the right thing for our family, we would be okay.  Clearly, adoption is the right thing for our family.  

You, friends and family, have been a huge part of all the good that has happened to us in the last three months.  You have wrapped your arms around us and shown us what it means to love and to give selflessly just for the sake of giving.  Thank you for joining us as this amazing story unfolds.

The thing I keep coming back to is the fact that we don't deserve this.  We're just two people who make a lot of mistakes and have a lot to learn.  But God "makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  Praise Him, for His grace rains down on even me.

Garage Sale Day

We might not get a white baby.

There, I said it.

People seem to have very roundabout ways of asking us the same question: "So, did you put any preferences on race?"  "Are you uh, adopting from another country?"  "Is there any kind of baby you wouldn't take?"

Or sometimes it's totally direct: "You're getting a white kid, right?"  Usually that question comes before anything else- before even questions about gender or age.  Nobody has been rude to us, and my feelings haven't been hurt at all.  I'm just not sure I understand the preoccupation with the color of our future child.

Truth be told, we didn't mark any race restrictions on our application.  We could get matched with a white baby, and we would gladly take one.  Chances are good that we might not, though.  We marked what we felt would be best for our family, understanding that what is a good fit for us is certainly not a good fit for anyone else, or vice versa.

I may end up having to learn a lot about another culture, or needing to ask for help on hair care (Lord help that child; I'm not even good with my own hair).  I'm just convinced that I'll have to learn a lot any way that this thing goes down, as every new parent does.

I think that what most people want more than anything else in this world is to be fully known and simultaneously fully loved.  No one wants to hear, "I love all of these things about you, but that one thing makes you less than desirable."  I'm glad that my parents didn't do that to me when I was born.  I'm thankful that my husband didn't do that to me when we got married.  And I'm forever indebted to my God, who didn't do that to me when He chose me before the foundations of the earth.

We get a lot of questions about the practical aspects of adoption, and I am glad to answer those.  But I don't talk often enough about the why's of adoption.  There are times when the process is lengthy and painfully frustrating, but at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that this is all a picture of the gospel.  Andrew and I are going to display a pretty terrible picture of it, but I hope that it is a picture nonetheless.  To us, this whole thing is about looking at a child and saying, "Of all of the children in the world, I want you, exactly as you are."  Like Christ did for us.  Even though we share his name ("Christian," which means, "Christ-like"), we are not like Him at all- and He welcomes us into his family anyway.

Who we were before

In the next few weeks or months, our lives are going to change...a lot.  Probably more than we even realize.  Among other things, we'll be getting less sleep, carrying a car seat around everywhere, and slowing down our crazy schedule.  But in the midst of this whirlwind of changes, I pray that we stay true to who we were before kids.  

I'm not meaning to be rude here, but you've all seen them- the moms (or sometimes even dads) who only ever post pictures or statuses about their kids on Facebook and Instagram.  Often, their children are genuinely cute or funny, but I still find myself wondering, "Who are they apart from their children?  Do they even know the answer to that question?"  Being a parent is unbelievably important and valuable.  I just hope that my role as a mom doesn't completely change my primary existence as a person.  

In the 2+ years that we have tried to start a family, I have had plenty of time to observe what other people are like as they start theirs.  Had I gotten pregnant right away, I probably would have been one of those moms who slowly and often unknowingly let her world revolve around her child.  Maybe I'll still be like that to some degree.  I do remember the recent pain, though, of reading a pregnancy announcement, seeing 1,200 ultrasound pictures, and then watching five billion shots of babies appear on my NewsFeed, often from the same few people.  I know that they only want to share their happiness with others, but these were and are the people who lead me to click the "unsubscribe" button because their lives have become their children.  

I had an amazing childhood.  Our home study case worker has asked us both so many questions about our lives growing up at home, and I can't help but reflect on how very blessed I was.  The reason?  I always knew that my parents loved me to the moon and back, but even more, they loved their Lord and they loved each other.  For a span of several years during my childhood, I would ask my parents who they loved more- me or the other parent.  If it was my mom, she would always say, "I love your Daddy the very most.  But you're not far behind."  My dad would give a similar answer.  I used to hate those answers because (surprise!) I wanted to be number one to everyone.  Looking back on all of that now, I wouldn't have had it any other way.  My parents were unbelievable parents because they never forgot their first love.  

Another thing that I appreciate about my parents is that their lives never stopped when they had my brother and me.  Their lives changed, yes, but they never stopped (and I wouldn't have wanted that).  If Mom and Dad were going to hang out with friends, by golly, Tim and I were going, too.  When we were babies/toddlers, Mom and Dad would bring the Pack N' Play and put us to bed at the friends' house.  As we got older, we brought bags of toys and books with us and learned how to entertain ourselves.  Never once did I think that my parents were being selfish.  Only lately, though, have I realized that they were being good.  Allowing us to be the center of their universe would have built up a sense of entitlement in us and set us up for failure in future relationships.  Loving God and each other first made my parents love us better.

At the end of the day, I want to remember that I am and always have been more than a mother, although that role cannot be understated.  The love that I already have for our child is overwhelming, and I can't wait to be Mary Rachel the Mom.  But for the rest of my life, I hope to also still be the Mary Rachel who I have been until now: the wife, the daughter, the sister, the runner, the friend, the teacher, the writer, and the girl who loves country music, sprint car races, and good books.  I hope that Andrew is still the husband, son, friend, brother, OU fan, hard worker, and lover of Raising Cane's, sports, and board games that he always has been.  And I pray that we are still that goofy couple who cries together, laughs together, prays together, and loves being together- in spite of not "having it all together."

      

Confessions of a Minimalist

Since Andrew and I are both planning to run the OKC Memorial Marathon at the end of April, we have recently begun training with a running club called the Landrunners.  On any given week, there are between 100 and 300 people who come out to run part of the marathon course together.  While I definitely appreciate the convenience of having water set out for us every few miles and the motivation of actually getting out of bed on a Sunday morning because so many other people are there doing the same thing, I have come to one big conclusion that applies to far more things than running:

People tend to live with far more than what is necessary, or take a good thing and get way out of control with it.

This morning, my personal running plan was to run 16 miles.  That's what my schedule said, and if you know me well at all, you know that I'm all about sticking to a schedule.  The Landrunners were doing 20 miles (which, by the way, is very ambitious at this point in the training schedule...and they are planning to do two more 20-milers in the next seven weeks).  I thought to myself, "I'll just turn around at some point to do my 16 miles and let everyone else do what they want to do."  The problem was that NO ONE turned around, and I would have been completely lost trying to figure out how to get back to the starting line.  So I ended up running 20 miles, fuming and miserable during the last four miles that I hadn't prepared to do.  When I got back in the car after the run, I looked at Andrew and asked him when we got so crazy.  Maybe I'm in for a huge surprise on race day, but I have run three marathons before, and this Landrunners schedule seems like overkill.  Yet, I felt compelled to do it because everyone else was.

Ugh.  The straight face says it all.

Another thing... I ran in my marathon finisher shirt today, not because I want to brag on myself for finishing, but because it is one of three long-sleeved running shirts that I own.  Shirt #2 is also a finisher shirt (both of which I got for free), and the third is a $6 Danskin shirt that I randomly found at Wal-Mart.  I also run with my iPhone 4 (so last season, I know) because I found a Nike+ running app that tracks my distance and pace. Aside from that, I throw on a pair of shoes, my one pair of leggings, and I'm good to go.  Simple works for me.  However, when I get around huge groups of runners, I am suddenly convinced that I need that fancy Brooks shirt, the earmuffs with headphones built in, or the $200 Garmin watch that does the exact same thing that my phone does.  Nobody is rude about their stuff, and no one gives me funny looks for my lack of running gear, but I somehow feel like I am not a serious runner because I'm not "keeping up with the Joneses" (sometimes literally in this case).

Oh boy, and now let's talk about babies.  There's a good thing that gets way out of control.  Babies R' Us would have you to believe that you need at least 786 items on a registry.  I might be in for a huge surprise on this one too, but the minimalist in me likes to think that a baby really only needs a few things.  After all, people have been having babies for thousands of years, and babies back then grew up just fine without Baby Einstein, boppies, and bumbos (or whatever you call them).  My mind keeps going back to the quote that Andrew's mom keeps out in their house:

"Happy people don't necessarily have everything, they just make the most of everything they have."

Confession:  I can be pretty prideful about living simply.  I don't like a lot of "stuff" because I feel like it clutters not only my house, but my mind.  That said, people need to do what works for them and I need to stop judging.  After all, I'm pretty sure my world is about to rocked when Baby Fenrick arrives and I suddenly realize that the bassinet or the special kind of thermometer weren't such bad ideas after all.  

Not lovely

(Please excuse the bad grammar.  I know I'm not supposed to say "they" when referring to one person; however, I'd like to keep this as anonymous as possible.)

In the history of great weeks at work, this one did not rank among the top, unfortunately.  I had meetings four out of five days after school and practically drowned in paperwork.  Then there was that dangerous blizzard on Monday afternoon that snowed all of us in with its four-foot drifts.  Oh wait.  That didn't happen.  I might add that we didn't even have one snowflake stick to the ground here in Norman.  Because everyone ended up having to come to school after the Great Snowpocalypse of 2013 had been forecasted, spirits were down among teachers and students (that's an understatement).  Probably the hardest thing, though, was when I spent over an hour in the hall with Student while they kicked, punched, banged on the walls, ran away, and screamed every hateful name in the book at me...all because Student's other teacher and I wouldn't let Student play video games at school.

As this was happening, my normally low blood pressure was through the roof, and I was fighting to hold back tears.  I felt so frustrated and defeated, and in the moment, it took everything in me not to give that child a piece of my mind.  Then the other teacher in the hall with me said, as calmly and genuinely as anything, "We love you, Student!"

That was the last thing on my mind.  I did not love Student just then.  In fact, I would have been so happy if Student had gotten suspended for their behavior.  I don't think Student could see my anger because I never raised my voice to them, but I was inwardly seething.

After taking the evening to detox and reflect on what happened, I came to a few conclusions:

1.  Every day is a new day and a chance to start over.  Thank goodness for that!

2.  Student's behavior is exactly how I act when I don't get my way.  Oh, I may not kick, scream, or punch people, but I'm also not five anymore.  Now that I am 24, I have learned more socially appropriate (but equally destructive) mechanisms of dealing with my anger and sense of entitlement.  I have my own ways of "throwing tantrums" at the people who stand in my way or at the God who actually knows what is best for me.  "You're not going to let me have things the way I want them?  Okay then, I'll just be manipulative and not talk to you until you change your mind."    

3.  Everyone deserves love, even (and especially) when they are not lovely.  What if we all only loved people when they were nice and appreciative?  Yikes.  I think about all of the times when I am not nice or appreciative (which is most of the time) and am so thankful for the grace that has been shown to me in my ugliness.  That kind of love is what can melt hearts of stone, and Andrew and I have been humbled by the amount of it that we have received lately.  Today, more than ever, I am grateful for the fact that real love isn't given based on whether or not I deserve it.