Burning my boats

Prompted by Wednesday's No Meat Athlete post, I decided to share my up-'til-now secret contemplation: I'm considering running a full marathon.

Yikes. There, I said it.

I NEVER thought I would even entertain the thought. But then again, that's what I said about half marathons. In fact, I distinctly remember having that conversation at the beach house with Sarah V.

Here's some of what's floating around in my head:

I feel like I've become a real runner. I set big goals and stick with training plans to get stronger and faster. I've been running since 2006 and have finished 41 races of various lengths, including four half marathons. That seems like a solid base.

 

I love to race, and having a goal keeps me focused and motivated. I am enthralled by the idea of the challenge.

My negative self talk is improving, and I'm able to keep positive and (mostly) enjoy running and pushing myself.

To be perfectly honest, I'm a bit jealous that Brad's done one and I haven't. Many people believe that all runners should do at least one marathon in their lives, and I'm starting to feel that pull. I want to add it to my list of life accomplishments.

And I think I just might be able to pull it off, with the proper plan and training. Maybe.

BUT...

I saw how much energy went into Brad's training. I know it's a huge time commitment that I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle. We missed out on a lot of summer experiences because we made the choice to put marathon training first.

I don't know if my body and mind can handle it. I want to succeed. I don't like taking on things that I'm not sure I can finish. That's always been my thing: If I can't do it right, I don't want to try. Why set myself up for failure? 

SO... here's my plan: 

I'm already planning to run February's hilly Heart Breaker Half. Training starts right after Thanksgiving with (probably) five runs each week, including speedwork.

I will throw in a couple longer runs, maybe a couple 15s, just to test out the higher mileage. I want to see how it feels physically and mentally. If I want to jump off a bridge during and after, maybe 26.2 isn't for me. If it feels OK, maybe I'll take the plunge.

The current thought is the Eugene Marathon in late April. It's fast and flat and supposedly a really great race.

While I'd love to run Portland like Brad did, Eugene would mean that I could simply continue from my half training. It would also mean that we would be able to do other things this summer besides just running.

My biggest consideration is that if I run a marathon, I want it to be a positive experience. I know it will be grueling on my body and mind, but I also want to enjoy the race. No regrets. I would definitely not set a big time goal, and I would plan to allow as many walk breaks as needed. I'd take a more casual approach.

Our other contemplation is whether Brad would train and run with me or whether he'd train for himself and try to PR. Big decisions ;)

Eugene has a price jump at New Year's, so I'm hoping to come to a decision by then. We'll see.

And now the secret's out. If I want to take the island, I have to burn my boats :)