She's back!  We've got the update from Becca's marathon training over the past month.  Enjoy!

-Sarah

So here we are folks, just about halfway through marathon training and as I write this 80 days from the marathon. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I'm excited too, but definitely nervous. The time just seems to be flying by and I feel woefully unprepared. I've missed miles, I'm far from where I want to be me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just quit trying and not do it. I have a goal, and no matter the time it takes, I'm going to crush that goal.

A couple questions came my way that I thought were good points of discussion; how do I keep myself motivated, what do I think about before going on a run, and why train on my own?

So why train on my own?  Well it wasn't really a thought, I prefer running on my own mostly anyway so I didn't even consider anything else as an option. I like to use my running as time to think, or time to clear my head if I'm thinking too much. And considering the amount of time I'll be spending in my brain during the marathon, I'd better be ready for it so why not train for it as part of my training?

What do I think about before going on a run? That definitely depends on the run. If it's a shorter run it's not a lot, mostly the plan for the run then talking myself into getting out the door.  But if it's a long run I'm usually running down a checklist of all the things I may need while out on the run, making extra sure I've got fluids planned in or maybe a place to stop on the route.  I plan out a route EVERY. TIME. Partially because I like to make sure I'm getting the right mileage in, and because I like to try to plan fun places  like parks or local landmarks along the route.

How do I keep myself motivated?  I don't. Motivation is like the tides. It comes and it goes.  And it can come in as quickly as it can disappear. Frankly I'd say the first half of my training I've been battling majorly with motivation. You have to just address it daily as it comes and goes. Discipline in the end is what will get you through, not always motivation. I do however have a few people I follow on social media that inspire me to be better, which in turn helps with motivation. That can be important, make sure the people you follow on social media are motivating to you. 

How about you? Do you find it easy to just fall into a training rhythm? Or do you struggle with staying on task and staying motivated to get all the workouts in? Let me know how you're training is going. Let's finish out the summer strong!