Rookie Ellane

Hey, everyone! It’s Ellane again, suffering through the trials of the first few weeks of marathon training. My Week 1 inner monologue goes something like this: Ok, this is not bad. Nooooo, I forgot my iPod, rookie mistake! Continuing on ... oh wait, what’s that, why do I feel one toe in particular – my first blister! I am not even done Week 1, seriously! OK, keep it up ... now why is it so hot in here, someone in this house “borrowed my fan” and now I might be melting. Note to self: No cotton T-shirts, tech tanks only. Last day of Week 1: Yay! I am sore but got to keep going, wish I slept better. Wow, Angela is fast.

Week 2 has begun, and I need new shoes. These will have to do for a couple weeks, as I live in Vermont and my shoes had to be ordered. Did you know that there are more people at the gym I go to, than I have seen in like months out in public? It’s definitely a new year. Ah ha, there’s a treadmill – you’re mine! I wave to Sarah down the long line of treadmills in the mirror. She doesn’t see me, so I keep on running, and happy to see the treadmill next to me is open. Sarah rolls up and grabs it. “I didn’t see you,” she says. “I saw a bunch of hair flying around and thought, very few people have that much hair, that’s Ellane.”

Marathon training at home tonight. My treadmill has a new name: the TOD (treadmill of death), because I think it is trying to kill me. You have one job, TOD, one job! Visited another treadmill tonight, and it was much better to me than you, TOD. It’s long run day, and I’m still waiting for my shoe order to arrive. My old shoes aren’t cutting it, but I keep going.

You ever think about when the treadmill forces cool down, and you are like nope, I am not done? Now it’s time for some math: So remember you did 3.75 miles here and 5.25 miles there, 9 miles total, so if you keep this pace you would finish 26.2 miles in this much time. All the numbers in the world are going through my head. Then I have to stop and remind myself: Your primary goal is to finish this race, which is amazing in itself!

Here’s Kimber!

My first week was brutal. Mostly due to the inclines in my area, and I am heavier than I would like to be. I rolled my ankle on one of my runs, but I was able to finish. I’ve had to take walking breaks because I am so unconditioned. Weather has affected my marathon training, and I have a hard time on the treadmill because it doesn’t really force me to move my body, but rather to keep up with a machine moving my body.

Week two started rough. I wound up on a treadmill that was malfunctioning and it took the wind out of my sail. I’m quickly reminded of the challenges with my gear and taking care of my feet, as I have trained in the past but it seems I had forgotten a lot of these essentials. Everything from shoe inserts to specific sport bras and socks. Cold weather and hills have been unforgiving. I’ve had to travel for work this week and it has thrown off my marathon training schedule, but I’m trying to make up the mileage in hotel fitness rooms. I'm still nursing the swelling of last week’s rolled ankle. These last two weeks have renewed my passion in a sport that I love very much. In the process, I have been able to strengthen a bond with family members across the country. Today it is raining outside, so I will again attempt a long run on the hotel treadmill. I remain optimistic for the upcoming week.

Your thoughts Chantel?

Week two was an improvement even though my legs felt heavier it appeared that my mile time got shorter. I’m not as exhausted after my runs as I was the first week -- I think my body is out of the initial shock. I have days where I’m only in the first mile and I’m thinking to myself, “how the heck am I going to make it 26 miles”. I just have to block that out of my head and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

What’s Angela thinking....

Welp um -- I guess it’s been good. It could be better since I’m slightly slacking. Since I haven’t completely ran everyday the workout doesn’t seem bad so far, even though I haven’t done all the mileage. I think it’s going well. I am running more than I was and will continue on working harder at consistency.

Until next time #familyfun