Seattle Marathon
So in my (losing) effort to lose weight, I signed up for the Seattle Marathon. It’s in November so I have plenty of time to train. For me, training means building up my stamina and speed. I’m only walking the marathon, so it’s not really a question of, “Can I finish?” It’s really more a question of, “Can I finish in the time allotted?” I have 7 hours. I do about a 20 minute mile (I’m a slow-walker). At my current rate, it would take me over 8.5 hours to finish. I need to do a 16 minute mile in order to avoid getting swept*.
I’ve started my training. With my work schedule right now, it’s difficult to get any walking in. I’m hoping after my 2nd job lightens up in April, I’ll be walking every Saturday and Sunday with a few weekdays thrown in there.
Right now, I’m just doing one lap around Greenlake (2.8 miles). Hopefully, in a month or so, I will regularly start doing 2 laps. Eventually, I would like to do 3 and/or 4 laps interspersed with 1-to-2 lap “sprints”. My sprints will basically be me walking as fast as I can in an effort to improve my time. Hopefully, my sprints will carry over to my longer workout days. I might even throw in a 5 or 6 lap day, just to see how I hold up. Because this race is an AIMS event, I can’t use headphones. Since I talk to myself all day anyway, this shouldn’t pose a problem.
A friend’s father (who has run a marathon) let me know that I absolutely needed good shoes. He also suggested having a couple of friends wait at specific mile markers in case I needed an additional jacket to guard against cold – or to give them layers of clothing in case I was too hot. My roommate told me that she’d be honored to hold a jacket for me if I was going to do a marathon. I told her that the only thing I really wanted was a ride to and from the site. I don’t think anyone else should suffer because I’m nuts.
*At the end of a race, officials will send a vehicle down the course to clear everyone at a certain time.
I’ve started my training. With my work schedule right now, it’s difficult to get any walking in. I’m hoping after my 2nd job lightens up in April, I’ll be walking every Saturday and Sunday with a few weekdays thrown in there.
Right now, I’m just doing one lap around Greenlake (2.8 miles). Hopefully, in a month or so, I will regularly start doing 2 laps. Eventually, I would like to do 3 and/or 4 laps interspersed with 1-to-2 lap “sprints”. My sprints will basically be me walking as fast as I can in an effort to improve my time. Hopefully, my sprints will carry over to my longer workout days. I might even throw in a 5 or 6 lap day, just to see how I hold up. Because this race is an AIMS event, I can’t use headphones. Since I talk to myself all day anyway, this shouldn’t pose a problem.
A friend’s father (who has run a marathon) let me know that I absolutely needed good shoes. He also suggested having a couple of friends wait at specific mile markers in case I needed an additional jacket to guard against cold – or to give them layers of clothing in case I was too hot. My roommate told me that she’d be honored to hold a jacket for me if I was going to do a marathon. I told her that the only thing I really wanted was a ride to and from the site. I don’t think anyone else should suffer because I’m nuts.
*At the end of a race, officials will send a vehicle down the course to clear everyone at a certain time.
posted by Susan at 4:21 PM
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