Training for the Portland Marathon - Week One

On Sunday, October 5, 2008, I will run in my first marathon! The Portland Marathon will be held in the Rose City, in lovely Portland, Oregon. This race is among the top marathons in the country. It is ranked as among the top 10 road race events in the United States and in the top 40 for distance of its type. It is also one of the top 3 marathons to do as a first marathon, ranked by Runner's World. The Portland Marathon is also known as the "best people's marathon in the West." If you are a woman, this marathon is especially for you! More than 58% of the finishers were female in 2007.

If you are not sure whether you can run an entire 26.2 miles, there is a walker's marathon offered, as well. It is the top ranked walker's marathon, and the course is open for a full 8 hours to allow for completion of the full distance.

The weather is temperate and perfect for running in Portland on this date. The average temperature is 55 degrees and the chances of rain are low. Plus, if you are not a local, Portland is a great city to visit - no sales tax, easy to get around on Max (light rail) and other mass transit, and loads of friendly people. If you are planning to attend the race, you should definitely get a hotel room booked now!

My sister just started running last fall, and she is hugely into the sport now. On the other hand, I've been running for about 20 years, ever since high school. But the longest race I've run was 7 miles. My sister ran a half-marathon in March this year. Thinking that there's no time like the present, we've decided to train "together," even though I live in Oregon and Jeanette lives in Seattle. We're following a training schedule from Runner's World (Marathon Training for Busy People), which promises to get us in shape for the 26.2 distance within 3-4 months.

Complicating our training schedules are the following: (1) work (I work full time, and Jeanette is a contract attorney with an unpredictable schedule); (2) kids (between the two of us, we have 6 kids ages 3-10); and (3) diabetes - I have Type 1 diabetes and am on an insulin pump. Other than that, we are relatively young (ages 36 and 39) and in pretty good shape.

Are you ready to train for a marathon? Want to see how others do it? Then read on. We'll open up our training logs so you can follow along.

Saturday 6/28 - I didn't get the memo from Jeanette that we were starting training this weekend. So, instead, I sat outside in the blazing heat for a pathetic $75 at a joint garage sale. I finally packed it in around 1:00 and got ready to attend my son's All-Star baseball game in Redmond.

Sunday 6/29 - Just about to get on the treadmill Sunday morning and my grandparents drive up! I dash to the bedroom and throw on some clothes to meet them downstairs. Another All-Star game afterwards. Temp: Upper 90s. Way too hot to run later in the day. *sigh*

Monday 6/30 - First day of official training (Monday). I ran on the treadmill in the a.m. Only ran 3.0 miles and then walked .75 (total of 3.75) I could definitely run longer if I wasn't so bored - but there is only so much of the Today Show I can watch. Plus, it gets hot in our den... even with windows open and the fan going.

Tuesday 7/1 - Treadmill again. I ran 3.0 miles and walked .75 again (total of 3.75). Since this is what I do most mornings, it doesn't feel like I have started "marathon training." I hope I don't forget how fast October will get here. Lazy, easy summer days.

Wednesday 7/2 - On the treadmill for the third day in a row. I ran 3.0 miles and only walked .5 miles (total of 3.5). Had to jump off early enough to get the kids to preschool in time for me to get to work. Its time to start thinking about changing my morning routine. Instead of playing on the computer from 6:30-7:15 and then getting on the treadmill, perhaps I just need to get my rear outside for an early run. At least that would be a great plan while summer is here: the days are long and temperatures warm.

Thursday 7/3 - Jeanette's Birthday!! Happy Birthday!! Don't drink too much. It sucks to run with a hangover (LOL). I missed a run in the morning because of an early morning meeting. Now it is hot during the day here. I ran outside after work for 4.5 miles in about 85 degree heat. I discovered that I have to work on re-setting my pedometer because the stride length is off. It definitely felt good to run outdoors. First time since my relay race in mid-June.

Friday 7/4 - Independence Day! I am feeling good, but tired this week. I was going to do a long run in the a.m., which would have been perfect due to the cloud cover, but we prepared to go to the Pet Parade instead. That meant that we had to leave around 9:15 to get to the "staging area." On the way home, I stopped by the Nike Outlet and got some new shoes. We'll see how they work out. Thinking about an iPod shuffle for the long runs. I'd better suit up soon. BBQ down at the end of the block at 6:00 tonight. The kids are so excited for fireworks, they can barely stand it.

OK - I did it. I ran for 1:40, only walking about 10 minutes total. Between 50-60 minutes into the run, it got rough (I was dizzy, due to low blood sugar), but I ate some sugar tabs and walked for 6 minutes after the 1 hour mark, and then did better the last stretch back home. The temperature was 76 degrees at 4:10 p.m. Blood sugar at 58 when I got home. Run was 9.0 right on the nose!

Stephanie's Grand Total Week One: 24.5 miles

Sunday 6/29 - At last! My first "official" day of training for the Portland Marathon (I don't know why Stephanie is surprised -- I've been pestering her to train with me for months)! I schedule my long runs for Sundays, and I'm sticking to my schedule (even though Seattle is predicting record-breaking temperatures today). I set off for a 13-mile run around Mercer Island around 10:00 a.m., a hilly, challenging course even on a cool day. Right from the beginning I can see I'm in trouble. I'm walking by mile 1.5 and I haven't even hit any hills yet. In addition to the heat, I didn't eat a good dinner last night and stayed up until 1:30 a.m. finishing a work project. Thankfully, my parents' house is along the course and I veer off and stop there for good. A disappointing 6.62 miles in 1:06:12.

Monday 6/30 - Mondays are my "off" days. Of course, I usually need the day to rest after my long runs (not so much today). But, I'm a stickler for the schedule, so I take the day off. The weather is still beautiful here, so the kids and I hit the pool and soak up the rays.

Tuesday 7/1 - As everyone who knows me can attest, I'm a night owl. One of my favorite things to do is run on the treadmill after the kids have gone to bed for the night. I squeeze in a 4.0 mile run in a zippy 34:00 minutes today. On the treadmill, I usually run .75 miles at 6.8 mph and then .25 miles at 8.0 mph and repeat that for the 4 mile run. For months my husband has been challenging me to run 4.0 miles in 32:00 minutes, but I just can't get my short legs moving that fast!!

Wednesday 7/2 - One of my favorite outdoor runs is from my house to the Starbucks at the South End of Mercer Island and back. It's relatively flat and a nice distance -- 4.5 miles. I run this today in just over 40 minutes. Once I get home, it's time to shower and pack...We're going to a little winery in Eastern Washington to celebrate my 36th birthday. WITH NO KIDS!!!

Thursday 7/3 - Happy Birthday to Me! Since it's (a) my birthday and (b) I'm in 95+ degree heat, I wisely decide to take the day off from running. My husband and I walk a leisurely 3.0 mile route past mobile homes, cows, and one dead snake. I got two new running outfits (YEAH!) and can't wait to try them out. But instead I sit by the pool.

Friday 7/4 - Happy Birthday to the USA! We arrived home in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day with the kids. They wanted to celebrate my birthday, so we had cake and singing and candles (of course). Fireworks followed in the front yard. After the kids went to bed, I hit the treadmill for a 4.0 mile run in 34:00 minutes.

Saturday 7/5 - A cloudy, cool day in Seattle meant that we could finally take the kids to see WALL-E. Two bags of popcorn, a large diet coke, and a bag of Sour Patch Kids later, we all left the theatre hailing the movie a grand success. After we got home I planned to go for a run. However, I'm in the middle of the book "Pillars of the Earth" and I literally CANNOT put it down. 9:00 turned into 10:00, which turned into 11:00. At least I put the book down at 12:30 and got a decent amount of sleep!

Jeanette's Week One Grand Total: 19.12 miles (Stephanie kicked my butt this week...I vow not to let it happen again!)

In summary, we're both right on track for the training, which calls for 3-4 runs of 30-45 minutes per week and one long run. Keep posted, as there will be additional hubs tracking our progress (as of the time of this publishing, we're well into week 2). More information about marathon training, gear and running in general will be included too. Happy trails!