This week officially kicks off Fargo Marathon training! Over the next four months, I’ll be following a training schedule to help me prepare to run 26.2 miles. My dad wrote up the training plan for me, and while I was definitely excited to run a marathon six months ago when I signed up, now I’m seeing the schedule in front of me and it’s becoming a lot more real! I’ll be putting in some tough workouts over the next few months to prepare for the race, and I’m not going to lie, it’s a little scary!

I am super glad that I bumped up my running routine to four days a week over the last couple of months, because now I’m going to be running five days a week every week. I’m not sure I would have been able to start my training off very well if I hadn’t started putting in the miles when I did! It does make me a little nervous thinking about putting this much run time in, because even before the last half, I was having some issues with my ankles and my calves. Although my legs feel pretty good now, who knows how they’re going to feel a few weeks into training?? But, I’m hoping my legs will continue to feel good for a while and continue to get stronger and stronger as we go.

Not only will I be running a lot more frequently, but I’ll be running a lot farther too. Even some of my runs during the middle of the week will be 8-9 miles long. And once we start getting into the 13+ mile runs on the weekends is when it’s really going to be tough! I’ve never run anything farther than a half marathon – 13.1 miles – and now I will be doing training runs longer than that. That’s what’s scaring me the most! Will I be disciplined enough to get myself out and do it? Will my legs be able to handle running that far? Each week I just keep adding one more mile than I did the last week, so what if I struggle during a 14 mile run and then psyche myself out for the 15 mile run: “If I couldn’t do 14, what makes me think I can do that all again, plus one more?” I’m pretty good about getting in my own head – ask Dan! lol – but training for this marathon is going to test that. I will not only be getting myself in physical shape for the race, but mental shape as well.

I will need to constantly tell myself that I can do this and that I can get through all these training runs. I want to do a marathon, and in order to do it, I have to prepare. I can’t wake up one morning and decide to run a marathon – maybe some people can, but not me! It’s scary, but that’s what makes it worth doing. I was scared before my first half marathon too, but now I’ve run five halves, and I’ll be running my sixth one this weekend. It gets easier! But then why stop there? Why not keep pushing yourself to see what you’re capable of? Maybe someday I’ll have six full marathons under my belt and want to do the next big crazy thing, who knows! I think it’ll be a loooooong time before that ever happens, but it’s good to have goals, right?

Anyway, even though it’s going to be tough, I’m excited to dive headfirst into marathon training, and in a few short months, I’ll be a marathoner! Can’t wait to keep y’all updated on the journey.

I also just want to give a quick update on my book journey as well. I’ve finished my final read-through and am happy with the story, and I’ve begun formatting. I’ve got the inside of the book all done, but still working on the cover. When my cover was designed so many months ago, my book was much shorter and I’ve had to readjust the spine width. I also want to add one more thing to the cover. I can’t do either of these myself, so my cover designer said he’d take care of it for me. Unfortunately, he’s been out of the office all week and won’t get to it until next week. It’s just a waiting game for now! Hope to have more news soon.

Until next time! 🙂

Megan Reiffenberger