Hopefully by this time next week...

...I will have run an actual marathon. Next Sunday I'm registered to run in the Portland Marathon. Running a 26.2 mile roadrace is one of those "life goals" that I've always had tucked away in the back of my head, but I've never been much of a runner. I would run to stay in shape and get a cardio workout in, but I've only run a few actual roadraces and I didn't ever run track or cross country in high school. But once I finished up the bar exam in July I figured that I had two free months (August and September) leading up to the Portland Marathon and I thought I'd give it a shot.

There has certainly been ups and downs with the training, but it was great to be living in Eugene and being able to take advantage of their great running paths and the entire "culture of running" that saturates that city. My training has taken a bit of a hit since moving to Seattle, as I've had a few nagging injuries and have been preoccupied with other minor responsibilities like setting up our house, but I think I'll be able to finish. I've decided to not have any finish time goal in mind before starting, but rather just try to enjoy the experience and finish while still being able to stand. I'm thankful that I've recruited a team of pace runners who have agreed to run a few miles with me along the course.

Some thoughts on training for a marathon:
-Although running is, by its nature, a solitary endeavor, I think training with a partner or in a group would make things alot easier. I've trained in complete isolation, but if I could've had my druthers I would've trained with someone. There's tremendous moral support to be gained just by running next to someone.

-Rest is just as important as pounding out miles upon miles. I don't have the ideal body type for running (long and lean), so my knees, calves, ankles, and feets all take a big beating when I'm out on the pavement for hours.

-Four pieces of equipment that have made this whole venture a lot more bearable:
1. Nike Haul Sunglasses - besides offering sun protection, keeps the bugs and wind out of my eyes. Sometimes they can get fogged up, which is annoying, but that's only usually when it is raining. They double as "earphone holders" to help keep the music going.
2. Ipod Shuffle - I've got a really diverse mix of music on there and I really notice a difference when I don't run with music.
3. Nike Sportsband - this thing is flat-out great. Nike just came out with it awhile ago and it syncs with a chip in my shoe and gives me a read-out of mileage, pace, chrono (stopwatch), and calories burned, which I don't really use. I bring it home after a run and plug it into my computer and it gives me a mile-by-mile breakdown of the run. It's been awesome.
4. Ultimate Direction belt - allows me to bring some water and energy gel on the longer runs - a necessity when your legs start to feel like they're made of concrete.