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Pre race and pre long run fueling guide
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A journey to 26.2 will unleash your potential. REACH FOR MORE. Step outside of your comfort zone and become the greatest version of you. Discover grit and potential you never knew existed.
If you want to train for a marathon, we are here to be your support system.
But my first marathon felt like a dream. I was newly diagnosed with asthma and it was always my dream to run a marathon! And so, I started tearing up at mile 2 because I was actually doing it! And then as each mile passed, I felt more confident in my abilities until we hit mile 20 and it was nothing but forest with no crowd support. I wish I knew how vital crowd support was and how to be my own cheerleader. Then once I was out at mile 24, I felt like I could conquer and do anything. The last hill at mile 26 made me extremely angry, but I just wanted to be done. And once I finished, tears streamed down my face. A marathon is a dream come true no matter how many times you run one. It changes you; it allows you to dig deep and see the most gritty, raw, vulnerable parts of yourself. I always have to remind myself: “I deserve a seat at the table,” not only because I was considered a “slow runner,” but also because of my disabilities of being autistic with non epileptic seizures, asthma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
I wish I knew that running helped me soar; that it helps me become the best version of myself. That it has transformed me inside and out. That running as a whole gives me confidence. I also wish I knew that the only competition is yourself: how are you showing up today to be the best you tomorrow and for years to come. Breaking down life day by day and hour by hour if necessary. And running helps you practice those skills; breaking down each mile and focusing only on that.
I wish I knew that skills from running can be applied to my everyday life: that grit, determination, dedication, and consistency can propel you no matter what facet of life you’re focusing on.
I wish I knew how much this sport would honestly save my life. There have been times where I’ve questioned my humanity, my purpose, do I deserve to be here; running filled my cup. It allowed me to see my power, my strength, my drive. And if it weren’t for running consistently, I would not have gotten my autism diagnosis and discovered all of the parts I never understood about myself. I wish I knew how whole running makes me feel. I was so naive when I ran my first and I thought it would be my last. Now, I’m seven marathons in, and I’m not stopping. I’m chasing that unicorn, and no one is going to stop me!
-Ashley
The journey to running my first 26.2 was anything but typical. I started working with Coach Ben Jacobs at Run4prs in July 2019 after signing up for Sprouts Mesa Marathon, which was taking place in Feb. 2020. I was in my mid-forties and had only been running for a year at this point! 15-20 miles a week. I’d run several 5ks, a few 10ks and a few half marathons by then, but I was terrified that I’d never be able to finish 26.2 before the course cut off time. Coach Ben said we’d need to build a base before we started marathon specific training, so that’s what we did. My mileage increased and so did my confidence. Once marathon training started, I began to be cautiously optimistic. Then I began to realize I could run long and strong, but not fast. So I started to dread fartleks and hills and tempo runs because I felt I couldn’t do them fast enough. I remember one day in particular where the paces seemed so daunting and I just wasn’t feeling it. I couldn’t even get up the gumption to start the workout. I emailed Coach Ben & he said to just go and do the very best I could because that’s all he expected me to do. So I hopped on the treadmill & gave it all I had. I don’t think I hit all the paces, but I was so proud of myself afterwards! When I felt like I couldn’t keep going, I’d tell myself, “This is easy. One foot in front of the other. You can do this.” It helped. I just took it one run at a time. There were days during that first training cycle when I didn’t feel like getting out of bed early. Or it was raining. Or I felt exhausted. But I learned that if I ran I never regretted it. As the months went on and the runs got longer, I started to feel unstoppable. Every run made me better in some way. Especially the awful runs. I began to realize that running is a mental sport. That I needed to get my head in the game & become mentally tough. My longest run ended up being 16 miles and runner friends ( and even non-runner friends!) questioned my ability to run a marathon without a single 20 mile run. I decided to trust Coach Ben and turn a deaf ear to those naysayers. I was determined to prove them wrong...and to take pictures while doing it! I remember emailing Coach a pic I took during my shakeout run the day before the marathon. It was captioned, “Almost a Marathoner!” He said I looked fit, that I was ready for this...and most of all, to just have fun! I crossed the finish line of my very first full marathon on Feb. 8, 2020. None of my fears were realized. I didn’t come in last, and I didn’t get swept. Most importantly, I ran my first 26.2!! My finish line pic honestly says it all. I was so in awe of the fact that someone like me...someone who’d never run a single mile until her mid forties, someone who’d spent years being morbidly obese, someone who was previously never athletic a day in her life...was actually in view of the finish line of a FULL MARATHON and that I really, truly was going to do it!! I felt like a superhero that day. Like a million bucks. Like a rockstar! And now? Now I’m addicted. I ran Virtual Grandma’s Marathon a few months later and I’m so excited to say I’m running Virtual Boston in October 2021! I can’t get the idea of a 50k out of my head, either. Running doesn’t get easier, but you really do get stronger. If I can do it, anyone can. Dream big. Be brave. Go for it! And take my advice and let Run4prs help you get there...you won’t regret it!
— Michelle
