Last week I ran my first marathon, and even though I’m looking at a toenail that’s not long for this world, it won’t be my last. The reason why is that it was an awesome experience, and now I have a shiny medal saying I’m a marathon finisher.
I wasn’t quite prepared for how good I was going to feel when I ran it; I was surprised because a couple of years ago I never even thought about running one.
I’ve been running for about eight years and am happy with how it makes me feel and look, but I didn’t have much taste for races, even though I know that signing up for a race is a proven motivational strategy.
But then someone planted the idea of a marathon and it wouldn’t go away. On March 18 I ran the Honda L.A. Marathon and hit my goal of running it in under four hours. You can read the whole story here in the Los Angeles Times.
And I learned a few things from the experience, which I’ll now pass on to you if you’re considering one:
Consider making a trip out of it
I went to L.A. for my first because I write for the LA Times, so the whole run was made into kind of a bigger deal. I had to book flights and a hotel so there was no chance of bailing out on it. It also added to the fun factor, getting out of town for a few days.
Enlist a friend or loved one
I did mine solo, but in a way I had a big support structure both with readers and editors. Having a friend to do the training and racing with can be highly motivating.
Take a course
There are plenty of running clinics that can help you prepare for your first marathon. If the thought scares you, this can be a good idea.
Get some professional tips
I had a lot of help for race day, which helped make for a positive experience. Some of the tips I followed that made a big difference were:
Are you convinced yet? You’ll have an amazing sense of accomplishment and pride, and I was also pretty surprised at just how congratulatory my family and friends were. I’m still feeling the glow.
Go do it.
Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.