Reflect/Reset March & April 2023

Reflect/Reset is a series on the blog and will be published at the beginning of the month. In this series of blog posts, I will be sharing details about the previous month of training and sharing my training plans for the month ahead. I will reflect on the past month and reset to create space for the experiences that await in the new month.

Reflect: March

All I could think in March was how quickly the training cycle for the London Marathon was going and how I needed more time. This, without a doubt, has been the fastest-feeling training cycle ever. Granted, this is my first training cycle in a long, long time that has happened over the winter months, but I still can’t help but wonder if the weather has impacted my sense of time. Hot weather = everything feels awful and long; less hot/sometimes cool weather = things feel manageable. Or perhaps it has more to do with my mental state and the continuation of the “Just Try” mentality. Regardless, the runs in March felt solid, even when I struggled, because I have spent so much energy focusing on letting each run simply be what it is instead of allowing the run to grow to epic proportions of being a reflection of me and the quality of my training. The reality of training is that there are runs that feel great, runs that feel like crap, runs that feel like a grind, and runs that are just plain blah. March, for me, was about sitting with all the runs, letting them be, and taking note/stock of what I could do better next time to have a more enjoyable and joyful experience.

March Stats:

• 158 miles total

• 39.5 miles average weekly

• 22 runs total

• Longest run: 20.09 miles

• Shortest run: 2.22 miles (shakeout!)

• Favorite workout: Even though it was the hardest and most challenging workout, my favorite workout of the month was the 17-mile long run with alternating miles because it was a great reminder that I always have more to give (even when I’m at war with my bladder).

• Most memorable moment: 305 Half Marathon because it humbled me when it comes to hydration and staying cool on the run.

• What supported running this month: Naps, strength training, and being more intentional about how I am fueling my body pre- and post-run.

Reset: April

IT IS RACE MONTH! This means that there are a few workouts left, the really hard work has been done, it’s time to taper, rest is even more important than ever, and I get to start obsessing over the weather in London. Building on the March thoughts: I can’t believe it’s race month and that I am days away from toeing the line of the London Marathon. As of today (April 7th), I am 58% of the way toward meeting my fundraising goal so I will be putting extra effort into meeting my goal before I leave to London.

This training cycle has taught me how to not only fall back in love with the process of training for a marathon, but also the importance of making the miles mean something more so that I can appreciate my ability to train for a marathon in the first place. I’ve decided that, going forward, any marathon I train for in the future will have some kind of charitable component to it. This has me excited about London and hopeful about the ways in which I will elevate my running in the months and hopefully years to come.

I will share more of my London goals in an upcoming blog post, but for now: April is for celebrating making it this far. I’ve enjoyed training for London so much that I am left feeling in awe of myself and in anticipation of what awaits me once I cross the start line and endure that 26.2 mile journey to the finish line.

 Note: You can support me on the road to London by donation to my #TeamSunshine Rays of Sunshine fundraising campaign here.