First marathon

So I ran my first marathon Sunday. It was on my treadmill. And it was fun.

When people hear how many miles I run a week, they are surprised that I have never run a marathon. Up until recently, I never wanted to run one. I only started to change my mind when I received many notes and comments on dailymile saying that I could run one.

Two weeks ago, I ran 23.1 miles on my treadmill. That by far was the longest that I have ever run. When I finished running, I knew that I could have gone another 3.1 miles without any problems. I decided since that was my longest run ever, it was best to stop. I felt that that I shouldn't chance increasing my mileage too quickly.

I decided that day, that on Super Bowl Sunday I would run a marathon on my treadmill. The run started out alright. It just felt like any other run. After running over 13 miles, my legs started to fell really good. My run just got better as I went along. Along the way, there was a couple of moments I was thinking, 'What am I doing?' or 'Am I going to finish this?' Those moments and thoughts passed.

As the miles started to add up, I was really pleased with my time. I was very surprised that I finished running 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 50 minutes. It was a great time for a "first" marathon. I know if I actually ran it outside, my time would be different. When I do run my first official marathon outside, at least I will know my approximate finishing time. I could probably add 10-15 minutes to my inside time. Outside a belt isn't helping you with your leg turnover. But the treadmill belt does help me keep running, even when my legs aren't feeling too good.

I don't think I will be able to squeeze in a an official marathon into my 2011 racing schedule. I think my first marathon ever will be the 2012 Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio. This year I'm running the half marathon. I have heard great things about the GCM. The best thing I heard about the race is that the course is extremely flat. I know that will help me finish in the best time possible. Until then, I know I will be running many more marathons on my treadmill.