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(Longest blog post title of 2013, folks)
Here’s some rambling truth for you:
I’ve never fully trained for a marathon. Or even a half marathon, really. I assure you that I am not boasting, bragging, nor proud of this fact. If anything, as a runner and fitness professional, I’m sort of ashamed. With 7 full marathons and 18 ish(? I’ve lost count) half marathons under my belt, I’ve pretty much shuffled my way to the finish line on sheer luck and good genetics, I suppose.
I’m not exactly sure why I have such a hard time with training, though I can give you a million reasons excuses: kids, school, work, weather, attention span, just to name a few. You know, the usual suspects of the “why I don’t have time for ________” case: life is too chaotic.
Or at least, that’s what I always assumed the reason was.
As of today, it has been 2 years, 8 months, 1 week, and 1 day since my last official full marathon, the 2011 Umstead Trail Marathon. (This doesn’t count the 2012 Spartan Ultra Beast, #7 in the books. I technically covered 26+ miles, however, this was hardly a marathon in the traditional sense. It was much, much worse than that). Those of you that have stuck with me since the Run Faster, Mommy! days know that my running has taken a few drastic turns over the years. I’ve gone from a strict road runner to a cross training junkie, to an obstacle course racing devotee. And now that the cold weather has settled back in, and Runner’s World was kind enough to send me away from what I’m going to now refer to as a “runningmoon” (as it totally re-lit the spark for my love of strictly running), I find myself giddy over the prospect of possibly running another marathon in the near future.
Except this time, and perhaps for the first time in my entire life, I didn’t immediately find a race to register for, nor did I dutifully print up a training plan, exclaiming to the world that THIS TIME I would cross off every single workout! In fact, my 2014 race calendar is still 100% completely blank. Instead, I’ve decided that if I’m ever going to be a decent long distance runner, I should start actually gaining the discipline to consistently put in long distance runs.
Shocker, I know.
Also: not the sort of rocket science you need a degree, or even a coaching certification, to figure out.
So instead I’ve just been running. Here, there, and everywhere; a long run on the weekends, 3-4 shorter runs during the week, one of them some sort of tempo or speed work. There is no specific training plan I’m following, and as a result there is no sort of guilt I feel if I miss a workout. I am strength training 6-7 days a week in the gym, with zero guilt as to how this may be affecting my running workouts (a hilarious concept that so many runners worry about, as in the end it only contributes to my running). Further, and even more importantly, there is ZERO pressure on me to do ANY running workouts. I don’t have to run 11 miles at marathon pace on Saturday or a 4 mile tempo run at a 10K pace on Tuesday because the training plan says I have to. I run whenever I want, however fast I want, and as far as I want…because I want to.
And as a result, I’m really enjoying my time spent running, which in turn is helping me become a better runner. I feel stronger. I feel faster. I feel healthier. I feel HAPPY.
Now, life is very different. The boys are getting older, I’m no longer in school, I set most of my own work hours. Marathon training, in theory, should be easier to execute. But still, I’m finding myself simply, and finally, enjoying running for the sake of running. Again, not that I haven’t enjoyed running in the past. I wouldn’t have started this blog nor put so much time, effort, and finances into racing if I didn’t enjoy running. But right now, I’m enjoying JUST RUNNING.
And it’s kind of awesome.
I’m realizing that it wasn’t necessarily my busy schedule or hectic life that prevented me from successfully training in the past. It was the fact that I never truly learned to appreciate just running. No medals, no finish lines, no time goals, no distances. JUST RUNNING. In fact, looking back on my history of running, I jumped into racing within months. I ran my first full marathon 10 months after I started running. The second one two months after that. Then came another baby, then the next 4 marathons right in a row. Scattered among all of that were countless shorter distances, and even triathlon training. There was always a training plan, there was always a workout that HAD to get done, and there was never JUST RUNNING.
I dream of one day running a sub 4 hour marathon. Then a Boston Qualifying time (currently a 3:35 or faster for me.) I dream of one day crossing the finish line of a 50 miler, and dare I even say it…a 100 miler. When I used to dream of these accomplishments, it was always in the “I need to do this NOW” sort of way (FOMO, anyone?). But these days, I find myself picturing those finishes in a much different light. I picture crossing those finish lines knowing I fought hard for that goal, I didn’t simply luck out with my stubbornness and long legs once again. I want to cross those finish lines knowing not only that I left everything out on the course, but I also put everything I had into the journey of getting to the race in the first place.
But most of all, I picture myself running for years, and even decades, to come. Running has given me so much. And despite what the contradicting motivational posters might say, in my case, running has also taken a lot from me. But at the end of the day, it has become so much of who I am and what I do. I am a runner, and I hope to always be a runner. And there will certainly be more bad times to come, but in the end I want the good to far outweigh the bad. And in order to ensure all of this, I must foster a healthy relationship with running. One that encompasses respecting the distance and respecting my body, not simply playing a game of Russian Roulette with races and injuries.
So while I have my eye on some races in the upcoming year, I’m setting nothing in stone. For now, I will allow myself to finally enjoy running with no rhyme or reason.
For now, I will just run.

My tattoos, (fresh from the shop so looking rough around the edges), after my 2012 half PR. They mean as much to me today as they did then…
Amanda - RunToTheFinish says
NYC this year was the first marathon where I actually followed a plan rather than just running because I love to and seeing what happened. I think I am going to find a middle ground for the next round!
Heather says
Middle ground is good! I aspire to one day follow a training plan and see what happens…and hope it doesn’t make me dread the process of training!
Heather Iacobacci-Miller says
Awesome. This is how I “train” as well. I did train my butt off for my first half. I marked off all but 1 run off that rigid schedule. Right after the half, my desire to run plummeted and my mileage dropped to just a few 5-milers. That meant I had to spend a great deal of time re-building mileage for my next half. That time I followed a plan loosely. Since then, I follow a similar layout that most plans have – the long run, a few mid-distance runs. I stopped stressing about exact tempos and paces. Sometimes I’ll add in tempos mid-run. Sometimes not. Sometimes I’ll force myself to slow down or speed up, but mostly I just run by feel. My last half I PR’d by more than 10 minutes so apparently something is ok about not following a strict plan!
Heather says
that’s a HUGE PR!! Congrats Heather!
Elle says
hurray for happy! Sounds like a great year coming up for you. Best wishes.
James says
I enjoyed your post. As someone who is setting out on a pretty regimented training plan for my first marathon (I’m the overweight guy with short legs), it was nice to hear about another way of getting to the finish line.
Heather says
Thanks for the comment James! I think for a first timer, a regimented training plan is totally necessary. I’m certainly not proposing to NOT train for your marathon as the title may mislead people to believe. But that said, I do suggest ENJOYING the process along the way, don’t let it become something you dread. Good luck with your training ! What marathon are you running?
pickyrunner says
I adore this post. I am in a very different place considering I’m a senior in college, but like you, I recently adopted this new outlook on running. I am no longer running for my team and I have never been more carefree about my training. As a result, I don’t dread it. I just run. If I want to run fast I can. If I want to run far, I can. I am slowly building a 2014 race calendar but it is not a stressful one for the first time in years. Most of them are fun runs with friends and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so glad I read this post! I can relate to it so much!
Heather says
Awesome, virtual high five, pickyrunner! Mental health and well being is equally as important as physical health. I’m so glad to hear that you are planning a non stressful 2014. Best of luck to you!!
beach3519 says
I love this post and I can’t even describe how much I loooove those tattoos. Everyone’s posts this morning are getting me seriously pumped and this was no different. Now, if only I can do a body swap with someone that has better hips and IT bands than myself, I’d be golden! 😉
Heather says
Thanks! I need to take some new pictures, they don’t look nearly as “rough” as they did in that picture. Taking pictures of your ankles is actually pretty hard without help,HAHA! I hope those injuries heal fast!!
Carla Bruns (@CarlaABruns) says
Love your tattoos! When I spend to much time training for something it’s less motivating to me. I worry to much about where I’m going to finish, how I’m going to do, etc. instead of just focusing on the task at hand. Being happy should be the reason you do something. Glad your happy!
Heather says
Thank you so much Carla! I completely agree. Life is too short for hobbies that make us miserable 🙂