26.2 Reasons NOT to Run a Marathon

Are you tired of the marathon content? Well, maybe you want to read this, or at least the first part. I often hear, "I wish I was a runner," or "I wish I could do that" when I share about my running exploits. 

"Running is not for everyone," I respond. If you really want to run, and especially run a marathon, consider the costs. In no particular order, these are reasons NOT to run 26.2:

1. Blisters
2. Chafing
3. Cost of gels
4. Cost of the race
5. Cost of shoes
6. Dehydration
7. Early mornings
8. Early nights to bed
9. Limited time to socialize
10. Fat storage
11. Foot swelling
12. Less time to lift weights
13. Missing live Nourish Move Love workouts (my favorite form of strength training)
14. Muscle loss
15. Not being able to eat foods I like (eg broccoli)
16. Needing to avoid healthy foods a lot of the time (eg whole grains)
17. Skin aging
18. High sugar consumption 
19. Sun exposure (If training outside, like I did.
20. It's a time suck.
21. Travel limitations (If you want to complete all your runs)
22. GI distress.
23. Taper crazies/maranoia (Virtual Runner UK, n.d.).
24. Not being able to run hard for a while after the marathon (Brooks, 2023)
25. Having to take a break from strength training for two weeks before the race
26. Having to rest from strength training for at least two weeks after the race
.2 More lost muscle mass as a result...

Basically, training for and running a marathon is not the healthiest thing to do. For me, though, training for this marathon was right for me because: 

1. My husband supported my efforts.
2. I already had a half-marathon base.
3. I live in a city with relatively safe spaces to run.
4. I had (and continued to) educated myself on fueling and nutrition via various free online resources.
5. The Boston Marathon Level One Training Plan gave me pretty specific training instructions.
6. My work schedule was a little bit flexible.
7. My husband had completed the intensity of his school work, leaving a little margin for me to up the intensity of my life.
8. I did not have much travel planned.
9. I live in a mostly temperate climate.
10. I had three pairs of Brooks Ghost shoes to support my feet.
11. The lateness of this marathon allowed me to start training later (eg as late as I could into the summer).
12. The timing of the marathon lined up with me not wanting to train through Christmas.
13. The dopamine gained from running elevated my mood during fall, the season when my mood 14. typically declines.
15. Training made me focus more on getting in good nutrition.
16. Training helped me prioritize myself (eating on time, going to bed on time, etc.).
17. Training forced me to set (and hold) boundaries.
18. Training helped me prioritize what is really important.
19. Training made me more aware of things that don’t really matter in terms of the big picture 
20. Training gave me opportunities to accept more help, something that is hard for me, but that I need to do.
21. Spending a lot of time training made me more appreciative of help (instead of critical of how it was given).
22. Training gave me lots of time to listen to podcasts, learn, think, and process life.
23. I had a newer IPhone with battery to last for long runs.
24. AirPods in one ear kept me occupied and safe.
Marathon training enabled me to engage more with the running community (eg through group runs).

25. My husband is very steady and could talk me down from my maranoia.

26. God enabled me to prioritize my training and let other stuff go.

.2 I just really wanted to do it!

References:

Brooks, A. (2023, March 9). Post-marathon training: Running and strength training plan. Run to the Finish. I https://runtothefinish.com/post-marathon-fitness/

Virtual Runner UK. (n.d). Are you suffering from maranoia? -- Marathon anxiety and how to beat it. https://www.virtualrunneruk.com/are-you-suffering-from-maranoia-marathon-anxiety-and-how-to-beat-it/