Returning to the Marathon

If you’ve just stumbled upon my blog, maybe I should introduce myself. I am Angie, I love the Iowa Hawkeyes, love to crochet, love to run, plus many other random things.Running certainly has taken me many places, meeting some awesome people and enjoying the most amazing adventures.

The journey all started in 2010 ish. I decided to do the P90x workout to lose weight. From there I decided it was time for the couch to 5k running plan. Then I signed up for my first 5k. Then it all snowballed. I ran my first 13.1 at the Quad Cities Half Marathon in 2011. In 2012 I signed up for my first marathon, The Twin Cities Marathon. From there, I couldn’t get enough.

To this date I am not sure how many 5ks or 10ks I have completed. I do keep track of half marathon distance or longer. I have completed 77 half marathons, 36 full marathons and 10 events at the ultra distance. I’ve done things such as running a marathon a month, which actually led to 14 in one year. I’ve done interesting endurance events such as running circles around Kinnick Stadium, or 10 – 5ks in 24 hours. I also just celebrated running one mile a day for 6 years. Running is one of the things I can always count on to push me to do my best.

However, maybe since 2020, things changed. I ran 2 virtual marathons and I just didn’t want to run that far anymore, things seemed to cost more, etc. Then there are the things I can’t escape, time and aging. I ran my last full marathon (on the road) at the 2023 Des Moines Marathon. My back was not having it, so I haven’t run a full road marathon since.

So here I am, it’s 2025 and I am returning to run a road marathon. Ok maybe it is not that dramatic, but it’s something I want to feel good about when I am done. When I say this, I want to be able to walk comfortably the next day.

I have participated in a Grandma’s Marathon event since 2014. I felt this race would be the perfect event to return to the 26.2 distance: One – the familiarity with the event makes me feel comfortable and less anxious. Two – the race course is neither flat or hilly, it’s a great mix to keep all leg muscles engaged. Three – the views along the course. Four – the spectators, you never know what they will offer along the way. Five – Big race feel in a smaller community, no overcrowding, no standing in a corral forever waiting to start. Six – closed race course, you get an entire road for the majority of the race.

Ok, I could go on and on about why I chose Grandma’s to return to running 26.2, but maybe more importantly, how will I train for this?

As I mentioned above, I am not new to this. I have used a variety of training plans in the past including Hal Higdon, a training plan provided by Grandma’s, Hanson’s method, and my usual go to – winging it.

I knew for sure winging it was not going to work this time around. Sure maybe I could hire a coach, but I went with a plan that knew me best, my Garmin watch. I have never used this method for training before. However, I wear my watch almost 24/7. It knows my “metrics.” I feel I could trust it to get me to the finish line.

How is the training going? Well, it’s going. I am doing my best to do what my watch has been telling me. The watch is also using training by time versus training by distance. I have also had setbacks in the form of a random injury. Which, without getting TMI, is due to being an aging woman. Yes, I can hear you all screaming to do some strength training.

I am also struggling with not physically seeing my plan on a piece of paper. You know, looking ahead and seeing what days I need to run 20 miles or what not. I also feel I should be running longer distances in this point in my training. However, here I am, trusting in the training. No matter how many marathons you run, they are always challenging.

What is my goal with the return to the marathon? Ok, I am not that old, but it would be nice to prove I can still do it. It would also be nice to run maybe a marathon a year or even longer. Short term, I hope to cross the finish line in a decent time, for me and still feel physically good. The other goal is to earn the race shirt.

Going forward, following me on Instagram is the best way to keep up to date on this journey. I like to pick up races as part of training too. If you read my last post, you know those events are an adventure too. Running is just one of those things I can’t quit, you never know what/where/who/why/how is gonna happen next.

Will I see you in Duluth in June?