This is no joke!

by Emily Stephens, #road2boston ambassador

Hello Everyone!!

WHOA – Marathon training is no joke! Funny, no one mentioned that when I started this adventure!

When I sat down in January and wrote down this plan, April 16th seemed so far away. The days have flown by and I am so proud of myself for sticking to my training plan despite late-winter weather challenges.

The last few weeks, we’ve had colder than normal temperatures but the snow has been minimal. I’ve been cruising through my short weekday runs, some days wishing I was scheduled to run a longer distance. Cape Cod is so peaceful in the off season, I’ve been savoring the silence.

I am learning a lot about myself during this training season. Important things like:

• I love adidas UltraBoost for long runs. I prefer the Energy Boost for shorter runs.
• I braid my ponytail to kept the tangles at bay! Some days, I wear braided pigtails.

• I am not a fan of lemon-lime Gatorade. I don’t mind the orange flavor.
• I do not like running in the rain. I hate the feeling of wet feet.
• I like running by myself. I like running with others.

The funny thing about running with others is that they make you run FASTER. I ran the last 10 miles of my final 20-mile run with a friend who runs a lot faster than I do. His pace is about 2 minutes quicker, on average. I finished that run 8 minutes faster than usual…and he even let me walk for a short stretch. This run gave me the confidence in myself that I needed. It wasn’t a fluke that I felt so good after that first 20-mile run. I CAN DO THIS!!

Race day is just around the corner and taper has started. Hello, food. Hello, couch.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram to see what my fellow ambassador Seth (@runchillrun) and I are up to this week! (You’ll probably get to see what we’re eating!)

Until next time, make it a great day!

Follow Emily on Instagram (@byemilystephens)

CHECK OUT MORE POSTS BY EMILY & SETH