After a busy couple of months of weddings, racing, and travel, I finally got up to my favorite place in the world this weekend–my family’s little cabin in Maine. My favorite thing to do up there? Absolutely nothing 🙂 Just a whole lot of sitting by the lake, reading, swimming, and hanging out with the fam. We actually had a little bit of unexpected excitement when we discovered a family of flying squirrels had nested inside our roof, so there was a lot of running around and some nasty clean out. Never a dull moment…
The one challenge I have going to up to Maine is that the local roads are SUPER hilly, and they don’t have much in the way of sidewalks/shoulders/shade. Which is great for a hill workout, but less than ideal for a long run. So after an unnecessary amount of stressing out about it I decided to get my long run in on Friday morning before we left for the weekend. The problem was that I had 14-15 miles on the schedule, which is more than I can logistically fit in before getting to my desk at 8:30 a.m. So I made the decision to swap this week’s 14-15 with next week’s 10, and did my favorite 10-miler along the Charles. Next weekend I’ll be at home, and will have the time and energy for a long, flat run (the longest distance I will have covered since the NYC marathon!)
This led me to thinking about consistency and how important it is/isn’t to stick to a training plan. 
For me, the two most essential pieces of marathon training are getting in at least one “hard” workout and one “long” run every week. Beyond that, there is some flexibility–and you have to live your life and do what’s right for you. That said, marathon training is a commitment and takes a ton of time, energy, and planning. Especially at the beginning, it’s incredibly important to set yourself up for success by creating a routine of good habits. If you start off by skipping runs and slacking on workouts, you’ll pay for it later on (been there done that!) Like all good things in life, it’s all about finding the balance that works for you.
I’m also super excited that this past week was the first time I ran 6 days! J and I went for an easy 3 mile shakeout run on Sunday after taking Saturday off, and I felt super strong on my run this morning. More to come in my weekly recap later on this week!
Shorter and Faster 
I am from Maine and went to school in Boston. Loved your photos !I have started training for my second marathon, NYC and I only run 3 to 4 days a week. I need to flexibility with my work and travel schedule. I think it is important to pick a plan that works for our lifestyle, or I would never stick with it.
Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the photos. I completely agree with you–it’s all about finding your groove and what works best for you and your lifestyle. You’re going to love NYC–ti’s an incredible race!
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Hi, Leah. Welcome to the Weekly Wrap! A cabin in Maine sounds like an ideal way to spend a weekend. I will be training for Chicago starting next week. Last year I DNS’d after a stress fracture just two weeks before the race. It was a hard pill to swallow. I agree that although it’s important to be consistent to a degree, we also must be flexible with our training plans. Life happens. Thanks for linking with us!
Thank you so much–I’ve been loving reading about everyone’s training! I completely agree that you definitely have to be both flexible and consistent. Best of luck with your training for Chicago–I look forward to following along your journey!!