Running a marathon on the elliptical
DISCLAIMER: In no way am I saying to go run a marathon, but I hope you will see that nothing big happens overnight. Goals take time and patience to achieve. Your goal can be anything you want; it doesn’t have to be physical. The important thing is to start with a well-defined goal and break it into digestible pieces.
On May 6th, 2020 I ran a marathon on an elliptical. An elliptical is an exercise machine sort of like a treadmill and a stair master combined. I didn’t just decide to run a marathon on the elliptical with no training. A few weeks prior, I thought the maximum number of miles I could run on the elliptical was six. So, here is why and how I went from running 6 to 26.2 miles.
WHY:
I did this for many reasons. For one, I wanted to see if I could push myself beyond what I ever expected I could. I wanted to give myself a goal and push myself until I met it. I love setting new goals for myself because it gives me something to work towards. Frankly, I was bored in my house during quarantine and needed something challenging to do.
HOW:
Some of you may be asking how I did this. At the beginning of my journey, I decided that I was going to run on the elliptical once each week. I picked Tuesday. So, this meant that every Tuesday I was going to increase my mileage by two miles, starting at six miles. The next week I ran eight and then ten, and some days I added more than two miles on because I was feeling great! My original goal was 18 miles. After I hit the 18 miles, I knew I had to keep going! I really wanted to run a marathon...and I did!!
I had a very strategic plan every time I ran in order to complete this. The reason for this strategic plan was essentially to trick myself. I knew my body could do this, but my mind was the question. My mind was my enemy and I had to figure out how I was going to beat it. I knew I couldn’t just stare at the screen watching the mileage for almost three hours. It’s a little confusing to explain but here it goes! I don’t like to look at the time or number of miles I have run, so I cover the screen and I check up on how I'm doing after a specific number of songs or time. For the first forty minutes of my run (about seven miles on level eight of the elliptical) I would watch TV. Then, I would get off for around two minutes for a water break, turn off the TV, and get my music ready. For my marathon I had two playlists. The first one was 17 songs long around 55 minutes. I listened to these songs and then peeked at the screen to see how far I had run. I had run around 16 miles, but I decided I wanted to run 20 miles before I got off for my second water break, so I put on a few more songs and kept running. I ran my 20 miles, got off for about 3 minutes stretched a little and drank water, and got my second playlist ready. My second playlist had about 12 songs which totaled 49 minutes and that brought me to 26.2 miles in 2 hours and 55 minutes. Counting the songs was so much better than counting the minutes because, in my mind, the songs went by quicker.
WHAT I LEARNED:
From this experience I have actually learned so so much. I have learned that sometimes you need to push yourself to find out that you are capable much more than you ever thought. I have learned that for me, running on the elliptical is a form of meditation and it allows me to just think. You have so much time to think that it allows you to sort through all of the thoughts that you may not normally sort through. I think with my generation, we are so used to being busy all the time or occupying ourselves constantly that we never just sit down and think. I have learned that not everything goes as planned and that’s OK! Some days we have to just go with the flow, and although the day might not turn out as what we expected it to, we can’t let it affect us. I have learned that I now want to give myself more time to think and sort through my thoughts on a daily basis. The last thing I learned is how rewarding meeting your goals is. When I got to 26.2 miles, I was so beyond proud of myself!
EXTRA TIPS:
I recommend eating a very balanced meal. When I ran my marathon, I ate a protein everything bagel from Dave’s Bread with avocado and an egg on top. This meal is packed with carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and healthy fat to help me through my run. Carbs are good for immediate energy, protein, fiber, and healthy fat are great for keeping you full for a long time, fiber keeps your blood sugar balanced, and healthy fat decreases negative health risks.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to work your way towards your goal and be patient with yourself. You don’t have to immediately complete your goal; it can be a work in progress.
Set a goal that is right for you. Every person is different and we all have different strengths and weaknesses.
Get into a good flow. I think it is best to have a specific time of day and a specific plan in place to be able to complete your goal to the best of your ability.
Select your outfit carefully. Wear something comfy that you also like to run in. You don’t want to get too hot and you don’t want to chafe. With that being said, I always wear a Lululemon sports bra and the Lululemon align shorts, which is my all-time favorite workout outfit.
