Lessons Learned from Running My First Marathon
On learning to do new things and running better.
The Power of Compounding
In October 2021, I ran the Chicago Marathon. The situation was much different, however, when I began my training. As a previous non-runner, I could not consider myself running 26.2 miles. My body could not handle it. I needed to improve. I needed to transform myself from unable to able.
Over the summer months, I prioritized my training and ran five days a week for the 16 weeks (112 days) before the race. My two days off per week were dedicated towards recovery and "prehab" for my acclimating legs. All seven days of the week were useful in inching towards my goal of running a marathon. If we apply the same exponential equation as above, 1.01^112 = ~3. Thus, If I improved 1% as a runner each day I showed up to race-day a three times better runner than when I began. An overall improvement of 3x feels about right, but only as a ballpark estimate. Luckily, Strava Premium has a feature that tracks your fitness level with hard numbers. Let's check out the results...
At the end of week one of my training plan (y-intercept), my fitness level was 38. On race day (the latter orange circle), my fitness level was 100. I improved my fitness level by 2.6x over the course of my training. The improvement in my fitness level tracks to just under a 1% improvement each day and I may have reached a true 1% improvement each day if not for a brief injury that derailed me after I reached my peak fitness level of 106. My commitment to (almost) always completing my training unlocked the compounding effect of tiny daily improvements. I committed to stacking these slight improvements day after day, week after week and that's the "name of the game" according to the coach of the NCAA's best XC team. No single workout propelled me across the finish line. Ultimately, it was the compounded gains from each training day that allowed me to run my first marathon.
On any given day, I hardly noticed a difference in my ability. A 1% improvement upon yesterday is essentially undetectable. In the moment, it seemed as though as all I did was follow a training plan, execute a training plan, and cross the finish line. There was no sudden breakthrough in ability or fitness. Rather, slow and steady 1% improvements day after day delivered me to a fundamentally different place on race day. These small improvements in my running ability for not even one-third of a year led to a massive change in what was possible for my body.
Accordingly, running a marathon is not about the race, it's about the training. And when it comes to training, it's about showing up. It's about getting the reps done each and every day. The consistency leads to the growth by harnessing the power of compounding. Having said that, reaping the benefits from the compounding nature of small daily improvements is not something limited to marathon runners. Regardless of one's goals, achieving a modest 1% improvement each day in your desired discipline is very attainable and yet these seemingly small changes lead to dramatically different outcomes when stacked on top of each other. If you want to improve at something: get your rep done today and then get it done tomorrow, whatever that rep may be. You will be surprised where you wind up.
Forming New Habits
"The point is the work; the commitment to transform."
Peter Bromka
As much as I wanted to run a marathon, I was not a runner. I needed to form a new habit in order to successfully complete my training to then successfully complete the race. Even though this was something I wanted to do and the idea energized me, merely wanting to do something is not going to make it happen. Throughout the summer, my initial enthusiasm would dry up and there became so many days when I didn't want to run. I didn't want to run because I was tired from work, because my legs were sore, because I would have to avoid other plans. But I knew I needed to run to stay on track. So, my focus became to make it as easy as possibly to complete each run. I noticed certain mindsets and environmental factors made completing each run less of a hurdle and I tried to leverage those to my advantage.
As mentioned above, the most important mindset is that the quantity of repetitions practicing your new habit is more important than the quality of those repetitions. In addition to days when I didn't want to go running, there would be days when I would finish my run irritated because I didn't meet my mileage goal or I ended up taking a walking break mid-way through or I started my run at 830pm and now my night was completely shot. Yet, I still completed a run on those days. And completing that run made it easier on the subsequent days to also get out the door. James Clear writes in Atomic Habits, which I stubbornly read after the race,
"Each time you repeat an action, you are activating a particular neural circuit associated with the habit. This means that simply putting in your reps is one of the most critical steps you can take to encoding a new habit."
This way of thinking is helpful because it underscores that when you do a thing, it becomes easier to do that thing again. So, when trying to form a new habit, ensure you put in the repetitions. It doesn't matter it if was a shitty mile, you ran in a mile.
Another point from Atomic Habits that I mirrored my training is to fervently resist missing two days in a row. When I occasionally missed a training run, I really made an effort to get my next run done. Here Clear asserts:
"The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit."
Since I committed to never missing two runs in a row, I never got completely off track with my training schedule. This mindset was extremely beneficial in unlocking the compounding power of small improvements. When you miss a bunch of days in a row you are right back to where you started. In visualize form:
Life may get in the way and you may have to miss your rep on a given day. That's not great, but it's fine. However, attack that next day whenever this occurs.
I also noticed it was easier for me to run when I was embedded in my typical routine. Since I was not a runner, I had to prioritize it. Finding time for my run much easier to do when I was at my apartment with no evening obligations. When I did miss runs, there were consistent patterns as to why. First, travelling gets in the way of exercising. Travel days themselves typically leave you with low energy and little free time and then if you are travelling with any sort of group, their priority is likely not to complete a training run the same way yours is. You may have to make some compromises to your training plan when travelling to stop yourself from becoming bothersome to the group. Secondly, I found it much harder to complete my runs when I committed to fun social plans after work. Knowing I had to be somewhere at 6pm motivated me to complete a morning run, but if the comforts of my bed were too great I knew that day's run was basically shot. The consistency of an environment makes it much easier to stick with your new habit. For me, more variables present in my environment meant more chances to go wrong and not complete my run. Simple repeatable routines work best when creating a new habit.
Last year, I wanted to run a marathon but on many training days I didn't want to run. This year, I want to publish articles but, sheepishly, I'll admit most I've found most days don't want to write at all. Writing requires energy and focus and after working I don't really have that. After work, my desires include watching YouTube or, possibly, reading other Substacks. Like I stated above, wanting something is not enough. To begin publishing consistently, I need to apply the concepts I utilized during marathon training. Just as I went from a non-runner to a runner, I want to feel genuine in calling myself a writer by the end of the year. I can create the habit of writing by focusing on creating a repeatable routine, never missing two days in a row, and understanding that anytime I write I am getting somewhere. Execute the task and disregard it's quality while also making it easier on yourself to consistently execute. This is the recipe for forming a new habit.
Transitioning slightly, my ultimate goal for this newsletter is to generate enough revenue to become my full-time job. I know this won't be easy to accomplish and it's only going to occur if I actually write. The final lesson I learned, this time through racing in a marathon, is that the marathon doesn't owe you anything. The marathon doesn't care that you skipped a night out with friends to get quality sleep. It's just you and pavement until the finish line. That next step may be excruciating, but if you don't take it you won't get to where you want to be. The same is true about life. My goals won't come to me. The world doesn't care that I listened to a podcast on how to start a blog. It's still just me and a blank document. In the above essay Peter Bromka writes:
"It’s often too hot or too cold, too windy or too wet. It may be unseasonably one thing or another. When seeking excuses, if you’re lucky, it’ll be so bad, so searing or torrential, that the day will go down in running lore: Chicago ’07, Boston ’18. Excuses that speak for themselves.
But most likely it won’t. Your day will probably be just another day, with issues for you to manage like any other."
Although this quote is more related to outcomes (race-day) than process (training), it still spoke to me in terms of just doing the thing. I can make excuses for why I didn't do an hour of writing each day, but it doesn't matter. My situation is not extraordinary, it's just another day. I need to write to be a writer. The point is the work, so embrace it. Let’s get the "miles" in and see where this project can go.
Marathon and Running-specific Lessons Learned
While the prior sections covered intangible lessons I learned about myself and life through marathon training, below are my actionable tips and tactics if you want to become a better runner or race in your first marathon. Bear in mind, I'm still a total amateur.
If you can't tell by now, your training makes your race so find a training plan and commit to it.
There are many different options and so it can be tough to know which plan is correct for you until you are in the thick of it, but it should feel like you can handle the progressive increase in load while also pushing yourself.
There are many free plans online so start browsing there and select what you anticipate will work for you.
Feel free to switch plans if something is not working! I did.
My initial plan had Peak Week four weeks before race day and I felt a four-week taper was too long.
I switched to a plan with a two-week taper since that seems to be the consensus modern approach.
You can adjust which days of the week correlate to which runs, but stay consistent with that adjustment across weeks.
If the plan calls for long runs on Sundays, but you want to do them on Fridays that is fine.
However, do not change the progression of the workouts (i.e. don't put your speed day right before your long run).
Set realistic expectations with yourself about your goals for the race.
This can be challenging when you have no reference point.
I found this book quite helpful in this regard.
It is tailored to marathon running and I read it before I started my training.
Mentally I was committed to running five days a week, but I didn't know what that would be like. The book helped me on this front as well.
Avoiding injury is an important part of successful training.
Ramp up your weekly mileage slowly.
Follow the pacing guidelines of your plan, even if it feels too slow.
The key is knowing what your body can handle so it does not break down. The easiest way to do this is to never push yourself dramatically more than you previously have, otherwise your body may break down.
I was successfully at avoiding injury while in ever-flat Chicago, but while on a family vacation in a hillier part of the country I ended up with knee pain after a few runs.
It was not smart to be running hard the uphill sections of those runs like I did. I felt like I was in great shape (and I was, peak Strava fitness level of 106 right before this), but I was not used to running hills. This large change in running conditions led to my only injury throughout training.
Weekly "prehab" exercises assist your body avoiding injuries.
Tapering, or a reduction in total weekly miles and difficulty, leads to race day success.
Tapering allows your legs some recovery so they are fresh on race day.
Strava Premium can also track your "Freshness", which is basically your fatigue level in relation to your fitness level.
“Freshness” Metric shown via the light gray line My freshness reached its highest level on race day and I was very pleased with what I accomplished on race day.
Follow the common online advice for all of the race day logistics.
Be prepared for anything.
On any long run, you need to find a way to replenish the calories you are burning.
Gels are commonly used but it takes some time for your stomach to adjust to these harsh substances, so experiment with different options before race day.
Fueling your body is fundamentally to not bonking.
I bonked hard at the end of a long run and it was pretty scary, I felt like I had lost control of my body for 20 minutes.
Tracking your runs keeps you accountable so do it right from the onset of training.
I used the free version of Strava for basically the whole summer and it provided everything I needed.
Respect temperature.
Alcohol & social activities make it tougher to feel fresh and want to run.
I did my long runs on Sundays, which made it hard to stay out late and get drunk with friends on Saturdays.
Be prepared for sacrifices, especially in the latter half of the training plan.
Watching videos of professional runners boosted my motivation to train hard and treat my body right. I found myself watching all the videos from the Tinman Elite YouTube channel.
Strive for morning runs.
When you work all day and then have to run for an hour, your nights go by quickly.
Morning runs woke me up and left me feeling great for the remainder of the day.
Plus, my evening was then wide open.
Running with friends is fun, but also find solace in the solo runs as you will likely have many of those throughout the training.
Finally, on race day, be proud and dig deep.
