A lot of commitment? Yes. Some days I can hardly wait for the race, other days, I think I'm crazy for doing it. But, the more I talk about it the more people I find that have run marathons, and that keeps me encouraged.
I've got a pretty well laid out training schedule. Long runs on Sundays, shorter runs
throughout the week. I completed a 21 mile practice run last Sunday. That's the longest training run I've had so far. I cut out alcohol and caffeine for a couple of days before. I Ate 4,000 calories the day before and toolk energy supplements (GU packets) along the way. I did great for the first 19 miles, averaging 7.3 mph. The last two miles I did have a tremendous decrease in performance. But, most discourageing, at the very end of the run I felt a huge surge of depression rush over me for some reason. Physically I felt alright. Lack of energy? I normally feel elated at the end of runs, even longer ones. I've got a two more 20+ training runs before the big race. I hope to perform better the next one.
One thing I know I'm not doing properly is cross training. To substitute for a few of the shorter runs it is recommended to substitute some cardio that will work your legs in a different plane than running. I do some biking, but, roller blading is strongly endorsed. So, I bought some roller blades. Wow. Did I
feel like a fool. Scooted around my kitchen for a bit, till (I thought) I had the hang of them. Then I went down to the park and proceeded to fall on my ass a few times. Luckily, the place was nearly deserted!
The_Jazz, wow! You have put some miles on!
And real good times, too! Congrats. I'm shooting for sub 4, but won't be too upset if I don't make it the first time around.