Back in January 2009, when I made the commitment to run the full Seattle Rock N’ Roll Marathon, I had no idea the daunting task ahead of me. And HELLO, this was my FIRST MARATHON!  No 1/2 Marathon’s in between.  Full bore, people.

I was ready to take on the challenge, but was not sure if I could actually pound the pavement for 26.2 miles.I mean, that’s 26.2 miles!!!Not a 5k, 8k or 10k, but 26.2 miles.WOW.But, being the competitive individual that I tend to be, I wasn’t going to let that amount of mileage bring fear and doubt into my abilities.Just was not going to happen.

So, with that said, how was I going to prepare for my first marathon training?Many of my friends and family asked me daily, “how are you preparing for this race?”There was a lot of preparation involved.Not only physical, but mental.You have to get into that mental space to be able to prepare for such a long journey.So, I had to have a little ‘heart-to-heart’ with myself, so I knew what was expected.

It first started with reviewing my running schedule, as suggested and recommended by a 2-time finisher of the Seattle Marathon, and good friend of mine, Janna, to follow.She had trained vigorously with Chuckit running group.In appreciating her advice and guidance, we quickly downloaded the schedule, posted it on my fridge and was time to get to it.Also, I was fortunate to talked with a number of running Coaches, who helped me get prepared with proper nutrition and pre-event training.

Another piece to incorporate into my training was my P90X routine.I was obsessed and addicted to it, so in getting on the Team Beachbody message boards early on, I had learned that many race enthusiasts, had kept up with P90X to train for their respective races – whether it be a Marathon, Ironman, bike race or swimming.PERFECT!I was just coming off my last 90- day program of ChaLEAN Extreme, so was chomping at the bit to get back to P90X.This was perfect timing.So, just as I was gearing up for my longer runs, I was getting back onto my faithful 90-day regime.

There are some that caution doing strength training while training for a race like a marathon, which I could never understand.How could strengthening your upper & lower body and abs/core, hinder your stamina for a race??I don’t think I could’ve made it through race day without the endurance I built from workouts such as Plyometrics (aka “jump training”), Legs & Back or the echoing remnants of Tony Horton’s famous “tips of the day”.One of my favorites has to be “don’t smash your face” – just brilliant!I mean, that just covers all things across the board, wouldn’t you say?P90X’s regimented routine of muscle confusion not only can get you in great shape, but prepare you for the mental and physical hardship that one experiences in preparation for any kind of race.A very well rounded program in any regard.

So on with the running. I transitioned my dread hitting the pavement for hours on end, to allowing it to be a short escape from a busy life of being a Stay-At-Home Mom.I was determined.

Going forward, I had to yet again, mentally prepare myself for the longer runs and know I was mostly doing them on my own…especially the daunting 20 mile one!!!I’ve always felt I was a pretty strong runner, but then again, my longest distance may have been 8 miles or so, and that was usually with crowds of people cheering you on.But, as I started to log my longer runs, I couldn’t believe the energy and stamina I had felt.Could this been a results of P90X?You betcha!!

So, in response to my friends, family and WOWY workout buddies, I was confident in saying that P90X was my crutch, to get me mentally and physically prepared for the race – AND IT DID!!I beat my goal of 4 hours and 30 minutes and completed the race in just 4 hours!!

Here was my training schedule:

Day 1: Strength train & Ab Ripper X* (AM) + 3-5 mile run (PM)
Day 2: Plyometrics (NO RUN)
Day 3: Strength & Ab Ripper X(AM) + 3-5 mile run (PM)
Day 4: Yoga X (AM) + 3-5 mile run (PM)
Day 5: Legs/Back & Ab Ripper X (AM)
Day 6: Long Run
Day 7: Rest

(*I followed the Classic Version of P90X)

One final note, the support and encouragement I received from everyone throughout my training was overwhelming.I truly took each inspiration word, phrase, thought and gesture with me each step of the way.I’d like to thank everyone that had faith in me that I could do it!The power of positive thinking!

Your partner in health & fitness.