Determination....Got some?

What does it take to tackle several months of training for a marathon?

Determination. Lots of determination. Let me break it down for you....

D-Discipline to just do the runs. Oh yes. There were several training runs when I was exhausted, hot (and/or cold), and was frustrated with my efforts. Knowing I'd have to report back to my coach (and all of my runner pals) kept me moving forward.

E-Early morning miles. The bulk of my training runs have been in the wee dark hours, without the sunshine. I had been doing early morning runs throughout the summer,and simply kept up that routine as the days  started getting shorter and the sunrise came later and later.

T-Tape. Lots of sports tape. I had a brief flare-up with Plantar Fasciitis back in the early summer. I acted quickly...scaling back my mileage and taping my arches, and the PF was quieted. I haven't had any recurrences and I think it's because I taped my feet for most of my long runs (as a precaution). You know, that "ounce of prevention" thing.

E-Evening rituals. My coach had me doing a myriad of PT exercises (almost daily). I did a lot of these in the mornings (prior to lacing up), but I also did them before bedtime.

R-Recovery time. You better believe I had recovery time. I learned many years ago that recovery is part of the training. Your body (and mind!) needs down tine. Your muscles actually strengthen as they "rebuild" while at rest...did you know that?

M-Mileage, CRAZY mileage! We're talking several weeks of increasing mileage PR's for this "moderate mileage" gal. Comfort zone violated, to the max.

I-Irrational behavior. Ummm, yeah. Getting up most mornings before 4:30AM (and convincing a friend to do it also). I don't necessarily call that "irrational," but most of my non-runner friends do.

N-New shoes. I got new shoes back in early August, just before my official 26.2 training began. I also acquired an additional pair of the same model (different color) a month ago.

A-Attitude...being able to shake off a challenging run, and treat it as a victory upon completion. Having a glass-half-full attitude was key for me.

T-Training runs. Lots of training runs. Ladder workouts. Hill repeats. Progression runs. Easy pace runs. Runs done at goal pace. Races run as "training runs."And everything in between.

I-I, myself, and me...this was my training. It was oh-so-tempting to compare what I was doing to others in similar time frames with their marathons. But, alas, we all had different goals, different coaches, different abilities, different lives. And, ultimately, we all had different races to run.

O-Opportunity-seeking. There were a few mornings when my body just didn't want to leave the confines of my bed. There were a token few times when I heard rain falling. And, there were some times when I'd need my watch to time my intervals (and didn't want to deal with constantly hitting the "light" button to read the display in the dark. So, I had to seek out other opportunities to get the training done...during my lunch break, mid-afternoon (following a short day at the office), or at the end of the day. And, one time, I succombed to the treadmill. One time. And it wasn't pretty.

N-Never giving up. I have been very fortunate in this training cycle. Most of my training runs have gone great. But there have been a few that left me questioning my abilities. There were some when the wind felt like a constant headwind (no matter which direction I was going). There were some hill repeats (during hot, humid, and windy conditions) that left me completely tapped-out. And there were runs that took every ounce of mental mojo to keep my (already)exhausted body moving forward. But, I never bailed on any of these...and felt like a champion upon finishing them.

Have you ever had to dig deep down and find your own little reserve of determination? How would you define determination?

I'm linking up with  Deb for the Wednesday Word, today's word? Determination! I'm also linking up with Susie and Rachel and Debbie and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner. I invite you to head over to these link-ups and see all the great blogs!