Doug Chapman

Marathon countdown 3 weeks. At the start of the year I posted some personal goals on my gym wall. Turns out I underestimated myself. A week ago I ran a 2:04:40 half marathon and yesterday I ran a 26:49 5k! Still short on the other goals but the #running #training is going well! #marathon next!

#marathon countdown 7 weeks. Today was my first real test of my off season training. I knocked another 10 minutes off my half marathon time. Still need to build some endurance to be ready to run twice as far!

They have a wider toe box than most shoes is the biggest difference. That and the arch shape seems to fit my foot much better. These are the first shoes that don't aggravate my planter fasciitis.

Never really had shoes that fit well until I discovered Altra!

Turns out it just has a bit of a prominence which is causing some tendon irritation. The doctor says I am unlikely to cause any damage and as long as I monitor the pain level I should be good to continue #marathon training!

I have heard too many horror stories of people who ignored warning signs and kept running through pain. Decided it would be best to see my doctor and have this looked at. My concern was a stress fracture of the navicular bone in my right foot.

#Marathon countdown - 8 weeks, 6 days. Last Saturday marked the 1 year anniversary of #running as an adult. Over the past year I have been lucky to avoid injuries. After a hard interval workout on the track about a week ago I was concerned my luck had ended.

Don't confuse difficulty with failure.

Marathon countdown - 12 weeks, 3 days. One of my favorite quotes posted on the wall of my gym is "Don't confuse difficulty with failure" from Eric Orton (aka the Born to run coach). This is something I wish I grasped when I was younger and #running was hard so I gave up. #marathon #training

Next week is going to be bitterly cold so I will be back in the gym for more strength work and some VO2 max intervals on the treadmill.

Marathon countdown - 15 weeks, 2 days. Living in New Hampshire I knew training for my first marathon through the winter would be challenging. I can only handle so much treadmill time. On the plus side there are a lot of great trails here. Got a great 8 miles in today in the snow.

Not realizing this is what kept me from running most of my life. Once I learned how to run slow and easy I found I love it. One tip, doing some treadmill running is a good way to learn how to run at a slower pace. Set it at a pace just over walking speed so you can run without pushing too fast.

Marathon countdown - 17 weeks, 5 days. I will always remember 2024 as the year I became a #runner. I only wish I could tell my younger self to not wait until I was 53 to get started. All my bibs as finisher medals live on my home gym wall to remind myself of how far I have come. #running

Go outside right now, find a good mud puddle and throw the shoes in it. That will avoid you using the excuse of not wanting to get your nice new shoes dirty.

Marathon countdown - 18 weeks 1 day. With the end of the year fast approaching I took some time to come up with goals for 2025. Good goals should be challenging but achievable. Most importantly should be about beating your former self, not beating others. #running

Believe you can and you are halfway there.

Marathon countdown 20 weeks, 5 days. Whenever I find a good quote to inspire me for my workouts I make a sign to hang on the wall of my home gym. This one seemed especially appropriate.

Home Run the Maine Coast Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K on May 3-4, 2025. Race alongside the waves in Wells, ME this spring. Register to run today!

The marathon I will be running in is www.mainecoastmarathon.com

Marathon countdown - 21 weeks. On May 4th I will be running my first ever marathon. Going to post my progress as I train to hopefully inspire others to go for big goals. If I (a 54 year old non athlete) can do this then hopefully that will show others they can do more than they dreamed.