There are only 115 days left until the 26.2 with Donna in February 2012.  And in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there’s no time like the present to start training.  You usually want to start training for a marathon about 6 months in advance, but as long as you’re careful, there’s no reason you can’t do it.

Take it one day at a time, and come February you’ll be in tip top shape and ready to run in honor of all the women in your lives who have been affected by breast cancer.

Marathons are serious business and you’ll need to work at it every day, but here are a few tips to get you started.

First, get the right equipment.  Good shoes are key if you don’t want to end up with aching arches.  Decide what kind of shoe is best for you and invest in it.

Start by running at least 30 minutes a day without stopping.  Once you are able to do this, there are several different running schedules you can follow.  Many running schedules call for two consecutive days of running followed by a day of rest and so on.  A basic marathon schedule is open to interpretation—everyone knows their body best, so find out what works best for you and stick to it.  The key to training is finding what best motivates you. It’s the only way to push through those final miles.

Work on your attitude. Seriously. Negative thoughts will only hinder your focus when your body starts to break down and gets tired.  The best way to blot out the pain is to stay positive.  Think about why and who you are running for. Think of the millions of women who are affected by breast cancer each and every year.

-Arianna Schioldager