This just happened! I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon on October 9th and the Manchester Marathon in New Hampshire on November 6th. After years of running solo I have finally found two wonderful running friends. One of them has decided that Manchester will be her first full marathon (with just a little encouragement from me!). I usually sink into a little post marathon funk so I thought this would be a great motivation and challenge to remain active and focused on a goal after Chicago.
I’m not at all the same runner I was a few years ago. I love it just the same, but I have really developed a new outlook on running. I used to be so goal focused. Now I’m more thrilled to run with others and I am much less crazed about my times. That’s not to say I don’t have goals. I definitely do, but I am also enjoying the variety of runs and the companionship. The two women I’ve been running with are willing to meet me for early morning runs some days, they both love to try out new routes, and we are often able to enjoy a coffee afterwards. It’s really brought the fun back into running for me.
Training begins next week, and I am looking forward to getting back to a schedule. I am looking forward to having company on some of my long runs this year.
Aim 
I don’t know that I’d run and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t train if I were always alone. Good running friends keep me accountable, share the struggle, eliminate any nerves about being alone/unsafe, and keep me engaged and content. Even on the worst of days, it’s something we will share a laugh about later, the day I fell, the day the wind chill was in the 20s and it started freezing raining with the wind blowing so hard the flags were almost freezing straight out, the day we stopped to help a duck some biker had hit, etc. It’s all about the people! And I love marathons a month apart. It’s far enough that you can race both if you need to, but close enough you don’t have to retrain, and you can always just run the second one for fun if you want. Takes a lot of the pressure off.
Woohoo, very exciting! Hope the training is going well.
You are crazy!! 😉 no, I like what Carina says. It probably take a the pressure off and you don’t need to retrain!