Alyssa just completed her first marathon (yeah, she’s hardcore like that) and wrote a highly entertaining guest post about why you should run one, too (assuming you’re not injured, of course).
As a never-before-marathon-runner myself, she has me awfully intrigued… but only if her parents will make me a race sign like the one they made for her (below).
Enjoy!
Guest Post: Life of bLyss
Hi, peanut butter finger lovers! My name is Alyssa, and I am the girl behind the blog Life of bLyss. In my blog, I cover my adventures in running at fitness, raising my crazy puppy Chloe, and balancing a fun, fit lifestyle as a 23 year old newly-single girl in the best beach town on the East Coast.
Julie’s blog was the first I ever stumbled upon. A friend of mine Googled a recipe, found Julie’s blog, and immediately sent me the link telling me she’d found my long lost twin. Over a year later, I’m honored Julie has reached out to me to do a guest post on her blog.
I just ran my very first marathon this past Sunday. And before you call me crazy, I’m about to tell you why you need to do one… stat.
All you non-runners, I know what you’re thinking. “Oh, a marathon post? Running? Eh, pass. I’ll just come back when Julie posts another delicious granola recipe.”
Hold your horses. This post is for non-runners, too. And I’ll bet it makes you kindasorta want to run a marathon.
I ran the Marine Corps Marathon because I wanted a new challenge after competing in 4 half marathons, and I quickly learned the training was no joke (read: no Friday night partyin’, early Saturday runs, little to no lower body workouts for months).
But hold up.. I’m about to tell you why it’s worth it.
1. Men in uniform smile at you all day and hand you oranges, water, energy gels, and Gatorade and tell you how great you are.
(source)
2. It’s socially acceptable to strip in public. This excites some people, and I’m not one to judge.
I had more wardrobe changes than Britney Spears on tour.
3. You are provided with a one-of-a-kind black and silver shawl.
Oh, you haven’t heard its the newest trend to sport to work the next day? Yeah. I saw it on Pinterest the other day.
4. There’s a free massage involved. And at that moment, it will be the best thing you’ve experienced in the whole wide world.
5. Strangers will give you candy.
(source)
You will thank the kind souls who hand you twizzlers and gummy bears out of the kindness of their hearts. And that twizzler will get you through the entirety of mile 14.
6. The signs by spectators and the signs on fellow runners ensure you’ll never get bored. I saw: “Call a cab. It’s faster,” “You’re almost there (TWSS)!” “Chafe now, brag forever,” “Chuck Norris never ran a marathon,” and “Don’t die!”
And I passed a guy with a sign on his back saying “If you don’t see my wife, she’s smoking me.” This was my all-time favorite, since his wife was nowhere to be seen. 😉
7. Speaking of spectator signs… if you’re really lucky, your parents might make the funniest one of all.
Just saying, if you’re about to be a spectator at a race, your runner is sure to see you if you make a life-sized portrait of them.
8. The most obvious: Eating obnoxiously for the rest of the day is absolutely necessary.
In my world, this means ordering a chocolate milkshake, a beer, and an order of large fries.
9. You will be the most thankful for your foam roller you have ever been in your entire life.
10. You get to sit on your butt for at least two days afterwards telling everyone who comes near you that you just ran a marathon. It’ll get you out of work tasks, errands, having to get your own food at lunch, and making your own coffee.
I’m kidding.
Sorta.
And if the look on my face doesn’t seal the deal to tell you how happy it will make you to complete 26.2 miles, I don’t know what will.
When you do, come see me at lifeofblyss.com. We’ll talk about all the glorious things you ate afterwards and high-five our foam rollers together.
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This was such a great post – Love you Alyssa, you’re always so funny!
haha great post!! still don’t think a marathon will be in my near future… 😉
I want to run a marathon one day! Life goal RIGHT THERE! That’s too funny about the guy with the “she’s smoking me” on the back of his shirt hahaha. That would be me but with my boy-friend (6’0 compared to 5’2 and that boy is a speed monster!).
Great post! Love it! Makes me want to run a marathon 🙂
This made me giggle. Mainly because within an hour of finishing my first half marathon, I housed an order of cheese fries. Great minds think alike!
I was just saying today how I can’t picture myself ever running a full marathon. However, I’m competitive and being able to say I’ve done one would be pretty awesome. I may need a little more convincing, but maybe I’ll think about doing one in the future… After a couple more halfs?
I’ve said that before, too.. I also once said there was no way I could run a half. 😉 things change! I bet you’ll get bored if halves in no time.
This is great!! Def makes me want to dust off my old running shoes & hit the pavement again. Very inspiring 🙂
What an awesome guest post! Alyssa, you’re hilarious, and I’m heading over to check out your blog right now!
Love that life-sized portrait!!
I loved this post 🙂
I remember when you did a guest post for me about why you were planning to run a marathon, back in the day before you ran a marathon (back in the day = July :)).
You make me want to run more than 5k, you inspirational little minx!
This post was so funny! Loved it! …I might run a marathon in a few years, but not anytime soon. My longest distance ever is only 6 miles… But this inspired me to think about it!
Awesome post…love you alyssa!!!
Great incite and post. After running my first of 4 half marathons myself this year, three weeks ago, I silently ran my first full marathon, I told no one, not even my fiance, she just assumed I had signed up for a half marathon. No one believed me until the pictures were posted on the race website. I wanted to do it for MYSELF, and prove things to myself. You never fully know your will power and perseverance until about 20 miles of running strait and telling your self your almost done doing something 1% of the population can say they have accomplished. So well done to you, and congrats. And have another chocolate shake and a fry tomorrow to keep the celebration going!
this is incredible, Nathan. I don’t think I’m humble enough to run a whole marathon without telling anyone. 😉 YOU are an inspiration! congrats to you!
Yes, well, if you have time to read the new blog I just started, and JUST published the about me section
http://cheeseandicecream.wordpress.com/about-2/
It sheds a little more light on the long long road I had to come down to get to this point. But in short, lets just say I NEEDED to do it only for MYSELF and prove some things to myself 😉 But thank again and again amazing job for you as well!
I just ran the Marine Corps Marathon too!!! There were not that many Marines handing me my medal though… It was a great race – the first 17 miles flew by and the last 9 were very slow. I just wrote my very long recap on my blog. Your post was much shorter and funnier! Great job on finishing!!!
oh i love that girl! she makes me smile and so do you! best of luck friend! yea!!
I ran it too – It was my first!
Crap… that kind of worked! (especially point #1!)
Love Alyssa’s blog too! Oh and Julie I was just on Pinterest and one of my friends freakin repinned one of your WEDDING PICS!!! So crazy! You’re famous on Pinterest!
For an extremely inexperienced “runner”, I loved this guest post! It makes me actually want to try to get there, even though it seems so out of reach. And nothings more fun than eating obnoxiously!
I will def be checking out Life of bLyss!
Not just kinda sorta. I REALLY want to run a marathon.
I definitely want to do a half marathon soon, but not ready yet, I can tell. I have been running 3-5 miles on/off for a good 6ish months, but not consistent enough since the past two months so I will wait till next year, but this gets me excited!! Good for you woman!!
Shnikes! I am just now thinking about a 10k… or maybe half.. but have a LONG LONG way to go before I’d be marathon ready… if I do though I’m def looking up the Marine Corps one bc HELLO men in uniform and massages!!! haha nice post 🙂
i highly encourage it. 😉 you’ll be addicted once you complete that 10k!
Running a marathon is definitely on my bucket list! I’m training for a half right now so I’ll get there eventually!
Awesome guest post, girl. You’re an inspiration!
Hahahaha! I love the photos in this post! This is all kinds of awesome! I’m definitely not any closer to running a marathon, but I’m at least more willing to read about it now 🙂
Running a 1/2 marathon is on my bucket list but I may cross out the half and go all the way now..I’m not gonna lie, #8 especially appealed to me 🙂
I would love to run a marathon! except I am, unfortunately, one of the injured one 🙁 And the worst thing is I don’t even know why I got hurt!
Oh how I love you and your awesome photo captions, Alyssa 🙂
Haha I love Alyssa. Great post. The massage part alone makes me (half) tempted! I’m running a half marathon next weekend, but I don’t know if I’m ready for a marathon yet! 🙂
I love this post!! 🙂 I just started to train for my first ever half marathon, but boy! This sure makes me want to cross the finish and loop around to make it a full! It must have been the the chocolate shake and large fries (all sauces included) that sealed the deal..and that excited side jump of yours.. Haha! 😉 congrats!! And thanks for sharing!
wooohooo! thanks for having me, Julie. 🙂 HOPE YOU JUST CRUSHED YOUR HALF and are eating your equivalent of fries, a chocolate shake, and a beer. 😉
Great post and definitely makes me want to consider running. Unfortunately my knees are not up to it. Maybe I’ll trying some jogging first. Thanks for the guest post and inspiration 🙂
It does seem like something I’d like to accomplish, but it is such a daunting task! That’s a lot farther than a half marathon!
Did you follow a training plan?
I’m just happy to be able to run 5 miles consistently! Maybe one day…
I followed a hodgepodge of hal higdon training plans + bullied Janae at hungryrunnergirl to send me her old one. it worked like a charm… and trust me, the hardest part of an actual marathon is the training time management!
I love her blog! so funny! and i thought for a millisecond about runningn a full, but right now Ill stick with halves haha
I love your post and your humor! I completely relate to your marathon experience, the signs are a BIG deal and help more than the supporters could ever know. Congrats!! 😉
~Kari
Great guest post! Makes me want to run a marathon 🙂
This was so much fun to read!
What a ROCKIN’ post Alyssa! I just did a 15K saturday which I LOVED and am looking up the next half marathons I can sign up for. And even contemplating a marathon. Which this post just made me want to do more. Yep – it kindasorta worked 😉 I’ll definitely be visiting your corner of the blog world too in the near future!
Great guest post choice Julie!
Alyssa,
Fantastic!! I was there with you sister…wasn’t it awesome. You helped me re-live how great it felt to complete my first marathon. Signed up for Disney the next day–how about you? Can’t wait to do it again. Your energy is an inspiration–keep it up and good luck.
I don’t know how I missed your guest post but thankfully you tweeted it! It was awesome and entertaining – HELLO nice guys in uniform 😀
Love this post! I have run two half marathons and am hoping to do another half this spring and try a full in early summer. Now your post convinced me that I must do a full! 🙂 I love your writing, Alyssa, off to check out your blog!