Footnotes: #BeMonumental {Weeks 2&3}

I really know how to time marathon training. Week 1 of my preparation for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon coincided with our family road trip to Florida, and I had the hair-brained idea to begin Whole 30 at the beginning of Week 2.

But, if I was to do Whole30 at any point during this training cycle, it was better to do it now than later.

Why? Running sucked the big one for most of the first week on the diet. I would feel like I was sprinting but my pace would be slower than what I normally average for long runs, and I lost energy toward the end of even the shortest runs.

Things improved during the second week of Whole30, aka Week 3 of marathon training. I'm still in what feels like a base-building stage but the miles don't lack for quality. I'm running race pace, tempo and working to nail negative splits. I'm not logging the miles as fast as I'd like but there's no need to prove that I can run faster - I know I can. And so does Coach Christine, who wrote the plans for the Train Like a Mother Club.

Win of the week(s): Coming back from the Whole30 slump and making it through my race pace + tempo + race pace sandwich run on Friday. Also, just running at all when it didn't feel fun.

Biggest hurdle: The heat. My long run over the weekend was in near 80-degree temps with high humidity – even at 6:30 a.m. No matter how slow you take it or how much you drink, it's hard to deal with those conditions. About 3 miles into my 10, I looked over at my partner and asked her why, in God's name, did I decide to register for a fall marathon. Her answer? The feeling at the end of it all.

#allthefeelings: I'm feeling good but ready for an awesome run to boost my confidence.