My marathon training habits have adapted to various class schedules, work schedules, and other plans. I used to run 4-5 days a week, with some shorter 5-6 mile runs and a long run on the weekend. More recently, I run 2-3 days a week, with a fair amount of mid-distance and longer runs. I prefer not to overtrain, as to avoid injuries and burnout.
I sometimes sign up for marathons that are a month apart, which I actually prefer because my hard work goes towards two races instead of just one. I will typically take about a week off after a marathon, and then start back up with some 5-6 mile runs during the week and maybe an 8-10 mile run on the weekend. I usually won't run more than 13 between the two marathons, and just count on my previous training and recent race. I've had quite a bit of success in running a "warm up" marathon prior to a more important race. I've also had some trial and error with training over the years, but for now I have a good idea of what works for me.
Since I run 3-4 marathons a year, I look to reduce travel costs in a lot of ways. Depending on location, I've couchsurfed/used Airbnb, camped out, and even slept at a firehouse in Kentucky. I also have AAA to reduce hotel costs and rental car costs. I've done some 13 hour drives to reach races. Sometimes I'll take public transit into town to rent a car instead of getting it from the airport, to save money.
I find most of my races from Marathonguide.com, and races that interest me but I can't do this year, I keep in the back of my mind for future years, and then sign up early to get the lowest registration fee possible. I heavily rely on Google Maps to compare options for what is most cost-effective.
A project my husband and I recently started is run.travel, a new tool to make it easier for people to plan destination marathons. Any feedback is welcome!
I've been a vegetarian since I was 14, and have adapted to an active lifestyle without animal protein. My specific diet has changed over the years, but the constant thing is a lot of pasta and bread (carbs!). I used to eat a lot of Boca burgers, but now I'm more likely to eat tofu, tempeh, beans, and vegetables. I also eat a lot of greek yogurt, fruit, and cereal.
Now that I've qualified for and run the Boston Marathon a few times, I've relaxed my goals a bit. I always hope to run a sub 4 hour marathon, and would ideally like to complete as many states as I can in under 4 hours. There's a subset of the 50 States Marathon Club specifically for people who run all 50 in under 4 hours. However, I sometimes pick some more challenging races that I know might put a sub 4 race time in jeopardy. Maybe once I complete the 50 states I'll go back and re-run the few I missed. Right now there are 7 I would have to redo: Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Illinois, Ohio, and Florida.
I get asked this question a lot. A couple of races have stood out to me, so it's hard to pick just one. These are definitely races I would recommend, and would run again, given the opportunity.