If my math is correct I'm roughly 113 days from my second marathon which is exciting and completely terrifying at the same time. I used a plan for my first marathon and was very happy with it. This summer is a tad different for me as I am sorta working on three sports at once and hopefully getting more comfortable with the whole "triathlon game". I guess you could say I like to be busy. The bonus to adding swimming and biking into my regular running routine is that it makes my running better. And let's face it, I could use all the help I can get.
Since I am starting PDS in the fall, I know I need to use every ounce of my precious time to make sure I get everything done. If I create a plan and know EXACTLY what I need to do for each day not only am I more likely to get it done, but it also saves me time figuring out what today's workout is. It's very easy for me to sit here and say I will be busy and have no time to train for a marathon. But. I don't have a full time job or a family to take care of. Now is the time to spend doing things I love without taking time away from work or kids. When I take a few minutes going for a quick run before class or unwinding with a spin class, my mood is noticeable better than if I were to hit snooze. I'll be honest, some days I do hit snooze and I regret it. It happens. We are human.
While I can't take all the credit writing this plan from scratch, I did cater it to what I *think* will work for me. The beauty of it is I can change it at any time. For example I know that I can not and should not run more than two days back to back. Fridays have always been my rest days
leaving my legs nice and fresh for long runs on Sunday. Make sense?
Since I am starting PDS in the fall, I know I need to use every ounce of my precious time to make sure I get everything done. If I create a plan and know EXACTLY what I need to do for each day not only am I more likely to get it done, but it also saves me time figuring out what today's workout is. It's very easy for me to sit here and say I will be busy and have no time to train for a marathon. But. I don't have a full time job or a family to take care of. Now is the time to spend doing things I love without taking time away from work or kids. When I take a few minutes going for a quick run before class or unwinding with a spin class, my mood is noticeable better than if I were to hit snooze. I'll be honest, some days I do hit snooze and I regret it. It happens. We are human.
While I can't take all the credit writing this plan from scratch, I did cater it to what I *think* will work for me. The beauty of it is I can change it at any time. For example I know that I can not and should not run more than two days back to back. Fridays have always been my rest days
leaving my legs nice and fresh for long runs on Sunday. Make sense?
The original plan I modified from the Marathon Intermediate Run. This spring I used their 10K Intermediate Run to train for a 10K I signed up for. While I wasn't able to participate in the race due to family matters, over the course of a few weeks I was able to see some small speed gains. While I don't spend all my time focused on speed, I would like to take some time off my marathon time. I didn't stick a goal on my first one because I wanted to run it to run it and not stress for time. This time around I know what my body will be able to handle and can push it. We will see how that goes. Maybe if I get really good at this blogging thing I can even do weekly reflections on how my training is going. It's not like anyone reads this anyway, right?
You can never have too many running mantras. "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it." My high school band director said something similar to us and it really stuck with my for my high school career. Whenever I need a boost of encouragement I check out my favorite running blogs or hit up Pinterest to feel inspired. When all else fails I lace up and run :) |
Bring it on Naperville. Bring it on.