Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Drum roll please........Ta Da......You may now begin training

    When I trained for my first marathon I followed a training plan I found in an issue of Runner's World. It seemed like a pretty basic schedule of running 5-6 days a week and included speed work, hills, recovery runs and a long run every week. The long run started around 7 miles the first week and eventually peaked at 20 miles. Twice. Once again I'm beginning to train for a marathon (my second) and I officially begin this coming Monday. (cue confetti, trumpets, and loud applause!) Fine, no ticker tape parade but I am excited! I don't care if I'm the only one who is, because after all, it's for me not them haha.
    Anyway, this time around I once again have found a new plan for training in my trusty RW magazine, the January 2011 issue to be exact. In said issue there is an article that tells all about a slightly different approach to marathon training. This plan is used and designed by the Hanson Brothers... No not the singers annoying mm-bop guild. The guys who started the Brooks Hanson Distance Project. To summarize, the idea is to focus on training for the pace you want to run your marathon at. They still have speed, strength and long distance workouts but the longest run is 16 miles! When I read this that's what caught my eye, because last go around it was tough fitting in those longer runs every week. Granted it didn't help that it was one of my busiest summers I've had but still, this sounds like it will be so much easier on my weekend schedule! I know what your thinking. "How do you get around not having an uber long 20+ mile run?" Well the article does a much better job of explaining it but the way I understand it is the increased effort and high weekly mileage throughout the training schedule will train you to continue on when you are fatigued. So if you're interested in reading into it more you can follow the link above and get the scoop. Like I said, I'm excited for it and I'm hoping it works out for me, cus I mean well otherwise that would suck haha, but I won't know if I don't try! So like I said training kicks off Monday the 4th with 0-4 miles on tap, I'm going to shoot for 3 miles and ease into it. Then Tuesday is 3 miles worth of speed work, which since I'm a member of the Kalamazoo Area Runners I get to run indoors at WMU's track for free on Tuesday mornings! Take that old man winter! Wednesday is a rest day every week which works out perfect for me because that is my long day at work and I'm always lacking on motivation come the end of work on Wed. So there you have it running 6 days a week. speed work will be Tuesdays, marathon pace runs on Thursdays and long runs on Sundays, Wednesdays off and Mondays and Fridays will be mid distance easy paceish.

    I'm thinking next post I'll let you in on the awesome running goodies I got for Christmas and also what I'm using as defense against the Michigan winter. So far I haven't froze to death so I must be doing something right! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, I know I did!
    Oh and if you have a minute and want to check out a pretty awesome blog I recently found and started following then jump on over to JerBear Shares. If you do you might just win a prize! She just recently acquired her 100th follower and is doing a giveaway to celebrate!

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