1st Marathon Training Plan

I really like running. After a summer of hard training for my first half marathon in Detroit, I ran the race feeling proud and strong. After I crossed the finish line, I knew I was hooked. Later I was wondering just how much I loved running and how far I could push my body as an athlete. What better way than to pursue a tougher distance? I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from daily training workouts and the feeling of crossing the finish line is divine.

With that in mind I signed up for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI. This race has over 1,000 positive reviews on MarathonGuide and is a small race of about 2,000 people. Not to mention it takes place in my favorite area of Michigan, Grand Traverse Bay.

Finally I'm ready to share my training plan. I made sure to include a lot of different training styles. I built this plan as an adaptation of Hal Higdon's novice training plans and from a plan my friend's Ironman dad built for her. Alongside my normal weekly runs, I've planned hill and speed sessions, long runs and cross training with swimming and biking. Additionally, I signed up for a 'Strength Training for Runners' class at UM and a month-long basic yoga class. During half marathon training I neglected strength work and was lazy about stretching, so I'm excited to try these classes.

Also, as a way to stay motivated, I've signed up for races throughout training, which will also substitute for my long runs those weeks. Two races I'll be checking out are:

The National Half-Marathon in DC- 13.1 miles

and the 5/3 River Bank Run in downtown Grand Rapids, MI- 25K +4.5 miles (to make a 20-miler weekend).

To kick off a week of pre-training, I hit the campus rec building for some treadmill work on a snowy day. It was absolutely PACKED at the gym, full of resolutioners! Luckily I only had to wait for about 2 minutes for a free treadmill to open up.

I jumped on and ran 3 miles:

Mile 1: 9:49

Mile 2: 9:40

Mile 3: 9:31

As I ran I thought about how a year ago I couldn't even run 5 minutes without stopping. I'm so happy for the strength and health I've had over the past year.

After I came home I had dinner and promptly spent the rest of the night in bed with Bigcat, thank you notes and the Office. I also ate the last of Sam's chips (about a serving) for a snack. Kettle Cheddar Sour Cream chips, you are divine.

Anyone have any great chip suggestions? I think I'll be needing them as I head into marathon training!