I love so many things about marathon training. Running with a purpose. Eating whatever I want. Watching the miles pile on. The journey to meet a difficult goal. Impressive comments I get from people who don’t run. But the thing I love most of all, the part that I have the most fun with as I get ready for a marathon, is the PLANNING!
I absolutely love the planning aspect. Starting with planning which race it will be. Then, for the out-of-town races, the planning of when to go, where to stay, what to do, etc. Planning the race day logistics. And most importantly, planning the training.
It is funny, because on the one hand, I don’t really plan my training out very well at all. For the most part, I wing it. My marathon training has no start date. I don’t count the weeks left to the race. What I do on a given day is typically based on how I feel and how much time I have that day, and not what the ‘training plan’ says I need to do. I watch at the macro level to make sure that I’m generally getting enough miles in, that my mileage is increasing properly, and that I’m getting the right cross training in, but I do not micro-manage the day-to-day workouts.
However, on the other hand, the one aspect I do plan very carefully is my long runs, and my goal activity for each weekend leading up to the race. And that is what I’m working on now for my May 2 marathon, Rhode Races in Providence RI.
Couple of holes still, but here is how it is shaping up now.
- weekend of 1/23 – Manhattan Half
- weekend of 1/30 – 15 miles
- weekend of 2/6 – TBD, default being 10 miles. Maybe long bike ride?
- weekend of 2/13 – on vacation
- weekend of 2/20 – on vacation
- weekend of 2/27 – long run 18 miles
- weekend of 3/6 – Coogan’s 5k race
- weekend of 3/13 – TBD, default being 10 miles. Maybe long bike ride?
- weekend of 3/20 – long run – 20 miles
- weekend of 3/27 – March Madness Biathlon
- weekend of 4/3 – 131 New York Half Marathon
- weekend of 4/10 – last long run – 21 miles
- weekend of 4/17 – start of taper – 10-13 miles
- weekend of 4/24 – taper
- weekend of 5/1 – BIG RACE
BRING IT!
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Scott, your long run plans sounds really great. 15,18,20,21 plus some halfs sounds perfect. I think your going to rock the Rhode Race on May 2nd. I just know these things!! :O)
+1 on the planning… filling in all the blanks on my Google calendar is one of my favorite pre-training activities. Good luck!