I'm signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon - again - this year and we are now inside of 16 weeks so I guess I should start making my plan. Like with cooking, I am notorious in my house for finding a recipe and then only sort of following it. Plans are more like inspirations. I used to be a big planner: very detail-oriented and the like. Three kids later...
I have run 5 marathons before - 2 of which have been the Marine Corp. The wrench thrown into last year's training was appendicitis. At least I can count on that not happening again. I figured the first place to start with forming my training plan was considering what I did last time. My husband, who has a knack less for planning and more for recording afterwards as though he planned it all along - has a great athletic log.
A while back I cut out "Marathon Training for Busy People" from Runner's World Magazine. Subtitle: "Running by Time, Not Miles, Lets You Get the Most Out of Every Minute". It peaks with about "6 hours 30 minutes" rather than the more traditional "40 miles" +/-. It allows faster runners to get more miles in...you get the idea. It is, in essence, a very traditional plan, however. It mixes tempo runs with easy runs and long runs on weekends. It has 2 rest days, but little suggestion about cross training.
What I am proposing is entirely different. This year, I am considering running my son to school which is an 11-12 mile round-trip. Three days a week plus just a couple 20-milers on the weekends might do the trick. I really like my gym days despite waking at 4:30 am so that takes up Wed and Fri. Sundays I like yoga after church. I like my schedule, why change it? It is working. I haven't suffered any running injuries. So, here's the gist of my Marathon Training with Jogging Stroller:
Mon 10-12 miles
Tues 10-12 miles
Wed weights gym
Thurs 10-12 miles
Fri weights/bike gym
Sat 15-20 miles
Sun yoga gym
*Not racing with the stroller - the race organizers don't allow it. PLUS I'm not talking about a single stroller with a cute little 15-pounder riding along like those dads that have those record marathon-with-stroller times. I'm using a double stroller with a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old weighing a combined 75 lbs +/-.
seeMOMMYrun.com is a free service that help moms find other walking or running moms in their areas. The site helps the 'everyday athlete' in all of us stay motivated, set goals, and reach them.
2 comments:
I love the plan -- I've trained for marathons with 3-4 days of running and 2-3 days of cross training a week. It works for sure. Good luck with marathon #6! I'm putting off my marathon #5 until 2011 (when I turn 40!).
Your * just made me chuckle. I used to push my single jogger with my 1 year old and think I was getting a good workout. Now Im pushing my double with my 30 lb 2 year old and my 8 week old in her carseat and realizing how easy that single jogger was....
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