Saturday, February 11, 2006
POUNDING MY FLESH - Running and Training Update - February 11, 2006
2006 Running Total: 66.4 miles
February Total: 14.4 miles
Avg. Pace: 10.57/mile
So, this ends my last week of "recreational running" prior to starting my official training for my first race, The Runner's World Half Marathon on April 30th, 2006. I've got about 11 weeks, which is a perfect amount of time for me, as it allows me to add mileage very gradually, thereby not risking injury.
The worst possible outcome is to train for a race, and then get injured a week or two prior to the race. Ugh.
So, what does the training routine look like? Glad you asked. There are any number of different training regimens available for people, ranging from programs designed for first-timers to those designed for the advanced runner.
I've become a disciple of The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. This book motivated me tremendously, in that it provides you EVERYTHING you need to accomplish a very specific goal. The program isn't focused on completing a marathon in world record time, but instead, gives you the training tools to accomplish your goal - FINISHING a marathon.
From the editorial review on Amazon:You can be a marathoner. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer is based on the highly successful marathon class offered by the University of Northern Iowa, which was featured in a Runner's World article titled "Marathoning 101." The class has been offered five times over 10 years, and all but one student finished the marathon. That is approximately 200 students -- all first time marathoners and many with absolutely no running background.
My mantra in terms of following the training program is essentially this: Do no less than what the program asks, and do nothing more. There are times when I feel really good, and could probably run much longer than I'm required, but the discipline tells me to stop. Conversely, there are times where I do NOT feel like running, but the program asks me to finish it, and be done.
So here's a glimpse of what it looks like - it's consists of running four times week, for ten weeks, with a one-week taper prior to the race:
Weeks One and Two
15 miles total, with runs of 3, 4, 3 and 5 miles.
Weeks Three and Four
16 miles total, with runs of 3, 4, 3 and 6 miles
Weeks Five and Six
17 miles total, with runs of 3, 4, 3, and 7 miles.
Weeks Seven and Eight
19 miles total, with runs of 3, 5, 3, and 8 miles.
Weeks Nine and Ten
21 miles total, with runs of 3, 5, 3, and 10 miles.
Week Eleven
23 miles total, with runs of 3 and 4, walking 3 miles, and the race - 13 miles.
So, there it is... hopefully, I'll stick to it, and be able to let you take the ride with me. Feel free to join with me on the training program, or sit back at your computer munching Doritos and watching me do the heavy lifting for you.
That's why I'm doing it, of course.... it's all for you, the reader.
Impressed? Feel like you'd like to get into the action, without having to do the running? Check into sponsorship!
Posted by FleshPresser at 5:20 PM /
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I've become a disciple of The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. This book motivated me tremendously, in that it provides you EVERYTHING you need to accomplish a very specific goal. The program isn't focused on completing a marathon in world record time, but instead, gives you the training tools to accomplish your goal - FINISHING a marathon.
