Training Plans

I am nowhere near an expert at training for a marathon.  In fact, I'm quite the running newbie.  I have completed three marathons, all within a one year period.  I have utilized quite different training plans with quite different results though.

For my first half marathon, I used a training plan from Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running by Dagny Scott Barrios. On Amazon Here

For my first and second full marathons (one year later), I used the Marathon Level 1 training plan from Run Faster: From the 5K to the Marathon by Brad Hudson & Matt Fitzgerald.   On Amazon Here

For my third marathon, I used a Hal Higdon running plan.  His website is here

There are pros and cons to all training plans.  Many of these things I do not have the knowledge to even intelligently discuss.  That being said, I truly felt prepared while using the Brad Hudson plan.  That being said, it is a LOT of work!  The reason I switched back to the Hal Higdon plan was for a bit of a break.  Wednesday nights of "Easy 10 miles" is a significant time commitment for this slow runner.

For my forth marathon, I am going back to Brad Hudson's plan.  Today, I mapped out his Marathon Level 1 plan and I should be right in the middle of week 3.  My runs haven't been very similar to what he recommends at this point, but beginning on Sunday, I will start following more closely (with the knowledge that I will go nuts without a bit of freedom from the plan).

This week's long run: 6 miles with the last 10 minutes moderate.  This is a step down from what I should be doing with the half training plan I was doing (14 miles).  I'm looking forward to the cooler weather so I can jump off the treadmill and log my miles outdoors.  In AZ, I may still have a month.

What training plans do you like?  What works best for you?

Marathon Training

This was a little unplanned, but I am finally beginning training for my next marathon.  Here's a little bit of my marathon running history:

In February 2013, I ran my first marathon.  It was the IMS Marathon in Phoenix, AZ.  My overall time was 4:30:55 (10:20/mile pace).
In July 2013, I ran my second marathon.  It was the Cordova Salmon Run in Cordova, AK.  My overall time was 4:25:05 (10:06/mile pace).
In December 2013, I ran my third marathon.  It was the Holualoa Marathon in Tucson, AZ.  My overall time was 4:48:39 (11:01 min/mile pace).

Needless to say, I was very frustrated about my third marathon.  While I admittedly hadn't been training very hard (I was using a pretty easy plan), I PR'd in the half marathon during my training and felt somewhat strong.  More on that later.

It is now September 2014 and I haven't ran another official race since then.  I came out strong in January, trying to increase my mileage each week.  Then, I got sidetracked with life: my 30th birthday, preparing for an interview to teach a course, actually prepping for and teaching my first doctorate level course, working full time, etc.

I finally decided to train for a half marathon on November 2, 2014.  This was the same half marathon that I PR'd in last year.  I thought it would help boost my running morale if I could race similarly (or better) this year.  I thought I would decide what to do next after that race.

I was 9 weeks into training for the half & feeling pretty good when I received an email last week indicating that they were canceling the race!  I was pretty bummed - I put effort into my training (though admittedly not 100%) and was looking forward to pushing myself at the event.  I had fun last year.  While it wasn't the most scenic event, it was energetic and geared towards women.  I felt camaraderie.

I had three options: 1 - Get my money refunded.  2 - Transfer the entry to next year's event.  3 - Transfer the entry to a Rock N Roll event of my choosing.  For me the choice was somewhat easy - I had already spent the money and don't need a refund.  The event was pretty inexpensive when I signed up (about $60).  I do not want to wait a year to run the event, especially considering how up in the air our living arrangements are for next year.  Therefore, I chose the Rock N Roll event.

I decided on the marathon as opposed to another half marathon.  I figured that I was already 9 weeks into a half marathon plan, so I might as well continue on and increase my mileage back to the full marathon.

My 2015 Marathon (and hopefully a PR) will be on January 18, 2015 in Phoenix, AZ.  I plan to journal and blog on the process to help me with any future running/training plans.  I have about 17 weeks to go!

Here is a link to the marathon's website: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/arizona.  Feel free to join me!