5/29/11

Preparing for Marathon Training

Well I did it. I officially registered for the Niagara Falls International Marathon.


Website
 I haven't ran more than 5 miles in weeks but I signed up for 26.2 of them this morning. Maybe I have officially lost my mind. I guess only time will tell...

Prior to registering I put together a training plan that more or less was intended to map out my long runs and determine the feasibility of working up to at least two 20 mile training runs. According to the plan, which is dependent on a fitness base that allows me to start at around 8 miles, its possible. Then again the plan doesn't have to actually run all those miles in the rain/heat/gross humidity so really, what does it know right?

Just kidding...well sort of.

Here's a basic outline of my plan otherwise known as Marathon Training for Dummies Who Think that They Can Run Marathons When Really They'd Rather Be Sleeping (in bookstores soon!):

Running:

  • Minimum 3x per week
  • One long run eventually building up to 20 miles maximum, per week
  • One fartlek run of 4-5 miles per week
  • One hills/speed training session weekly
  • Two 20 mile training runs total
Cross-Training/Strength Training

  • Minimum 2x per week
  • Includes body weight training, spinning, yoga, weights, biking
Nutrition

  • Wholesome foods like whole grains, fruits & vegetables, lean poultry, legumes, dairy
  • Less (much less) refined sugar
  • 2L of water per day
  • Less processed foods
The 3 "R"s: Rest/Relaxation/Recovery

  • Minimum 1 rest day per week (up to 2 later in training)
  • Regular foam rolling and stretching
  • Minimum 3 sports massage appointments
  • Minimum 7 hours sleep per night
  • Stress reduction through calming activities: yoga, bubble bath, reading, walking
Other

  • New shoes within the next two weeks

I have decided to start marathon training earlier then originally anticipated meaning that I officially start on Sunday June 5th. I will be posting weekly updates so stay tuned for the good, the bad and the ugly (which I hope is not lost toenails) of my first attempt at training for a marathon.

Wish me luck!!


So tell me, have you ever trained for a full or half marathon? What parts of training did you love the most? What did you hate? Would you do it again?


Attention Toronto Bloggers/Health Enthusiasts:

Details for the June 12th meetup have been sent out via email. If you are not on my mailing list yet, send me an email and let me know you are interested! (health.happiness.skinnyjeans(at)gmail(dot)com)

8 comments:

  1. Ohh I love the feeling of signing up for races!! Good luck. I have never trained for a full, but I start my half training tomorrow! We can be virtual running buddies. One thing that does help me is creating an actual schedule (on paper) and hanging it in a visible location. I would never wake up and decide to run 20 miles, but if I am already a following a plan well.....good luck lady!

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  2. When is the Marathon? Your training plan looks solid. There's nothing like signing up for a race/run to get ya moving! GOOD LUCK!!!! I'm looking forward to reading your training updates -- for some reason those things keep me motivated for my own training plans.

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  3. Finally!! You registered! Let the training begin :)

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  4. Yay for signing up!!

    My plan is very, very similar to yours so we can be virtual training buddies :) (although I think I might want to do one 22 mile run. We'll see.) My training officially kicks off next Sunday as well - I meet with my pace group for the first time! We are starting with 10 miles. I might die in the humidity.

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  5. Sounds like a great plan, I'm impressed how detailed it is! And yay for signing up.. good luck!

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  6. For starters, you are crazy! :) But we all have to be a little bit... and your plan looks great. My training partner and I did an 18-miler and two 20's and we beat our goal!

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  7. Congrats on an official registration! The marathon training journey is really what makes the marathon. The race is a big celebration of months of hard work. The best part? After each long run, you will feel giddy with that sense of accomplishment. The worst? It's very consuming. But oh so worth it!

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  8. Signing up for races is so fun..it's the feeling of "Oh crap, what did I just do" afterwards that isn't so great.

    I signed up for a november half last night. I was excited, and today I'm like..whaaaat did I do?

    My fave part of training is long runs. Weird, right? I love that feeling of accomplishment that comes at the end of the run. No matter how bad the run was you can say, " I just ran X amount of miles."

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