A New Training Schedule!

It’s always exciting to make a new training schedule.  Typically I’m over ambitious and by the third week I’m already altering what I wrote with what I’d rather run, but this time I took a new approach.  Since I’m not training for a goal race, I took into account my overall goals – increase endurance, build a higher base mileage up to prepare myself for a marathon training plan (even during my half marathon, I was only averaging 20-22 miles a week), and get set in a routine that I can keep when I do begin my marathon training.

“Pre-Marathon” training aka slow, steady [and FUN!] base building

Since the marathon I chose isn’t until the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (last weekend in May for anyone outside of the United States), I have quite a bit of time to enjoy running without anything too serious over my head.  This is great because I know between now and the 3rd week of January, life will get in the way.  I know I’ll switch runs around, I’ll feel under the weather and miss runs, and I’ll probably cut a few short, too.  When the time comes for marathon training, I’m going to work with an 18-week plan because it’s my first one, plus I want to have a little leeway if something comes up and I have a seriously crappy couple of weeks running.

Ultimately the goal is to set me up for a successful segue into a successful bought of marathon training.  No burn out, no injuries.

The basic layout of my plan is sticking to a routine.  I’m so busy with two jobs, one being fitness instruction, that if I don’t have a routine that works for me, I will already be unsuccessful.  And my week starts on Monday really only because Daily Mile starts on a Monday and I need my training report to add up to what I look at on my calendar (the slight OCD in me).  I already know of half dozen classes that I’m subbing, so I worked those into the plan, too.

Essentially, the entire plan is:
Monday: Teach sculpt & spin
Tuesday: Morning run, evening teach sculpt
Wednesday: Morning run, evening teach sculpt & spin
Thursday: Complete REST!
Friday: Afternoon run
Saturday: Double or long run
Sunday: Complete REST!

All the runs are easy, with exception to a couple races (Stage Race beginning of November and the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving) until December.  I tried to add in one tempo workout each week, but nothing too crazy or strenuous since that’s not the goal of the next few months.  The slight speedwork is just to get my body used to a little push that isn’t randomly incorporated during runs because I feel good.

The basis as far as mileage is to build up for three weeks, then take it down for a week.  My highest mileage is ending the first week of January at 28, then I back down for the following two weeks until I start marathon training.

I like to think I have a smart plan in place and I’m excited to keep up with it!