Well technically it started yesterday per my training plan, but that one was easy – it was a rest day. It has been quite a while since I last blogged on my training for the half-marathon. Well I finished the event in October and improved my time over the previous year by around 18 minutes. More exciting for me was when I finished I didn’t feel like I would never want to run again. In fact it was then that I set a new goal for 2012. One that my doctor told me I’d never do - due to knee issues – and that is to complete a full marathon.
Since preparation was the key to my recent success I put a plan together to get ready for the full marathon. Part of the plan was to ensure I run throughout the winter so I didn’t lose any fitness. Too many times I have backed off on training in the winter only to have to start from scratch in the spring. To ensure I kept running I registered for the Rock CF Half-Marathon in Grosse Ile, which is held in late March. I stuck to the training plan and, since we had a mild winter, was able to complete most of my training runs outside. The race was very well run and had great sight lines of Canada, beautiful neighborhoods and the Detroit River since most of the course is along the outer roads of the island. In that event I was able to shave another 6 minutes off of my PR.
Since then I have been running to get ready for the marathon training. My first long run calls for 8 miles this weekend which I’m not too worried about as long as it cools down a little. The biggest shock for my body will be the multiple training days in a row. I normally take a day off between runs but I am going to give this plan an honest try and attempt to stick to it. My main goal is to complete the marathon. I do have secondary goals regarding finishing times, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. I hope I can stay healthy throughout the training and will keep you posted along the way.
2 Comments
Are you doing GR Marathon? I am signed up for it this year as my first marathon. I see many people starting their training plans this week. I have decided just to incorporate the training into my annual triathlon training plan and see how that goes. Nothing like winging it for my first marathon
No I’m planning to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon this year. I’d like to run the GR Marathon some day, but I really enjoy the Detroit Marathon since we are able to run into Canada and back.
Good luck with your training! Since you’ve completed Tri’s I’m sure you’ll do great.