Planning for Training for Training for Marathon

The time has come to get back into running mode.

Healing mode has been ok, and mostly successful.  I got back out and ran on Sunday, and the ailments were mostly cooperative.  The weather is starting to warm up, and I’ve hibernated long enough.  I need a goal.  I need a target.  I need my Garmin and iPod and RoadID.  I love the smell of Biofreeze in the morning.

I don’t have any races officially planned yet for 2011, but that should change shortly.  I also haven’t chosen a training plan yet for my Fall marathon, but that’s in the works too.  I’ve got some new gear patiently waiting to be thrown into action.  Right now I’m backwards planning from a most-likely October race to figure out my strategy.  This time around, I’m going to put together a fairly regimented base-building training plan, which will then lead directly into a roughly 18-week marathon training plan.  If I’m doing the math right in my head, that means I probably need to get started before the end of February.

I’m also starting to think about some goals for Marathon 3.  M1 was old-school, bare-bones, Rocky running around in the snowy mountains in Russia training.  M2 was try-new-things, mix in some tempo work, cross-train (far too little), sweat-till-you -bleed training.  Unfortunately I screwed up my knee pretty badly a couple weeks out from M2, but the training still seemed to have worked as I was able to knock twenty minutes off my M1 time.  I know I want to knock more time off for M3, but I REALLY want to minimize my injuries this time around.  Tired of hurting.  Need to strike that delicate balance between pushing and breaking.  Thus far I’m not very good at it.

The weather here is begging me to get out and run this weekend.

If I get my plans pulled together, I’ll be running with purpose.  Good stuff.