Marathon Training Begins

Today begins the official day of my marathon training for the Keybank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, VT. This will be my first marathon. Two years ago I started running and I had no idea then that it would lead me to a marathon. My only plan at the time was to get my clothes to fit better and be able to run a local 5K. But now I’ve completed 16 races in the past 18 months: 7 5Ks, a 4-miler, 1 10K, 3 half marathons, 1 duathlon, a run leg of a triathlon, and 2 sprint triathlons. And I’ve found I truly love running.

I’ll be using the FIRST marathon training plan from the book Run Less Run Faster. It consists of 3 focused runs each week (intervals, tempo, and a long run), plus 2 non-weight bearing aerobic cross-training days (I’ll be biking), and then an optional day. This plan worked well for me for my two half marathons last fall, especially when that training overlapped my triathlon training. I can’t help but to have doubts as to how well this will work for a full marathon. Will my running mileage be too low? Of course my main goal is to just finish the race, happy. But I know I want to do a little better than just finish.

Time to fit in a ride this morning before work. Then I’m off to the pool after work, desperately trying to work on my swimming form so I don’t flail so much at the triathlons this summer. But I’ll leave the tri-talk for another time.

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