It’s time for a confession. Truth be told, I really suck at following training plans. The thing is, I almost always start off with a bang. I stick to my training plan and find excitement in putting in the work. Then, after a few weeks, the excitement fades, the mileage increases, and I find myself less than enthused to be putting in the work. A missed run here, less mileage there, and the training plan becomes a bit looser than at the start.
Why do I feel the need to share this confession? Once upon a time, no one read this blog and I wrote about all of my training runs as a way to hold myself accountable. So, I’m going old school and I will once again try to use this slice of the web for exactly the reason I started it in the first place. It’s all about accountability. And, I hope that by putting my struggles out into the universe, I will be able to form some new habits and better prepare myself for my fall marathon.
Iwo Jima Memorial - MCM 2013 Finish
In order to move forward, I decided to take a look back at my training for the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon. This was the one time I can recall following a plan. The distance was overwhelming to me and I felt as though I needed something to tell me what to do. Yet, in looking back, if I had to grade myself on adhering to a training plan, I would give myself a C since I completed about 75% of the prescribed runs. And, if I am really being honest here, I missed a couple really important long runs. I only ran one 20 miler. And, guess what, I rode the pain train right after the twenty mile mark in that race.
Looking forward, I also hope to work on being mentally strong. Since getting hurt and having on and off issues, I have no confidence in my running abilities. I’m really worried about incorporating speed and equally as concerned about building up my mileage. By sticking to the prescribed mileage of a training plan, I hope to get over these mental roadblocks. As I am sure many of you will agree, so much of running is based on what your mind will allow you to do.
I decided to use the 16-week virtual training plan via New York Road Runners. I found this to be a pretty reasonably priced training plan that allows me to login, account for my runs, and provide feedback. One feature that I really liked about this plan is adding up to four races to your training plan. Since I have Beach to Beacon, the Gulf Beach Half Marathon, Ragnar DC, and the SoNo Half on my fall calendar, I wanted to take the guesswork out of incorporating these races into my training. I also don’t want these races to be an excuse for not getting in my weekly mileage. With the NYRR plan, I can also adjust the plan for missed runs. I’m trying very hard not to use this feature! Plus, since I am just getting back in the swing of running, I designed it to allow for four to five days of running at a pretty low intensity. Since my piriformis and foot issues last fall, my only goal is to get across the finish line in one piece in November.
I’ll be sharing more about my journey to the New York City Marathon in the coming weeks and months. I would love to hear your tips on adhering to a training plan. How do you get over mental hurdles in running?
Lisa
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