Edit: Half Training schedule

A few of you who are training for the Half have asked me for training schedules/suggestions. I've never followed this plan specifically, but this program is created by the same guy who did the program I'm following. You see its a 12 week program, but you should feel comfortable running the first week of the program well before the 12 weeks start. So, here ya go! If anyone would like the intermediate or advanced programs let me know and I will post those as well (this is novice!) Happy training!

Training for your first Half

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
2	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
3	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
4	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
5	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	6 m run
6	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	5-K Race
7	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	7 m run
8	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	8 m run
9	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	10-K Race
10	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	9 m run
11	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	10 m run
12	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	3 m run or cross	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon

In the heat of summer :)

Hi Everyone!

Hope that you are enjoying all of the fun summer festivities. I guess I have been, considering my long leave of absence from the blog! The past few weeks have been a blast as Boston has finally warmed up, and I've also had some great runs! This week my long run is up to 9 miles, and I am super excited because I am planning on being down in Newport visiting my girlfriend Katie. She lives right off this gorgeous bike path that goes along the bay, past huge houses, and is nicely shaded in most parts. I was down there a couple weeks ago and got in some nice runs :)

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By this point everyone should be seeing themselves get a little stronger, and the runs that initally were challenging should be getting easier. If not, it may be time to step up the training. Remember, the race is only 114 days, 22 hours, 34 mins, and 5 seconds* away!!! That may sound like a lot, but considering I've been doing this blog for well over a month it just shows how quickly that time will be here!

If your NOT where you'd like to be, no worries! There is still plenty of time, and below are some tips that I think should help!

1. Buddy up! Typically having someone accountable for you, besides yourself (especially if you are the procrastinating type) can really help boost training efforts. Personally, I like to run with someone who is slightly above my level to give me that extra boost. My gals from running club are great, and I haven't missed a week yet unless I am out of town. We make it fun too by doing things afterwards. (I'll give some examples of training-approved fun in my next post!) I talked to Jacky yesterday and she said her and Beth have been training together. LOVE IT! If anyone else is training with a partner, or looking for one let me know and we can try to hook it up!

2. Don't be afraid of running groups. They don't bite. If fact, running groups have probably been the key force in my efforts to improve my time. In the Philadelphia area there are many, but I can guarantee that on any given day of the week just show up at the art museum around 6/6:30 and there WILL be a group. I used to do one on Tuesdays @ 6:30, and it was great. Usually around 50 people, in various levels. Also in Haddonfield on Wednesdays the running store puts on a run. (For the people doing the full I think they also do a long run on Saturday mornings, though I've never gone)

3. Find a POWER song. If you've ever used a Nike+, you know what I'm talking about. Push the middle button when the going gets tough, and get your fav song blasting into your ear buds. I love this concept, and I've made a playlist titled "A" (easy to find) with a few of my running favs. I think it would be fab if everyone could post 1-2 of their power songs and we could compile a list of raging awesomeness. Lets all do that, and I'll compile the list for the next time.

4. Think of the consequences. J/k. but not really, fear can be a great motivator. Think of what is worse, skipping an easy run because you don't feel like it, or being under-prepared in the race. Yep, thats what I thought.

*at time of posting.
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Training Progress

The following is long, and may seem tedious, but this is an excerpt from my training program for this lovely week two.

Week of July 27th-August 2nd

Week 2
Tip of the Week: Easy days are as important in your training plan as hard days. You won't get the full benefits of the progressive long-run buildup on the weekends, unless you rest before and after. Resting on Fridays and Mondays allows you to run harder on Saturdays and Sundays, when you will have more time for your workouts. The marathon is 17 weeks away, but your success depends on the steady base that you are building now.
Monday: Monday is an easy day. Continue to remind yourself of that fact. Do some cross-training, but only at a very easy level. It may not seem like you need to rest after only an 8-miler over the weekend, but you will be thankful for this day of relative rest as the program continues. Also, evaluate how you felt after your last week of training. A lot of people play at running, working out three or four days a week, doing a long run on the weekends, entering an occasional race, sometimes gearing up for a marathon. For a while, they'll improve just on accumulated mileage, but after several years it becomes increasingly difficult to set Personal Records. To do that, you need to train. Training is when you follow a schedule, such as this one, where each day has a purpose. If the weather is bad, you still run. If you have important business, you simply rise an hour early to run. Why? Because I told you to! And if Hal tells you to cross-train today, maybe including some strength training, please do it! Not this one workout, but the accumulation of workouts over a period of a dozen weeks, should make you a better runner.
Plan	Actual	Time	Pace	Notes
Tuesday: Today's workout is a run of 3 miles at a comfortable pace, the same as last week on Tuesday and the same distance you will do Thursday as well. This workout shouldn't take a great deal of your time: a half hour or less if you run at a 10:00-mile pace or faster. But forget I said that! I don't want you to go out and time yourself for 3 miles. In fact, your course doesn't need to be precisely 3.0 miles. It can be about that distance. The easiest way to pick a course of 3.0 miles would be to get in your car and figure out how far you need to run to go about half that distance (1.5 miles), either from your home, from your office or from wherever you plan to run on Tuesdays. Then run this 1.5-mile course out and back. Don't wear a watch, at least for the time being.
Plan	Actual	Time	Pace	Notes
3
Wednesday: Five miles today. This is your "hard" day of the week. If you want to run a bit faster than yesterday toward the end, do so. Today's 5-miler is also the same as last week's and next week's Wednesday workouts, but in two weeks you move up to 6 miles. As the program continues, the Wednesday mileage will steadily increase until you reach a peak of 8 miles on Wednesday in Week 10. It's all part of my Grand Plan to get you in shape for the marathon. And trust me: It will!
Plan	Actual	Time	Pace	Notes
5
Thursday: Run 3 miles at a comfortable pace and do some strength training afterwards. Consider using several different courses at this distance--and for other road distances. Tuesday I discussed how to find a 3-mile course, suggesting that you simply get in your car and measure approximately half that distance, then run it out and back. For a second course, you might measure a "loop" course, meaning you circle around without retracing your steps. But as you run this and other distances, consider utilizing completely different courses, perhaps one in a scenic area frequented by other runners. Be inventive. You might as well make running as pleasant as possible.
Plan	Actual	Time	Pace	Notes
3
Friday: A day of rest. Seemingly, you don't need this now, but wait until your weekend runs start getting longer in another few weeks. If you feel you need to do some exercise, limit it to stretching. I've been focusing on course measurement for most of this week. You might even call this the "Theme for Week 2." So if you're looking for something to do with your extra time while not running today, go out and measure a series of courses from 3 through 8 miles. You'll use them during the remaining weeks of this Marathon Training Program.
Saturday: Run 5 miles. Last week, I asked you run "marathon pace" (the pace you hope to run for the full 26 miles of the marathon). Next week, you will be asked again to do "5 m pace." Today, simply run at whatever comfortable pace suits your mood, keeping in mind that tomorrow is your long run of the week, and you don't want to compromise your ability to finish it comfortably by running too hard today. When you see the word "run" in my training charts, this is what I mean.
Plan	Actual	Time	Pace	Notes
5
Sunday: Today is long-run day, and I'm asking you to go 9 miles, one mile further than the week before. One mistake you want to avoid is running these long runs too fast. Never do your long runs faster than marathon pace or even at marathon pace itself. That creates too much stress, coupled with your other training. Generally, I advise runners to do their long runs 45 to 90 seconds or more slower per-mile than race pace.
Plan	Actual	Time	Pace	Notes
9
Planned	25		Actual	0
Days Remaining		115

Here is what my actual mileage will likely look like for this week:

Monday- 4 (I switched my off day b/c Tues was un-godly hot, plus I did my long run on Sat last week)
Tuesday- off
Wednesday- 5.5 (ran w/ run group @ 8:30 pace)
Thurs- 4 (1 extra mile just because, might get killed, asked a really fast friend to "push me")
Friday- off day as scheduled
Saturday- 5-6, running resevouoir w/run club gals
Sunday- 9 miles @ easy pace.
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Total: 28.5

As you can see, I will be up 3.5 miles this week. Last week I took off an extra day on a low mile day, so it kinda balances out.

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Just for fun:

Apparently my blog has reached a far and broad audience. I received an email from Sara from the Fresh Air Fund, which is still looking for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16th. It could be a great training run, and it benefits inner city children. If you want to check it out, here is the link. I think it sounds like a blast and I may try to round up my boston ladies and take the bolt bus down to NYC to participate!

http://freshair.org/racers

Well thats all I have for now. Remember to send me training anecdotes, power songs, and more. And look out for my list of fun post-run activities in the next post!

~Danielle

I'm Back :)

Hi Everyone! Well, I am back in the blogosphere after a week-long hiatus! My trip to the Jersey Shore was great, and it was great to see many of you (Chris- sorry you guys didn't make it down, hope the lil guys are feeling better!). I am happy to report that my scheduled training went very well, I pretty much stuck to schedule, just shifted days around a bit. I have to thank Sarah for getting my butt motivated enough to run on Sunday morning. I didn't quite follow my beer-to-mile ratio, but its all good :)

Mileage total for last week: 35.

Mileage goal for this week: 30.
Monday- 4.5 miles with Kristen
Tuesday- off (laundry and chores!)
Wednesday- 6.5 mile run with run club* more on that later!
Thursday- 3-4 miles after work (before dodgeball- crosstraining!)
Friday- ATTEMPT a 3 miler before work...(hey people, I need motivation too!)
Saturday- 5 miles
Sunday- 11 mile run with run group ladies
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Anyhow, today I am sort of stuck on what to talk about. We've covered a few basics, and I don't want to bore anyone with too many details of my training progress. But one thing that I think is great to adopt is a running log.

Its a well-known fact that keeping a food journal helps people to loose weight, keeping a written log of finances helps keep spending down. In much the same way, documenting your running will help you stay on track. Or, at the very least, it will show you where your downfalls are. Maybe you constantly skip out on the weekends? After a few weeks you will begin to notice patterns. I use the website www.mapmyrun.com* to record my training mileage. I will switch to my excel spreadsheet once I commence my actual training on July 20th. From my experience, it is best to plan out a week's worth of runs at the beginning of the week, so you have a measuring stick. If you skip a run, try to jot down a quick note as to why. Are you feeling sore? Did something come up during the time you'd allotted? Were you just Lazy? Whatever it is, just WRITE IT DOWN! No one will see except you, and it will help you make future adjustments to be the best runner you can be!

**Mapmyrun.com syncs with Garmin watches, great for anyone who has one (and if you don't have one, and are considering it, they are AWESOME. It also syncs with Facebook, and various other social networkings sites. This lets you share your training with friends are family, awesome! Be sure to send me your link if you signed up so we can follow eachother!
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Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

They are so important! This past weekend I finally ditched my dumpy saucony's that have been giving me trouble. I had an old pair of Aisics (Nimbus) laying around that I decided to give a try. So much better! I am going to go this week and get a new pair of shoes. For anyone in the market, this Runner's World article gives a pretty thorough review of some of the newest styles, definitely worth checking out:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-400--13130-0,00.html

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As always, I love hearing your feedback, training stories, and everything else. Please let me know if there are any topics you'd like me to cover, or stories you'd like to share!!

~Danielle

Guest Posting: Jacky's Progress Report!

Week Three

This is week three of this blog, and today (get excited!!!!) we have our first guest posting, from my sister Jacky. She was kind enough to share her beginning running training experiences with us. I think its great to read about what others are going through, because training is never going to go perfectly. Knowing that others are going through the same thing is comforting to us all! Without further adieu, here is Jacky's posting:

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7/30/09

Alright, so first I need to admit something…I have no idea why I signed up for the half-marathon! I hate running! But I signed up, well my cousin signed me up, so there is no backing out now. What the hell, I get a free t-shirt out of the deal AND, like Danielle said, bragging rights. As of now, I have only 3 (maybe 2.5 is being more honest) days of training under my belt. The first two days I joined up with an old friend, Lauren, to train, both of us are out of shape, so are runs were short to say the least. We alternated running and walking for 2.5 miles both days. Lauren and I made a rookie mistake though and forgot to stretch afterwards on the first day (eek! Can you say sore?). I won’t embarrass Lauren and spill the beans on her second mistake…on second thought, I will…let’s just say eating cookie dough before a run is a no-no! So after training Tuesday and Wednesday with Lauren, we both decided to take a day of rest and recovery on Thursday. Two days of training and a good night at the bar necessitated a rest day on Thursday. What can I say? I’m still 21 for a little over a month and my friend came home…there’s plenty of time to train! So Friday rolled and I decided to go to the beach with a friend. This is where the 3^rd day of training comes into play. Paddle ball and a 30 min bike ride count as cross-training right? So maybe that only adds up to 2.5 days of training, but hey it’s better than nothing! As of Monday night I have yet to get back into the swing of things, but tomorrow Lauren and I made plans to run after I get done work. I have to say, having a training partner is definitely a smart idea, it makes me feel guilty if I bail on plans to workout. Oh, and one last thing, I signed up for the Sea Isle City 10 mile run on August 8^th. I recruited at least one more person for that as well (Tammi) and signed her up for the half-marathon as well! Wish me luck! I’m going to need all of it!

-Jack-

Thanks for the posting Jack! I have a tough-love running quote that may help you on those rough days. Maybe make a running training log/calendar and post some fun quotes on it. Here ya go:

Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?

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New Runners:

Tammi Willis- ½ marathon and Sea Isle City 10 mile run

22 years old, works at Pour House as bartender/server. Used to play lacrosse in high school, was offered to play in college but went to another school. Works a lot (and so has less time to train) but definitely has the athletic ability to get this done.


Update: I accidently called Adam Stephen Dan Stephen. His name is Adam!

Scott Quintavalle- I was so excited to hear this! Scott is my dear friend who mercifully crossed that first 26.2 finish line with me in Vienna, Austria! Scott is living in Colorado where he is currently training for a local 13.1 miler! He's currently up to 5 mile runs in his training. Go Scott! P.S.- do I smell a reunion marathon in the not-too-distant future?



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My Weekly Musings:

One very important thing about running is finding the right pair of shoes. If you haven't already picked up a new pair, I suggest going to a store that specializes in running. In the S.J. area, I'd recommend the Haddonfield Running Co, or the Philadelphia Running Co. that is on 18th St (between Sansom & Chestnut?). The prices may be slightly higher than going to Dick's, but it is worth it to get a properly fitting shoe. At the very least, go in, have them pick you out a shoe, write it down and then do some price-comparisons online if you feel the need.

I clung on to my last pair of shoes waay too long, waiting to go back to Haddonfield Running Co. to get a new pair the last time I was home. Unfortunately, they were closed for the day (boo!) so to force myself to go I threw out my old shoes (yeahhhh I'm bold!) and marched down to City Sports in Boston the next day. I picked up what I thought were the same shoes I'd had, and woot wooot they were cheaper! Well, after having some shin pain the past few weeks I discovered Saucony makes two nearly identical shoes, and I'd picked the wrong ones. Long Story Short: bad shoes can make a good run feel bad!

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I am coming back to N.J. and will be down in Ocean City from Wednesday-Sunday of this week and I am looking forward to training on the boardwalk with that great Ocean Breeze. If anyone will be around please let me know, I'd <3 company!! Here's the likely schedule:

Thurs- 5 mile tempo run, on the boards.

Friday- long day (b/c I have friends coming Sat/Sun!) 10-11 miles at slower pace
Saturday- 4 mile recovery run

Sunday- 5-6 miles, depending on how I feel!

Well this is the great thing about this blog, now that I've stated what I plan on doing all of you can call me out and make fun of me if I don't- Added Motivation, yahhh!!! Well alrighty then everyone, Godspeed to you all! Wishing you a great week of training, and for all of us on the 18 week training program, its T-3 weeks till we start!

And HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Weekly Round-Up

Week Two

This is week two of this blog, and I have some exciting news: we have a bunch of new people committed to running with us! I will have to work on bio's later on, but here are the newest additions:

Half Marathon:

Cindy & Dan Mitten- Great friends of the fam, we are very excited that Cindy and Dan will be running with us!

Dan Stephen- Husband of Kelly (Marker) Stephen- Go Dan, Go!

Sarah Kates- Life-long friend of mine (sorry, Katie, Sarah even dates back to elementary school!). Sarah is the youngest person I've even known who did a 1/2 marathon- she did the Disney 1/2 when we were probably 12 years old! Go Sarah!


Marathon:

Kelly Marker Stephen- A PJ's girl from way back in the day! Sooo excited for Kelly to join us- she is a veteran marathoner, completing the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon a few years back. She's even roped her hubby into joining the fun. Kelly will be sure to keep Webbie in line when he feels like slacking, and we're all grateful for that!

Heather Silverberg Neborak- Welcome, Heather! Waiting on bio info for Heather, will be up soon!

Tori Lamaina- A seasoned runner and a friend of Chris'- Welcome Tori! You CAN do 26.2!
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This week has been tough for me (up here in Boston) training wise. A few factors have contributed to this:

1. Rain. RAIN. Rain. Yes, as I'm sure most of you are also experiencing, its really been a "wet one" up here. I think April and June may have switched places and forgot to tell everyone. Running in the rain is NO fun, but here are a few of my tips:

• Wear good socks. You know what I'm talking about- the ones that cost upwards of $8+, wayyy too much for socks? Unless you like blisters, I don't think so! Always remember to wear a moisture-wicking sock in the rain.
• Hydration!! Its wet outside, your body temperature is probably lower than a "typical" summer run, but that doesn't mean you won't need water. ALWAYS bring something to drink on a run of 50 minutes or longer. You don't want to feel sluggish afterwards, do you?
• Smart Layers. Don't wear a heavy sweatshirt or something that's going to weigh you down. Wind breakers are the BEST outer layer, and when you get hot you can tie it around your waist without feeling weighed down. Well, maybe its warmer in NJ and layers aren't needed, but its still important to consider what your wearing when running in the rain. Here's my rules: Stay away from cotton. Much like the sock issue, cotton can cause lots of problems in the rain. Chaffing should be for large dishes only! The best type of attire is moisture wicking, and body hugging. The tighter its hugging, the less its rubbing.

2. Weekends. Lets be honest here, we've all had those nights that leave us...shall we say...less inclined to hit the pavements the next morning. Yeah, Friday night was one of those for me (So was Thursday, but thats another story...). Well, it was supposed to rain here on Sat, so I'd already more-or-less had it in my head that I wouldn't run. It didn't, and the weather was nice! But I didn't run. This is bound to happen from time-to-time, and right now its okay, but further down the line it is SOO important to not skip those long runs! These conveniently lie on the weekends, for me on Sundays. If you feel the need to have a night on the town, plan it around the long run, or do the long run on an off day. When I'm not in training mode I'll often say to myself: for every drink I have, I have to run 1 mile the next day. This will have you thinking twice about that next drink, or maybe switching to a water. I don't recommend this the night before a 20-miler!

Thats pretty much been it. But despite these issues I've gotton a few runs in. The important thing is, skipping a day is no biggie. It will happen. Perfection is not attainable, but, in the long run what you put in will effect what you get out of this. So try not to skip too many runs, focus on the long term patterns, and definitely use the training log I posted, or feel free to create your own (and be sure to share with us!!)

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That's it for today! I will try to update this on a regular basis, I am thinking three times a week. I think it will be Monday-Wednesday-Friday from now on. The focus will be:

Monday- weekly progress reports of our runners. Funny running stories. Once July 20th hits, I will post the weekly run schedules we are following along with the advice from Hal (the book includes additional advice which I will do my best to type up!)

Wednesday- Miscellaneous tips. Kinda like today's running in the rain checklist. This will be like the Letterman "top 10s" but not as witty or cool.

Friday- Free Day! Whatever random running stuff I can think of. Possibly including incriminating pictures when available!

OH, one more thing!!! Check out this website: www.coolrunnings.com to search for local road races. Nothing is more motivating than actually hitting the pavement in a race! And usually you get those great shirts to collect, and if its big enough they will post your pic on the site!

Just Getting Started!

Run Forrest, RUN!

INTRODUCTION:

This is my first post- I am a blogger ha ha! Well, to everyone reading, I'll give an introduction. My name is Danielle, and I am training to run the Philadelphia 2009 Marathon. I am running this race with the hope (emphasis on HOPE) to qualify for the Boston marathon, which I would like to run next spring. How do you ask? Well, I've got a training plan laid out, with a whole new focus on speed work. I've got a built-in kick-in-the-butt once a week courtesy of my lovely Niketown running club buddies, and I'm lucky because I will have a team of friends and family also doing the race! (who will hopefully be contributing to this blog as well!) My most recent racing effort was the Boston Run to Remember Half Marathon on May 22nd. I finished in 1:51:24, not too shabby, but I need to get better! The dorky pic of the top of this post is me crossing the finish line! Okay, here are the other team member introductions!
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TEAM MEMBERS:

Half Marathon participants:

-Chris Webb, cousin, new runner. He actually did the 2007 turkey trot with me, and we finished around 30 minutes, not bad Chris! Here's Chris & I around the time of our first race together! (P.S.-his son Max won the >6 division title!) Chris is one of the greatest people I know and I'm so happy he is my cousin. He can literally talk to anyone about anything, and they will like him! He is a great running candidate because of his determination!


- Jacky Platzer, sister, new runner. Jacky definitely has some athletic bones in her body, but she is new to the running club as well. She's 21 so she's got some spunk, can't wait to see what she can do! (she's the b-day girl in the center of the pic!) Jacky is moving to California in August, which will be soooo awesome for running. I am already jealous of her!

Marathon Team (tentative!):

-Kristen Kelly, loverrrr (yes, this is how she appears in my phone contacts!), seasoned runner. Kristen is a fellow Bostonian. She lives down the street from me, so we will be close training buddies! She is a kick-butt seriously athletic girl, who I will freely admit to being afraid to run with when we lived together in college. Turns out, we are pace twins! She finished the 2008 Chicago Marathon within 7 seconds of me, how crazy! We both finished our races in 4:07:15ish! As a lifetime Boston resident Kristen is also hoping to qualify for Boston!


-Katie Onyx, another loverr, seasoned runner. Katie has been one of my best friends for over 10 years, since middle school! (am I dating myself!?) Katie did her first long-distance race last fall, the Nike d-i-y marathon, and she rocked it! But lets not kid ourselves, Katie was a college athlete, as the coxen for the crew team at Washington College. She also participated on the high school team, along with field hockey. This will be Katie's first full marathon! (P.S.- sorry for the pic selection katie, but you ASKED for it having this on your facebook page!)
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PHUN PHACTS ABOUT PHILLY:

That is everyone FOR NOW, but I wouldn't be surprized if some more people jump on the bandwagon once they see how much fun this will be! Here are some quick facts about the Philadelphia Marathon:

-It was voted (by Runners World in January 2007) as "The Best Place to Run a Boston Qualifier." Yep, so with that in mind, my familiarity with the course (I've run the half!), and the proximity to home, it was a "no brainer" that this would be my race!

-"Stepping into the Philadelphia running world is a bit like entering a mom-and-pop store. It's informal, very welcoming, a little quirky, and it has lots to offer," says Dan Gordon (of Runners World)

-SO IMPORTANT- the weather is PERFECT for running, check this out:

What is the average Temp at Start Time?

Approximately 45°F at start time and at the finish about 54°F.

Any colder wouldn't be so wonderful (layering nightmares! any warmer is no good either: chilly is great!

-Lets face it: part of doing races is about bragging rights! Whats an easier way to brag than to non-chalently wear your race shirt to the gym, or running errands? Well, with the Philadelphia Marathon you will always want to do this, because the shirts are long-sleeved, tech material! AND since there is no major sponsor, there's no huge logo slapped on the front of it so it looks even nicer! (my half marathon shirt from 2007 is still in regular rotation on chilly running days!)

-A great size! Another great thing about marathons is that they tend to be big events, so your fellow runners & the crowd really get your adrenaline pumping! Philly is great becasue its a large race, in a large city, but it is not overwhelming. The field size of 16,000 participants means plenty of company without getting trampled. You might not even have to wait in line at a porta potty late in the race!

-Support! Since we'll be running in our hometown (everyone except Kristen, but hey, shes like fam!) we will have plenty of spectators cheering us on and feeling bad for us. We might even get a home cooked meal afterwards. SO MUCH BETTER than going to a restaurant when you just want to lay down!
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TRAINING PROGRAM:

I am going to be following Hal Higdon's marathon training plan. His website is halhigdon.com. When I decided to train for the NYC marathon last year I carefully read over lots (I mean LOTS) of training plans. For those of you who may not know, New York wasn't my first marathon. No, my first marathon was actually Vienna, Austria in 2004. I ran (or shall we say...completed) the race with my good friend Scott Quintavalle. As freshmen in college, we took the easy, "less-is-more" approach to training. I'm not going to elaborate, but after 5+ hrs on the course, after practically getting swept off by the police, we finished. And it wasn't pretty. And I stopped running for a few years. So back to the point! Hal's programs are great beacuase they train you properly, there are different levels, and after doing it once, I know if WORKS, and I will cross that darn finish line happy! Last time I stuck to his intermediate program:

Marathon Training Schedule: Intermediate-I

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	5 m pace	8
2	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	3 m run	9
3	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	5 m pace	6
4	cross	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	rest	6 m pace	11
5	cross	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	rest	6 m run	12
6	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	6 m pace	9
7	cross	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	rest	7 m pace	14
8	cross	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	rest	7 m run	15
9	cross	4 m run	5 m run	4 m run	rest	7 m pace	11
10	cross	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	rest	8 m pace	17
11	cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	rest	8 m run	18
12	cross	5 m run	5 m run	5 m run	rest	8 m pace	13
13	cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	rest	5 m pace	20
14	cross	5 m run	5 m run	5 m run	rest	8 m run	12
15	cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	rest	5 m pace	20
16	cross	5 m run	6 m run	5 m run	rest	4 m pace	12
17	cross	4 m run	5 m run	4 m run	rest	3 m run	8
18	cross	3 m run	4 m run	rest	rest	2 m run	race

My friend Trish, from running group, is running the Marine Corps Marathon. I told her about this program, and a friend of hers at work sent her a spreadsheet that helps you keep track of your training, and compares scheduled-vs-actual, total mileage, time until race, etc. IT IS SO COOL! I will post ASAP. Anyhow, it is targeted for Intermediate I. I am considering doing Advanced I. This includes speedwork, and maybe 1 additional 20-miler.

Marathon Training Schedule: Advanced-I

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	3 x hill	rest	5 m pace	10
2	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	30 Tem	rest	5 m run	11
3	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	4 x 800	rest	6 m pace	8
4	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	4 x hill	rest	6 m pace	13
5	3 m run	7 m run	3 m run	35 Tem	rest	7 m run	14
6	3 m run	7 m run	3 m run	5 x 800	rest	7 m pace	10
7	3 m run	8 m run	4 m run	5 x hill	rest	8 m pace	16
8	3 m run	8 m run	4 m run	40 Tem	rest	8 m run	17
9	3 m run	9 m run	4 m run	6 x 800	rest	9 m pace	12
10	3 m run	9 m run	4 m run	6 x hill	rest	9 m pace	19
11	4 m run	10 m run	5 m run	45 Tem	rest	10 m run	20
12	4 m run	6 m run	5 m run	7 x 800	rest	6 m pace	12
13	4 m run	10 m run	5 m run	7 x hill	rest	10 m pace	20
14	5 m run	6 m run	5 m run	45 tem	rest	6 m run	12
15	5 m run	10 m run	5 m run	8 x 800	rest	10 m pace	20
16	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	6 x hill	rest	4 m pace	12
17	4 m run	6 m run	4 m run	30 Tem	rest	4 m run	8
18	3 m run	4 x 400	2 m run	rest	rest	2 m run	race

As you can see, both plans are 18 weeks long. That translates to a starting date of July 20th. Which still leaves plenty of time for me to decide what program will be best.

If you've read this far, thank you, you must really like running or like me :) Future post topics will include everything from raves, rants, clothing/gear reviews, nutrition and sleep and their effects on training, juggling a social/drinking life with marathon training, progress updates, and MORE! I hope we can all contribute to this blog and help motivate eachother!

~Danielle 6/18/09