So you are probably wondering how I got into London....
True story...back in May of this year I found out about the open ballot to apply for the London Marathon in April 2012. At that time I was 3 months pregnant and thought it would be fun to say that I applied. If you have ever applied or heard about the ballot system for this event, it is about a 20% chance or less of getting a place in the marathon. If you don't get a place this route then you can run for a charity and raise the minimum of 2000 pounds or however much they require for the various charities. At the time of applying I decided to donate my registration money to charity since I usually give money each year to various charities. I had decided to roll the dice and let the powers that be decide my fate for this race. If I got lucky then I would train (less than 5 months after giving birth to my 4th child) and if not then no hard feelings. In October I received a magazine and letter saying that I didn't get in via the ballot system BUT did gain entry via a Bequest Draw. The Bequest Draw was a special drawing where 1000 people from those donating money to charity were accepted into the marathon. I take this as a sign from God since my charitable nature gained me entry into this race.
So here I am at Day 3 of training. I gave birth to my son 5 weeks ago and am feeling pretty good (besides from the sleep deprivation). I am currently nursing and hope to blog about that aspect during the training to give people some perspective on the effects of running while nursing. I would like to breastfeed at least 6 months but at this point I am not sure if this is realistic given that my son has a healthy appetite and was 10 lbs 11 oz at birth. Last year I made it 7.5 months nursing my 3rd son while marathon training. I have been carefully watching my fluid and food intake to make sure I am staying properly hydrated and getting in enough nutrients to support breastfeeding. I am also tracking my weight loss as it is recommended that nursing moms lose no more than 1 pound a week. So far so good and as of this post I have had no issues with milk supply. I have lost about 28 pounds since giving birth and hope to lose a pound a week through training. Long term goals include losing 30 pounds during the next year so I can reach the middle BMI range for my height.
What does Half Marathon and Marathon Training Look Like?
I am using Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Plan. He is one of many experienced marathoners and coaches. His attritbutes include running over 110 marathons and his work with training people for the Chicago Marathon. I had success with his program last year and had no injuries when training for my first marathon. He has many different programs that include everything from walk to run programs to advanced programs. This includes many distances from 5K to full marathons. I also like that this 'guide' can be tailored based on my fitness goals and schedule. The Half Marathon falls perfectly into this 18 week plan and will be a tune up for my marathon.
Marathon Training Schedule: Novice 1
Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rest | 3 m run | 3 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 6 | cross |
2 | Rest | 3 m run | 3 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 7 | cross |
3 | Rest | 3 m run | 4 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 5 | cross |
4 | Rest | 3 m run | 4 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 9 | cross |
5 | Rest | 3 m run | 5 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 10 | cross |
6 | Rest | 3 m run | 5 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 7 | cross |
7 | Rest | 3 m run | 6 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 12 | cross |
8 | Rest | 3 m run | 6 m run | 3 m run | Rest | Rest | Half Marathon |
9 | Rest | 3 m run | 7 m run | 4 m run | Rest | 10 | cross |
10 | Rest | 3 m run | 7 m run | 4 m run | Rest | 15 | cross |
11 | Rest | 4 m run | 8 m run | 4 m run | Rest | 16 | cross |
12 | Rest | 4 m run | 8 m run | 5 m run | Rest | 12 | cross |
13 | Rest | 4 m run | 9 m run | 5 m run | Rest | 18 | cross |
14 | Rest | 5 m run | 9 m run | 5 m run | Rest | 14 | cross |
15 | Rest | 5 m run | 10 m run | 5 m run | Rest | 20 | cross |
16 | Rest | 5 m run | 8 m run | 4 m run | Rest | 12 | cross |
17 | Rest | 4 m run | 6 m run | 3 m run | Rest | 8 | cross |
18 | Rest | 3 m run | 4 m run | 2 m run | Rest | Rest | Marathon |
This week I took Monday as a rest day and ran Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday I ran 3.5 miles and Wednesday I ran 5 miles. This is a little above the recommendations but my paces have been slow and steady. After having one marathon under my belt I find it hard to run 3 miles. If you have ever run a half or full marathon then you know what I am talking about. I will also say that your body does recall these miles and the training does get easier with time and experience.
I have 2 more runs to complete this week and am mentally prepared for the training at this point. Physically I have a long way to go but I am taking it one day at a time as I get stronger and fitter.
Stay tuned for more blogs about my training and 2012 goals.
One final note....
For this marathon training I have identified weak areas and am committed on working on those weaknesses. After doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) classes during the pregnancy I have discovered that I need more core and upper body work. For 2012 I am focused on developing the complete package and making sure that I don't ignore these areas (something that runners can easily forget).
Don't be afraid to get it done! Consistency + patience = success!! Life is too short to be miserable and unhealthy. Make the decision to be healthy, reach for your goals, and change your attitude from can't or won't to CAN and WILL!!
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