Holy moly. Kalamazoo is going down in just 5 days!
Actually, the phrase "holy moly" doesn't even do this countdown justice. Here, I'll let Ron Burgundy make several exclamations of surprise and awe for you instead:
Uncle Jonathan's Corn Cob Pipe!
In a bit, I'm going to head out for a taper run of 3 miles at a nice, easy pace, and then stretch, ice, and foam roll while watching season 3 of Entourage with the hubs. I've enjoyed the tips you have given me on how to spend the days leading up to the race and the pointers on what to do as beginner wanting to hit up a yoga class or two after the marathon. Thanks, guys!
I've also spent considerable time stalking The Weather Channel (they just might be filing a restraining order next week) as I'm still debating what to wear on race morning. My original plan was to go with the below outfit and wear on a Salvation Army (washed, of course) long sleeved shirt as a throwaway garment during the early hours of the race.
However, the weather has been flip-flopping faster than a political candidate taking backdoor lobbyist handouts, so I'm wondering if I should go with tights and/or arm sleeves? As of now, the forecast is looking pretty good, though, so my original plan may stick.
Ok, on to the training plan! Thousands of people a few people will ask me now and then what I do when I'm training for a race.
All of my plans so far have actually come from Runner's World, either from their RW Challenge issues or via the SmartCoach tool on their website (also available as an app!) SmartCoach is totally customizable based on goal pace, intensity level, and distance. And it's FREE! Bonus.
Here's my 12-week Kalamazoo Marathon training schedule, via SmartCoach (in MS Excel):
KEY:
Easy = 9:30-9:45/mile
Tempo = warm up 1 mile, 3-5 miles 8:28-8:51, cool down 1 mile
Speed = warm up 1 mile, 4-5 miles 8:01-8:15 w/ 800 recovery jogs, cool down 1 mile
LSD = long, slow distance 9:50-10:15/mile
XT = crosstrain
What I liked about this plan:
*12 weeks - short and to the point. However, if you're just starting out or want more time to ramp up in mileage, allow for at least 16 weeks to train.
*3 rest days! While I could've probably run 5 days/week instead of 4, having that extra day off made me feel like I still owned my life. Running 5 or 6 days last time (in 2009) was tough, and I got burned out quickly.
*LSD runs max out at 20 miles twice in the 12-weeks. I liked increasing to 20, having a break, then revving it up once more before Race Day.
What I didn't like about this plan:
*Overall, mileage felt a bit low. I wish I would've hit some 40+ mile weeks in there before the race. But then again, the extra rest days were nice, so 6 in one, half dozen in the other, ya know?
That's about it! 16 weeks would've been nice, but we decided on doing in the full late in the game, so 12 weeks it was.
Talk to Me About Arm Sleeves: Ever worn them? What did ya think?