The 26.2 Plan

I started marathon training today.  I'm really hoping that circumstances prevent me from running 26.2 miles this year, but if there is no baby in my belly come October, I will be racing through Detroit to Canada and back.

The course takes runners over the Ambassador Bridge to Canada and then back to the US via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.  You then run out around Belle Isle before finishing.  I actually planned to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon in 2009, but severe shin splints put me on running hiatus about a month before the race.  I ended up running the Bayshore Marathon in May of 2010 as my first marathon instead.

I followed Hal Higdon's Novice 1 training plan the first time around, and as promised, he got me to the finish line.  This time I'm using his Novice 2 plan, which is very similar but includes some pace runs on Wednesdays and slightly higher mileage. 

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice 2

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	8	cross
2	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	9	cross
3	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	6	cross
4	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	11	cross
5	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12	cross
6	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	9	cross
7	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	14	cross
8	Rest	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15	cross
9	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Mar
10	Rest	4 m run	8 m pace	4 m run	Rest	17	cross
11	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	18	cross
12	Rest	5 m run	8 m pace	5 m run	Rest	13	cross
13	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	19	cross
14	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12	cross
15	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	20	cross
16	Rest	5 m run	4 m pace	5 m run	Rest	12	cross
17	Rest	4 m run	3 m run	4 m run	Rest	8	cross
18	Rest	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	2 m run	Marathon

In 18 weeks and 462 miles (give or take a few), I'll be ready to run 26.2 in a row.  But as much as I want to run my second marathon this year, I'm really kinda hoping that I'll just be running a half on October 16th.