Yesterday, I began my official training for the Des Moines Marathon in October.  We are 16 weeks out, so it is time to start tacking on to my long run/walks.  I have decided to use a training program that I found at www.sweat365.com for intermediate runners.  I figure that even though I am not fast, I would consider myself after 5 years of working out almost everyday to me an intermediate.  I am also using a run/walk system of training.  RIght now I am running for 3 minutes and walking for 2 minutes. Sometimes I run a little longer, especially at the beginning, but from what I have read, this method of training helps to cut down on injuries. 

I plan to do an all out run/walk 3 times per week, with just walking all the other days.  I am also going to strength train 2-3 days per week, just for 20 minutes or so each day.  I will be back to teaching yoga in a couple of weeks, so I will get in 4-6 hours of yoga per week also. It is really to bad that I have to go to work, or I could really get in shape. Oh, well….

Yesterday I did 7 miles. If I leave my house, go the lake, around the entire lake and back home, it is almost exactly 7 miles.  I did it at a 12:42 pace.  Today I went 5.6 miles at almost exactly the same pace.  My goal is to do the marathon at an 11 minute per mile pace which would be about 4:48 marathon.  If it goes to 5 hours I would be fine with that too.  My first one in 2003 was 5:20, so I just would like to do it a little faster than that.

Tomorrow will be a rest day, so I will walk to work and back. I have to show one of our rentals which is within walking distance, so I should get in a leisurely 3 or 4 miles over the course of the day. I will also do the first day of strength training with some yoga thrown in.

So, there we go!!  We are off and running, counting down to October! And I have a training partner! Kasha will be joining me on this journey and hopefully doing a few 1/2 marathons with me over the summer as well.   I will keep you posted on our progress!!

 

yogajen