Yup! I’ve caught ironman fever! Sure I don’t own a bike and I just learned how to swim but I’m already daydreaming about crossing the finish line. I want to be amazing just like this lovely and this lovely! I got ambitions and that can be good, however, I am taking a step back.
In a little over 3 months, I have my priority fall race. NYC marathon. My desires to run ultras and Ironmans and whatever other crazy dreams I have for my future will need to take a step back.
While I tend to run many races, this might be my one and only time I run New York marathon. Mostly the lottery ($11) and registration fee of a small fortune ($260+), will probably keep me from coming back to the familiar streets of NYC. Besides, about 11 miles of the course is in Brooklyn, and I can run that for free when I visit my parents.
Instead, I will attempt to commit myself to a new PR. I want to make the most of my NYC marathon opportunity. My current PR has been undefeated for over a year at 3:24. I will have obstacles. Many of which involve long work nights and weekends since Sept/Oct is my busy season for my job. The other obstacle while I’m less busy is summer heat and how running a 20 miler in the summer is miserable. I don’t enjoy it at all, no matter how hard I try to pretend I can run through the heat. However, my 10Ks, and half marathon times have gotten much better since 2012. Therefore, logically, there is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to PR in a marathon with enough training.
Therefore, I need a plan. Whenever, I’m asked what my marathon training plan is, I always kind of mumble that I don’t have one. I have two general ideas.
1. Weekly mileage I want to hit
2. Weekly long run I want to achieve
and everything else is filler. True, I try to get in a medium long run, and a tempo run (or in my case pseudo tempo run attempts) and that’s about all.
Due to a certain personalty disorder I have never been able to follow a detailed plan, itinerary, schedule or anything. Marathon training, hasn’t changed that about me. For the most part, if I have a 10 miler on a day my legs feel like crap and a 5 miler on a day my legs feel great and I force myself to stick to said schedule, I will end up miserable and most likely injured. Instead, I follow a mostly intuitive mileage schedule with only one real schedule run: the long run.
I know there are many theories out there, and I am no expert, but for me, the one thing I cannot skimp on when training for a marathon or longer distance is the long run. Hitting those targets will either make or break my race. If my longest long run before a race is 16 miles, than 26.2 miles for me will be purely miserable. Would I finish? Yes, but I’ve come to run, not walk a race. Therefore, long runs, I need to be able to do them quick and easy like they are just another longer runch!
There are about 15 weeks before race day and the long runs will be done on either Saturday or Sunday but for simplicity I have it the Sunday date listed.
Week 1 – July 28 – 15 Miles – This ended up being a complete disaster but I am moving on
Week 2 August 4 – 16 Miles
Week 3 August 11 – 18 Miles
Week 4 August 18 – 20 Miles
Week 5 August 25 – 18 Miles
Week 6 September 1 – 22 Miles
Week 7 September 8 – 24 Miles
Week 8 September 15 – 20 Miles
Week 9 September 22 – 26.2 Marathon – Adirondack Marathon – Road
Week 10 September 29 – 20 Miles
Week 11 October 6 – 24 Miles
Week 12 October 13 – 31 Miles – TARC Fall Classic 50K – Trail
Week 13 October 20 – 24 Miles
Week 14 October 27 – 18 Miles
Week 15 November 3 – 26.2 Miles – NYC Marathon
Seems easy enough? Right?
Do you follow training plans or just wing it for races?
Run To Munch 
I suppose I sent that tweet a little early. I just got so excited to find someone else running NYC and someone who has a hard time following plans. What you said is true for me…I always have a rough goal of mileage I want to hit and long run ideas but past that I have no clue. NYC will be my first marathon and although I do have a time goal, I really just want to finish injury free and strong. Good luck with your training and I cannot wait to follow!
I would love to run NYC someday, but the price of it is so stinking expensive. That doesn’t include the cost of travel from the west coast which isn’t cheap either. I have a feeling it will be years and years before I will have the opportunity to run it. From the training of yours I have followed, I think with some solid long runs under your belt and staying healthy- you will smash your current PR. I really have no doubt in my mind about that. I think you are capable of a 3:15-3:18 marathon easily and perhaps even faster than that!
Your PR of 3:24 is AMAZING! I aspire to set records like you do!
Thank you! You will!
Your training sounds quite a bit like mine. I do use a hybrid of several common training plans – and I write it down with good intentions – but I do tweak it as necessary. I try not to beat myself up when I end up doing something other than what the schedule prescribed. As long as you’re getting in progressive speed, strength and distance throughout the weeks and it works for YOU – sounds just fine! Good luck in the fall. I’m also trying to PR in the marathon.
Thanks! Good luck to you too! I like our options =)