The moment I sat down to write about my first week of officially training for the Marine Corps Marathon, I immediately felt the urge to take a nap. And so I did. Because if there is anything I’ve learned throughout my years of running and training for races, it’s to be flexible and listen to my body.
Normally I would try to lock down a training plan before beginning marathon training season, but this time, not so much.
A few weeks ago I began reviewing various training plans to see what else was out there, and they were all so different from one another. After sifting through a few, my head was spinning faster than after watching Episode 6 of the second season of FX’s “The Bear.” If you’ve watched it, you know what I’m talking about.
After a while, I was left feeling confused. Do I start Week One with a 10-minute run or run 3 miles? Because unless I’m in a car, 3 miles in 10 minutes will not be happening.
There is not one specific perfect training plan that meets the needs of everyone.
Everyone is unique and has different life responsibilities, and we’re not all jumping in from the same starting point in our running journey. We also have different goals. The perfect training plan is what works for you!
It struck me. I don’t give myself enough credit for what I actually do know about training because I know the basic (and emphasis on basic) components of it:
— Easy runs
— Speed sessions or hill work
— Long runs
— Strength, mobility, stretching, cross-training
— Rest and recovery
— Gradual progression of mileage with cut-back weeks
And so I went into the first week without having one specific plan in place.
However, I’m someone who does need a bit of structure when it comes to training because I don’t want to spend the next several months dilly-dallying through each week.
In the past, I have gravitated toward the Hal Higdon training plans because for me they’re user-friendly. I can easily adjust the week and mix things around if I need to so I’ll be mostly using those as a guide with modifications as the need arises.
Now it’s just a matter of incorporating those components for the next 17 weeks.
P.S.
I ended the first official week with a total of 21.82 miles and a long run of 6 miles.
Happy running and training if you’re also planning a fall marathon or other race distance!