Today is the day! Today I start my 16-week marathon training plan. I have done this before, but being a dad of three and 12 years’ older things have changed. For me, I know I can do it, but for me I need a plan.
I am running the Revel marathon this September. I am excited, nervous, but feel like I will do better than my last marathon. When I was training, I was living in California and had come home from the summer. Training in the snow wasn’t for me, and running 17 miles on a treadmill was out of the question. This set me back and when the race came I hit a wall while running. At 13 miles I would have to walk every other mile.
Because of that experience I knew that I would one day do another marathon. I know, I am crazy, but I had to do it again and beat my original time (6:13:53). Really though, how many people can say that they have finished a marathon?
As a dad I want to teach my kids that you need to set goals and achieve them. To me it’s important to set a goal and work hard to completing that goal. I know that I can get a better time and I have always wanted to. This is the year that I am going to check this off my bucket list.
For me what has helped is getting a training plan and sticking to it. For the next 16 weeks, here is the plan that I have in mind:
What I like to do is have markers to work towards during the process. I want to do other races to work towards during this training to keep it exciting. That means during the training I am also doing a 5k, 10k, and half marathon.
Call me crazy because the 10k and half marathon are the week before my full marathon. But, the best part is they are at Disneyland. That’s right! I am doing the double dare at the Disneyland Half marathon this year. I am so excited and that too will keep me motivated to keep going.
This is a race I have done before and know that I can complete it easily. For me I wanted to do the double dare of a 10k one day and half marathon the next. Push myself a little more—since I have done the half before.
Really though, what makes races more fun? Training or running the actual race with friends. Join me in any of the races I am doing this year:
Taylorsville Dayzz 5k – June 24
Disneyland Race Weekend – August 31-September 3
Revel Marathon – September 9
It’s going to be a busy summer, but I know I can do it and am excited. Might have to throw another race in the month of July—you know, for fun.
