Time To Get Serious..Training for the NYC Marathon Begins!

There are only 110 days left until the 2010 New York City Marathon, I guess I should start training.

Today marks the beginning of my 16 week training program for NYC.  This will be my 2nd marathon this year and 5th overall.  After the Boston Marathon, I took 10 days off to relax, knowing come mid-summer it will be time to start training for another marathon.  After 2.5 months of doing some road races and building a base, it is exciting to get back into the swing of things.

My Training Plan:

1. Follow Boston plan –>Speed workouts twice a week consisting of tempo runs, fartleks, track workouts, and plenty of hill workouts to get me ready for any hills the course wants to throw my way.

2.  The Long Runs –>First long run is 13 miles this weekend, and then increasing by 1 mile each week, with my longest run (21 miles) falling on my 25^th Birthday weekend in October.

3. Higher Mileage –> During Boston I averaged 50-60 miles each week, while taking a day off once a week.  This time around I hope to get into the mid 60s and peak in the low 70’s.  By doing so, I plan to incorporate doubles into my training some weeks to build up more mileage while keeping the legs fresh.  And of course, if I need a day off I am going to take it!

3.  Have Fun –>While training for Boston I missed some workouts, whether it was weather related or life outside of running, in the end, it did not hurt my time at all come race day.  If I can keep this in mind while training, I will be just fine.

Race Day Game Plan:

1. Goal Time TBD –> I have only been to New York City once and it was only for a night, with no sight seeing.  What better way to see all what the city has to offer?  I plan to run with a camera and take in all the sights and sounds, so as far as a finishing time goes, I am not going to shoot for a PR, but instead, I am going to run and have fun.

The weather was perfect for the Boston Marathon and I hope the NYC Marathon can follow suit.  It has been an above average summer, but I have been able to survive my runs.  I am looking forward to the Fall, which seems to be my favorite running month. It will be nice to be able to do my long runs when the temperatures are not in the teens (knock on wood).

Day 1 of training could not have come at a better time – the same day my new running shoes arrive.