Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its **TRAINING** time!!

Over the last few weeks, I've discovered there are 3 general reactions when you tell someone you are going to be running a marathon:

1) "Good for you!  That's so hard, I could never do it."
2) "Holy shit!"
3) "A WHOLE marathon??"

Yes, I will be running a WHOLE marathon, 26.2 miles (don't ever call a marathon 26 miles, those last .2 will definitely be the worst part)!  But, oh yea, the furthest I've ever run is 8 miles...wont those other 18.2 come easy?  Ha, I'd imagine the answer to that is no, not at all.  I've been told that the key to running your first, or any marathon, is picking the right TRAINING PROGRAM.


Kelly and I have searched the web with a fine-toothed comb to find the program best suited for our busy schedules.  As 20-something TV news associate producers, who have handed over our social, mental, and physical lives to our jobs, it was important for us to find a program that would best suit our needs.  Unfortunately running 1 mile a day, every other day, was nowhere to be found in my search.

Alas, we have decided to train using Hal Higdon's  Novice 1 Marathon Training Program!  This program has received great reviews (Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers, one of my favorite blogs used this program to train for her first Half Marathon) and fits in very well with our schedules.  Since it is an 18-week plan, we will officially be starting to train on June 25th, 2012.  This date is officially marked in my calendar, as so:

Fortunately the first day is a REST day, but from then on out, my weekends will be turned into long-run central.  I am actually excited about starting the training - I think it will be a great way to prove to myself what I am capable of doing.  I truly think if you put your mind to it, you can achieve any goal!

....and yes, this is a HUGE goal for me.  As a young "athlete" I despised running...with a passion.  I played goalie in lacrosse for the first 4 years I played the sport, pretty much to avoid having to sprint up and down a plain of grass for 60 minutes.  I loved swimming, although I was no Michael Phelps (well, duh), mainly because we never had to run - although 5:30am lifting sessions weren't so great either.  However, since college I have experienced a new found, dare I say, joy in running.  Maybe the demands of the real world and working life make it easy to enjoy some time alone with my headphones blasting old Spice Girls songs while getting a workout in. 

Now lets not get carried away here.  Like I said, 8 miles is the furthest I have ever run at once and I still love nothing more than the occasional totally legit reason to skip the gym.  But, short runs during the week (mostly 3-5 miles), one long run each weekend, and one day of cross training with TWO days of rest built in, I think I can handle that.  Plus...the finish line is only 26.2 miles away!

Here is our official Hal Higdon Movie 1 Marathon Training Program!

WEEK	MON	TUES	WEDS	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
1	REST	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	REST	6	XTRAIN
2	REST	3 m run	3 m run	3 m run	REST	7	XTRAIN
3	REST	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	REST	5	XTRAIN
4	REST	3 m run	4 m run	3 m run	REST	9	XTRAIN
5	REST	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	REST	10	XTRAIN
6	REST	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	REST	7	XTRAIN
7	REST	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	REST	12	XTRAIN
8	REST	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	REST	REST	½ MARATHON
9	REST	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	REST	10	XTRAIN
10	REST	3 m run	7 m run	4 m run	REST	15	XTRAIN
11	REST	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	REST	16	XTRAIN
12	REST	4 m run	8 m run	5 m run	REST	12	XTRAIN
13	REST	4 m run	9 m run	5 m run	REST	18	XTRAIN
14	REST	5 m run	9 m run	5 m run	REST	14	XTRAIN
15	REST	5 m run	10 m run	5 m run	REST	20	XTRAIN
16	REST	5 m run	8 m run	4 m run	REST	12	XTRAIN
17	REST	4 m run	6 m run	3 m run	REST	8	XTRAIN
18	REST	3 m run	4 m run	2m run	REST	REST	MARATHON DAY!!