First OKC training run 1/11/2011

First time trying to load my run from connect.garmin.com... It was a little on the slower side, but a great run none the less.
First OKC training run by jbmason75 at Garmin Connect - Details

The Plan

Training for the OKC marathon starts on Monday and I think I have a pretty good plan that will help me improve my fitness and time. This will be my third marathon and I have learned a few things in training for my first two. 1)  I am not a runner that can use a "run less, run faster" system for a variety of reasons (mostly lack of cross training) 2) I need to make sure I focus on long runs and use those to set up better for the race. 3) I need a plan with flexibility as I have a 7 month old son at home and family obligations to meet.

So, I developed a plan that focuses on increasing my mileage, better and more long runs, while still allowing me to have the flexibility I need for my family. You can see the plan below, but in summary, it starts with a base of around 25 miles per week (mpw) and peaks at around 50 mpw, and has me running four days a week. And if all goes well over the next 16 weeks I will have logged a total 550 miles, not counting the marathon itself. During each week I will have hill days, easy days, and tempo runs, along with the long runs, which should all help increase speed, strength, and VO2 capacity.  Based on research from experts and the advice from fellow runners in the forums at Runners World.com, if I keep to the plan and train smart I will crush my PR and move closer to the sub four hour marathon I have been dreaming about.

Each week I will post the goals for the week in the hopes that by making them public there will be increased incentive to stick to the plan. And then during the week, I will give reports on my progress with a summary at the end of the weekly cycle.

The plan is listed below. Let me know what you think!

So why do I marathon?

It may seem like a question I should have answered before my first 26.2, but I don't know if I ever put my reasons into a coherent answer. So let me answer the question: why do I marathon?

I think most boys want to be athletes and I was one of those boys. I played football in my backyard and imagined I was Joe Montana and played catch with my brother imagining I was Dave Winfield saving a home run at Yankee stadium. Problem was, that my talent wasn't really good enough to take me out of my backyard. Sure, I played soccer when I was really young, and I gave it my all, but I think the only reason why I played as much as I did is because it was an "everyone plays" league. While I never admitted it to anyone, I wanted to be an athlete. And I may have been a brain jock in M.U.N., debate and a state champion and in marching band (go Marching Spartans!) it just wasn't the same.

Fast forward a number of years and a couple of average stints on intramural basketball teams later  and I still didn't feel like an athlete. Then in the Spring of 2009 I was sitting on my couch and watching the Biggest Loser- season whatever- and I saw the contestants run a marathon. Sitting there I thought, "well, if they can do this then I should be able to." And so the training began.

Looking back I had no idea what I was doing while I was training for Rochester in the fall of '09, but something began to happen. As I did my training runs and a few smaller races I began to think, "Faster, I know if I train just a bit harder I can go just a bit faster." And that thought turned in to, " How fast can I go in the long run?" For the first time in my life I began to think like a competitive athlete.

Jump slightly ahead to the fall of 2010 and mile 11 of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon... The week before I had run The Montgomery County Parks Half at an "easy pace" and finished in  2:15:xx. As I was crossing the finish I thought, "next week I will go fast(er)!" And a week later I was going fast when I hit mile 11, but then I got tired, and my body hurt, but I pushed on. And you know what, mile 11 was my fastest mile of the day. The non athlete Brian would have slowed down or even walked, but now I pushed  through and finished with a 2:01:58. Now I was an athlete!

And that made me think what can I do in Philly? Could I break 4:30:00? Was there a sub 4:00:00 marathon in my future? I didn't break 4:30:00 yet, but I know I am an athlete because the passion burns to reach both of those goals.

So why do I marathon? Because in the marathon I am an athlete with all of the great things that has brought to my life. But those great things are another post for another day!