The final third of an Ironman Tri is a 26 mile run. I have never run 26 miles. I have never actually run more than 13 miles, though I have run a good handfull of half marathons in decent time. I want to be able to be able to hit that last third of the tri with full confidence that I can complete it. Thus, first step towards the Ironman, completing my first marathon.
The Detroit Marathon, on October 18th, is a perfect 17 weeks away. Marathon guru Hal Higdon suggests 18 weeks of training prior to a marathon; what’s 1 week between friends right? For a first marathon, Im going to follow his Novice plan to the letter (if I can hold back to only 3 miles a day…). Coming from a solid base of cardio, this marathon will be the perfect way to establish some good running ability before the bitter Michigan cold relegates all but the most devoted athletes to indoor training. Thus, my plan: run the marathon, then add some serious swimming when the streets are too icy to run and cycle, and come spring, hop on the Trek and start getting in some mileage.
[...] was going with Hal Higdon’s program for Novice runners, as I mentioned in an earlier post, with two weeks building and one week backing off. A mileage graph for this type of training [...]