A running plan

Having a plan is the key to success. The running program I'm going to try to follow is from Hal Higdon (www.halhigdon.com)

The Intermidiate-I program runs 5 days a week. The long runs will be on Saturday or Sunday morning. That depend on if I get my runs done during the week.

The program starts with a long run of 8 miles. It features two 20 mile runs during week 13 and 15. Ouch!

My plan goes beyond the mileage tasks. I think you will not gain speed if you run a lot at a slow pace. I need to learn the form and feel of a fast run.

I hope to run the longer runs at a slower pace to avoid injury. Most of the shorter runs should be done at paces that are faster than my target time. My target is 8 minute mile pace to finish a 3:30 marathon.

That is my goal, but I feel that it is important that I use my head during this process. If I'm burning out, I need to slow down. I hope I have to speed up though!

Check out this book I just read by Hal Higdon called "Marathon: The ultimate training guide." It makes a repeated point to not injure yourself! I recommend it - A fast read filled with a lot of practical information. I think the lessons are exactly correct (although I have limited experience in running.)

If you have not read a book - this is the perfect one to start with. Check it out here:

posted by jim @ 7:43 PM Permanent Link |