As you can see in the sidebar, one of the books I am using to guide me through this year is the aptly named, ‘Non Runner’s Marathon Trainer’. I purchased this book a few years ago in a flurry of optimism, not that I ever got very far with it. Gosh, that's SO unlike me.
I started the Prelim Program (which you can see posted below with my notes) on the 5th of December and so far have been doing exactly what it suggests. I haven't got to the actual Training Program yet - this is pre-training, just to get me into a place where I can start proper training. Week 1 of the Prelim is not hard as it involves three thirty minute walks at a moderate pace and I've done these in lovely early summer weather along a beautiful stretch of the river. Pretty pleasant, actually, and quite do-able.
For the first couple of weeks, walking is done at a moderate pace. 'Moderate' in miles is 17 - 20 minutes per mile. Rather than having to divide by 17 and times by 33.6 or whatever it is you do to convert to kilometres, I use a Nike app on my iPhone which mercifully lets me track in either kms or miles. I was walking at smack in the middle of the 17 – 20minutes/mile moderate mile rate (about 11 minutes a km) without any effort - so that's a very easy pace. I'm probably a bit fitter than I think and it was tempting at that point to jump ahead to Week 3 or even Week 4 but I have a life-long tendency to take on too much and then give up. So, I’m trying to be very patient and follow the Program to the letter, knowing it will get lots harder once I start on the actual training program.
For the first couple of weeks, walking is done at a moderate pace. 'Moderate' in miles is 17 - 20 minutes per mile. Rather than having to divide by 17 and times by 33.6 or whatever it is you do to convert to kilometres, I use a Nike app on my iPhone which mercifully lets me track in either kms or miles. I was walking at smack in the middle of the 17 – 20minutes/mile moderate mile rate (about 11 minutes a km) without any effort - so that's a very easy pace. I'm probably a bit fitter than I think and it was tempting at that point to jump ahead to Week 3 or even Week 4 but I have a life-long tendency to take on too much and then give up. So, I’m trying to be very patient and follow the Program to the letter, knowing it will get lots harder once I start on the actual training program.
A happy discovery occurred the other day when I realised that Hugh Jackman is an ambassador for the SEE project. I've chosen to take this as a sign that Hugh and I will be total BFF’s. A difficult issue in Hugh's and my friendship up to this point has been the fact that I don’t know him and that I have never seen any of his movies but I think Hugh and I can get past this, move forward and become total besties. I do love the Lipton Iced Tea ad, especially the bit where he dances out of the lift. I think this is how we should dance across the NYC marathon finish line together. Oh yes.
My Incredibly Sophisticated and High Tech Preliminary Training Schedule
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