Marathon training is like planning.
I am currently training for a full marathon that I will run on January 18 in Houston, TX. I am neck deep in to the training plan right now, and there have been several times that I have asked myself, "WHY am I doing this? AGAIN?!!"
Since this is my second marathon, I am much more aware of the importance of good planning.
In my first marathon, I had a great training plan that I obtained from HalHigdon.com. He has training plans for all lengths and types of runs, but I pulled up the novice marathon training plan.
It was a great plan. It started out with moderate runs and slowly but surely it stretched out to longer runs. I remember specifically a day that the plan called for a twenty mile run. A twenty mile run. I was training in Indiana for the race, and it was horribly cold outside so I ran on a treadmill.
Shortly after I got on the treadmill, a young mother showed up and placed her baby in a car seat attachment next to her. She then proceeded to change the TV to "Bob The Builder". She ran for twenty minutes and then left me stranded there watching "Bob The Builder" - SIX STRAIGHT EPISODES!
After running for seventeen miles, I could not take "Bob The Builder" anymore so I got off the treadmill to go change the TV channel. I never got back on the treadmill. I never ran the other three assigned miles.
I ended up shortchanging one more twenty mile run that was on the plan.
Guess what happened? During the marathon, I ran great until mile 17. By mile 19, I was hurting so bad that I stopped and walked for awhile. I ran-walked the final 7.2 miles. I finished, but I really paid dearly for not following the plan.
Have you ever planned your spending and then failed to follow it? I know I have in the past. I made it through the month, but I paid dearly for not following the plan.
That is how marathon training is like ... plannning.
Will Rogers said that "even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there."
