The Best Kind of Marathon Training

When June 15, 2009 rolled around and I started training for the Detroit Marathon, I had no idea at the time what I was getting myself into. The furthest I'd run before then was no more than 10 miles, and even that was something I was insanely proud of. Yes I could run double digits. I also didn't think that come October and the race I'd be already docking up my next marathon. What I did know was that I liked the training program Kate (my marathon buddy) pointed me towards. Because on Day 1, the training read:

"Monday is always a day of rest...Let's begin this Monday, the first day of your marathon journey, by contemplating the training that will begin tomorrow."

Hal Higdon

So here on January 5 (now the 26th by the time this thing gets posted) I am again. Resting comfortably with a hot toddy in my basement watching Zodiac. This, long-time readers, is the best kind of marathon training.

Things are a little bit different this time around. When I started last year it was the middle of summer, I was steeped in an internship, just at the end of my first novel. I had a brand new pair of shoes (Size 13 Mizuno Waves). Now it's January. The middle of winter. I'm too broke to buy a new pair of shoes (The ones I have, have at least 460 miles and probably more like 500 miles on them). I'm back in school, and I'm editing the novel that I was finishing. The race instead of training in the heat and running in the cold will be an exact opposite. Training in the cold and running the last weekend of May. Madison here I come.

An interesting fact I discovered: The distance run during training could get me well past Madison (which is only roughly 376 miles).

Tomorrow is the first run distance: 3 miles. A nice casual start.

I was planning on doing a blog on funny discoveries in my journal, that'll wait for tomorrow.