A little about the plan...

Below is the link to the training program that I am following.  When I first started looking, there were a bunch of 15 week training programs, but this one which is 30 weeks seemed to fit my schedule and looked like a good place to start.  It basically says to run twice during the week and then have a long run on the weekend.  If I'm feeling really ambitious, I can do some cross-training on the "off" days.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/marathon.html


So what is my goal for running the marathon? Basically I'm not a speed demon when it comes to running.  I fall more in the "slow and steady wins the race" category.  Think tortoise and not hare.  Based on my last 5K in which I ran 10 minute miles, I am projected to finish the marathon in about 5 hrs 20 min....give or take.  Hopefully faster if I can pick up the pace over this training.  In the books and other articles I have read so far though, they say for your first marathon, the goal should be just to finish and not to have a time goal.  Well the first thing about that is by saying "First marathon" it implies there will be more.  I'm not sure about that.  Of course after I finished my "first" half marathon a few years ago (and then laid on the floor of a friend's condo for a while for fear that sitting up would make me nauseous)....never say never because here I am training for a full marathon.

So here are my two realistic goals for this (my first) marathon:

1.  Most importantly finish.  I have to finish.
2.  Finish before the street sweeper/garbage trucks come through and the roads open up again. 

Lisa