PS: I'm here to cheer!

Please know that I am interested in hearing how training is going for anyone/everyone who may choose to following these blogs. Would also welcome any questions or suggestions you may have for me. I'll sign-off by saying that I enjoy cheering others on.....so let me "feel your pain" and I'll try to give you some advice on how to run through it and on toward our ultimate objective: race day in May! Whatever else is true about running (discomfort, inconvenience, time), it is a joy and it is a blessing! Smile out there!!!

Week One (Getting started is hard!)

Ok, so I checked my handy-dandy downloaded running schedule for week 1. The first day was Monday. Instruction: Rest. THIS is my kind of program. Who says you can't find important life guidance on the internet? So, I rested. Took Tuesday off as well, because I was out of state on travel.

The weather is not cooperating here either, but I did manage to get in some good runs on Wednesday evening, Thursday evening and Saturday. Lots of snow and ice, so I ran laps at the Fargo South Arena.....8 laps/mile. Good thing I like to daydream....nearly felt like I was out running on the old convent road.

Ran 8 on Saturday, at an 8 minute/mile pace. That's pretty close to standard for me, unless running shorter distances or really, really long runs.

I am following the same schedule I used during my first two Fargo Marathons (2006 and 2007). It's the Hal H. "Intermediat I" plan, and it resulted in 3:37 and 3:29 finishes. It's a good, balanced plan that gets you ready but doesn't take years off of your life.....or your life, for that matter. Not to say I won't be griping as the distances grow these next 18 weeks....stay tuned, and let's get to the starting line together! This really can be fun. It can. I'm serious. Honest.

Let the games begin! As I said each of the other January days when Fargo Marathon training began: who's great idea was this?

My year-round preference is to run 4 miles per day at a good clip. That won't quite do the trick for the marathon, so bring on the 18 week plan! My calculator says the 18 weeks will start Monday the 18th. This can only mean one thing: rest 'til then! I'll keep my daily (ok, lately the weather, work, and travel have imposed on my running....so maybe "daily" is a fib) 4 mile routine until the 18th, then we begin. Join me in eating a few extra cheeseburgers in the next weeks. It takes energy to train, dang it!

This will be my fourth Fargo Marathon ('06, '07, '08), assuming I get to the starting line without quest-ending injuries. Check-in on the progress here at the blog, and I'll try to keep the entries interesting. Lace 'em up!! And get ready for a memorable 18 weeks.....