Tomorrow, I am officially launching into my 2nd training cycle using Pete Pfitzinger's marathon training program. Specifically, the 12-week plan peaking at 55 miles.
What exactly am I training for you may ask?
Well for the immediate future, I'm actually targeting a half-marathon falling on May 9th - the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half-Marathon. I realized somewhere between post-CIM and now that while the lay-off did my mind and body some good, I actually need to have structure in my training if I'm going to perform at a high level come race day. So I'm embarking on round two of Pfitz - only about six weeks shorter, with a greater emphasis on lactate threshold/VO2Max workouts.
I will be targeting very ambitious times (for me anyway) in the half with the following goals in mind:
Goal 'A': a sub-1:35
Goal 'B': a sub-1:38
Current PR in the half stands at 1:40:44, which came at the Long Beach 1/2 raced in the meat of my 18/55 en route to CIM.
Following Santa Barbara, it will be an amended 11-week path to the San Francisco Maraton on July 26th with an emphasis on endurance to hopefully resolve this cramping issue once and for all.
For now though, my eye remains on the main goal at hand...with some ultras sprinkled in for good measure. Let's do this.
Edited to add: currently at 185 lbs. Aiming for as close to a 170 lbs by the end of the cycle.
14 comments:
wooo! sounds like a great plan of attack for the first half of the year. it should be fun to be pretty close in our schedules! you will do aweosme in BOTH races, i will be at one for sure, potentially both routing everyone on!
Whoo hoo! I wish you all the best of luck with this. I'll be here cheering you on.
I'd say go for the 1:35 - then drink wine after! Julia and I will both be there too - and news on Sarah?
I am so sad I missed you at Long Beach.
You plan sounds great. I am one who needs structure as well. You are going to do great.
you could totally get those times! i was a 1:40 too and then i got that 1:34-whatever, and you're a boy so that means you will do even better than me. maybe you should try those salt packets like kevin for the cramps? cheap therapy. worth a shot? good luck in both efforts. i fully expect you to obliterate your half pr.
Wow everyone seems to be on the Pfitz plan. I just got my hubby the book for Valentine's Day.
I too, hope to be down a few lbs before SD.
You can dominate Billy! I believe in you. Glad you're getting back out there and getting speedy! :)
Great plan! I think you can totally do it if you focus and you know those LT/VO2 runs with Pfitz can get you there!
Whoo-hoo, go Billy go!
I've had my eye on SB for several years now.
I combines two of my currently favorite things, wine and running. I just may have to join you.
I'm going to Paso Robles for their wine country half at the end of March.
Whew! We have the SAME half marathon goals now!
@ Willis - something tells me that you're sandbagging and I'm overreaching.
Billy, Pfitz 12/55 is great, and when I did it pre-Chicago 2008, I added a very easy recovery run on Friday (or whichever second day he had me off) and bumped up over 60 during several weeks. If you can handle it, that will really help you get the most out of the program.
As for your 1:35 goal, if I can do it, I KNOW you can do it.
Cheers, R
i would say 1:35 --- all the way! you are going to rock it!
Sounds like a great plan in place. Looking forward to reading about your progress along the way.
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