Unlike last year, when a nasty bout of bronchitis reduced most of my runs to pitiful shuffles of questionable distance, my training this year is going very well. So well, that I have been sniffling around for training goals....
Goal #1 is to run the full 50km of the Vancouver New Years Day Fat Ass, ideally beating my time from 2006. Starting the end of August, I will be following a 18week 50km training schedule gleaned from the Run To The Toad website. In a nutshell, the training is structured around 5 weekly runs, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays. Weekend runs are back to back long runs (starting out at an easy 10km, but ever increasing). Midweek runs range between 6km to 12km on average, with a few hills and speed work thrown in. It looks manageable (I tried my first back to back run today after a 3:35run yesterday...ouch!)
Goal #2 is a bit more lofty! I have never run a marathon in under 4h. My fastest time was in my first marathon - 4:01. Apart from improving my speed, this would mean training on the road and staying injury free. To fit in with the Vancouver 50 training and yet to be named goal # 3, a spring marathon would be best. I have sworn not to do the Vancouver Marathon ever again (how can such a beautiful city have a course so ugly in parts? How can there always be hick-ups in the organization, from water stations running out of liquids to a 20min late start in the pouring rain to no blankets at the freezing finish). Not sure if there are any alternatives in the time and area (late April, early May and less than 1h drive???). Probably have to fall back on the Vancouver Marathon.
Goal # 3... do I even dare to post this here? Depending on reaching goal number 1 and 2, I would like to finish the Kneeknacker in 2008. I ran it once in 1994 and DNF'ed in 2003 because I was over the cut-off at the Skyline aid station. Sign-up for KK is in February, hopefully by this time I can asses how my training is going and if I have a realistic chance of finishing the infamous KK.
I know, it's a bit early to plan 2008, but an 18week training schedule for the Vancouver New Years Day FA 50km would have to start late August, which is not that far away...I invite all newbies FA50 prospects and or "turtlepaces" to join me for goal #1!
Comments
Great goals
Some ambitious goals there, Sibylle. You can do it, no question. You've got me thinking because you're the best kind of training partner....you stick to the plan .....no whining excuses (mine) accepted. But I think I just live too far away. And I'm planning on Hallow's Eve Trail Marathon at the end of October, then taking November off. No training for New Year's, just hopefully helping Ron with H2H Ultra in November - it's hugely inspiring!
There's an awful lot of road training required for the Marathon. Would you be keeping trails in?
Keep us posted, ok?
Cheryl