1st Marathon Prep (Read 766 times)

So, I've been slowly ramping my running back up after last spring's injury, and should be in the 30+ MPW range in the next 2 weeks...I'm training for a marathon the last week of April, and was thinking about doing the Hal Higdon 18 week novice program, but it peaks out at 35mpw...I'll be there in Dec! What I'm thinking about doing is just continuing a slow, steady increase in miles, and getting my long run up to about 20 a few weeks before the race...I'm thinking the place I might benefit from a "set program" is in terms of tapering correctly...is this a good idea? I want to increase my milage a lot more than that program does, and as long as I keep the increase to no more than 10% a week I should be cool, right?

I often see recommendations to take one week of recovery (lower total mileage) out of every 3 or 4 weeks -- eg, if you've hit 40mpw, take one at 30 as a "cutback" week. ObDisclaimer: I'm no expert, I just read stuff on the internet...

I ran my first marathon off Higdon's novice plan. Was it really only 35 mpw? Anyway, I lived to tell the tale. Whatever you do, focus on taking it easy during your runs. It's so easy to get carried away and get hurt. And I'd suggest being consistent. Run at least 5 days / week, even if it's only 30 minutes, preferably 6.