Information overload...can someone stop the madness? (Read 1179 times)

ETA Part 2: Just some food for thought for everyone... Why do so many novice runners want to jump right into 1/2 marathon and marathon training right away? I just don't get this. I can see maybe after a few years of getting the cardiovasuclar, respiratory, and skeletal systems used to the demands of running... but in the meantime, I wonder why more beginning runners don't concentrate on the 5K and 10K more?? I am a new runner and new triathlete and for me, the next two years will be about excelling as best as I can at the sprint and olympic distance tris (and 5K - 10k road races). A half-ironman will have to wait until at least 2010. I just don't understand why more newbies don't take this approach.

We all start from different places and different goals. In my case, I stepped on the scales and didn't like what I saw, Then I got this wild hair that I wanted to WALK the marathon. I found a training plan specific to the one I wanted to do and trained for it, doing a 5K and a half along the way. Early on, I knew that I would do at least one more. Too many of the folks that I talked to had obviously done a marathon to mark it off their life list. So what happened? I got hooked. Now I've done six marathons since October, 2006 and was first in my age group in two of the last three. And I'm just now starting to run. So, I'm a newbie with a lot of knowledge and a pretty good mileage base averaging 25 to 30 miles a week walking. I'm starting the Couch to 5K schedule using their schedule 2 times a week and for the first half hour of my long weekend scheduled distance. Current goals - get faster. Run more. Rack up more bragging rights before my 50th high school reunion in 2010. Lose that last 3 pounds.