I had to get to work really early this morning, so I could head out to attend a colleague’s dad’s funeral mass. My friend wasn’t in great shape emotionally and financially, but as it was one of the prepaid funeral plans, it made things a little easy for him. On the way to my car, I saw a few runners going by, gleaming in the dawn sunlight. I felt reflective about my training year, and wanted to write about it here.
After my marathon, I knew that I wanted to take the next few months off of running. I figured I’d leave everything in the weightlifting and weight loss arena until the early spring, mostly because I don’t much like treadmill running, and because it was too chilly for me to seriously entertain trail running through the winter months. What I didn’t count on was that the spring would also bring some great distance races that I’d feel sad about not being trained to race.
To do it again, I think I would break my year up this way:
December-March: Weightlifting and weight loss.
late March-end of May: Running short races (up to 12 miles).
June-August:Strength and marathon/ultra training.
September-November:Race marathons/ultras
late November-December: Off.
Even looking at that, it’s tricky. I have the lucky un-luck of knowing there are lots of really great April and early May races around here. There’s a trail marathon called Don’t Run Boston that seems like loads of fun. There’s 7 Sisters, which is supposedly just grueling in the fun sense of the word. There’s Northern Nipmuck in mid-April, which seems like a great training race if I want to do the Nipmuck Marathon next year.
But, it’s like a salad bar, right? You don’t eat the ENTIRE salad bar, just because it looks delicious. You pick the few things you’re in the mood to eat, and let someone else have the rest.
This year is a bit scratchy. I can train for marathons and ultras starting now, and pick off some of the smaller races. I’ll miss some of the spring stuff, but I have to remember that my plan was to do that from the start.
How do YOU plan your events? How do you triathlon freaks do it? What makes Marshall pick the ultras he walks?
And how about all you weight loss folks who are considering their first ever 5K? What are you planning? How have you broken up your years? Do you think in those terms?
Weight lifters and crossfitters?
I’m looking for your thoughts.
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