Duncan’s Target: Queenstown Marathon November 22nd 2014
How did you go with your first week of training for the Queenstown marathon?
Duncan got off to what appears to be a dismal start by missing 2 of his sessions! It was a common reason, work got too busy. He only found the time to train after work, when it was too dark to see the trails, and this seemed just too hard and risky for spraining an ankle.
However, there is always a positive way to reframe and it only took a few minutes of problem solving to see his frustration converted into even stronger motivation.
There are many alternatives, but Duncan was just too busy this week to think outside the square, and besides, the lure of a hot fire and warm dinner was just too much. (sound familiar?)
We just took a couple of minutes to brainstorm solutions:
Buy a headlamp It’s worth getting a good bright one, that will also be useful for other things, and it’s a really fun adventure training in the dark now and then. (Worth getting a reflective band for ankles too, from a bike shop)
Morning Training Do training in the morning before work
Transport as Training Walk to work or home from work, saving some time!
Cross Training Mix in activities such as swimming, bike on a wind-trainer indoors, or a gym class.
Next week we’ll discuss clothing, gear choice and nutrition for making those more adventurous training sessions even more fun.
The issue with being a weekend warrior
Duncan tried to make up for missing his mid-week sessions by doubling his weekend sessions.
The problem with that is that it’s a massive load for a beginner, all on 2 consecutive days. I’ve designed the schedule, to allow your muscles, joints and metabolism to recover after a session, stronger and ready for the next session. This is either with a rest day, or later in the program by alternating easy sessions with hard sessions. So it’s important to be consistent, planning your week to fit in the 4 or 5 sessions.
As we sorted solutions to Duncan’s training, the smile returned to his face, excited with his goal to complete the Marathon, and how he was looking forward to being fit and healthy.
Marathon training schedule - Week 2
Remember, take it easy the first 2 or 3 weeks. It’s OK to halve the duration if you’re feeling sore or tired.
Thursday 26th
Walk 30 mins - easy effort - flat trails
Friday 27th
Rest day
Saturday 28th
Walk 60 minutes - easy effort - flat trails.
Sunday 29th
Walk 30 minutes - medium pace but still able to have a conversation (even better - walk with a mate) - flat or hills
Monday 30th
Rest day (or swim or bike or yoga or gym optional 30 mins)
Tuesday 1st
Walk 20 mins, jog 10 mins, walk 10mins - Medium pace - flat or small hills
Wednesday 2nd
Rest day (optional cross train eg swim, bike, yoga 30 mins)
Thursday 3rd
Walk 30 minutes - fast walk - small hills
Friday 4th
Rest day