SNOD Week 1 Marathon training

With the summer of Ultras now just a distance memory I'm looking ahead with much excitement at the prospect of returning to what is easily the BEST marathon in the UK - The Snowdonia Marathon!! Ok so I haven't run that many UK marathon but Runners World readers agree with me voting it the best marathon in 2011 and for very good reason.

My recovery from my recent trail adventures has been swifter than I had imagined so this has meant that I was able to launch into marathon training mode 1 or 2 weeks ahead of the plan which means that I have (had) a full 10 weeks to prepare my body and mind for all that snowdonia will throw at me.

My training plan for the 10 weeks is to get in 4/5 runs per week and keep the consistency high which has been so lacking from my training throughout the whole of 2012. In Week 1 finishing today I completed the following:

Last Sunday - (first run since NDW100) 12 miles slow/steady at 9mpm pace
Monday - Rest day
Tuesday - Speed session. 4 miles. splits: 6.00, 5.45; 6.34: 6.34
Wednesday - 2 runs. Lunchtime 5 mile  recovery run/ Evening club run steady 7 miles
Thursday - Rest day
Friday - Speed session on track - 5 miles in 30:14!! Splits: 6:10, 6:03, 6:06, 6:04, 5:52
Saturday - Rest Day

Total mileage for the week is 34.

The 30:14 five miler yesterday around the track was a total surprise. I never thought I was anywhere near this pace so this has given my confidence a nice boost and showed me that despite my lack of training and zero speed training in recent months (possibly the whole of 2012!) I haven't lost nearly as much as I thought I had.

Bring on week 2 of training