Narrowing My Options

As June is rapidly approaching, I've downloaded Hal Higdon's Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide on my Kindle and am devouring it. Counting back from the MCM date of Sunday, October 30, 2012, I've arrived at 10 June as a starting point for a 16-week training program. Most plans are around that duration. But now I'm struggling with which plan to use. When I was a young buck running my first marathon in 1999, I didn't use a plan. In fact, I think the longest run I'd ever done was around 3 miles at that point. But I was only 19 and made of "bubble gum and rubber bands" as my husband likes to say, so putting that sort of strain on my body wasn't really a big deal. Now, in my 30s, I am wiser and more brittle:) 

Source

For the Quintiles Half, I was using Hal Higdon's training plan, but spent the first 5 or 6 weeks accidentally following the NOVICE one and thinking it was too easy (my fault for not reading properly!). Now I'm ready to select a plan for my upcoming marathon. That's where you guys come in. I NEED YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS! 


So far I've considered these:


Runner's World Marathon Plan


Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 Training Plan


Rick Kimbal's Marathon Training Plan


But in searching for a plan, I've found that several plans come with a price before you can actually see what you're getting yourself into. I haven't actually gotten to the portion of Hal Higdon's book that states the plan, but I think it's included, so that would be a plus for going with his program. 


If any of you have helpful hints or advice as to which program worked for you and why you liked it, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance!

Big Discovery, New Shoes, and Some Interesting Products!

On Wednesday morning, a fellow Stroller Warrior posted an invite to a CrossFit Workout the following morning. Lo and behold, this event was taking place in my "backyard!" I live about 7 minutes from MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) New River. Apparently, for the last 10 months, MCAS has provided the space and equipment necessary for any CF workout you could imagine! Who knew? What a big discovery. The best part is this: they have an enclosed play area for kiddos, or if they don't want to play there, you can have them right beside you in the stroller as you workout. HUGE BONUS! 

So with the Weasel in tow, we headed to MCAS, located the warehouse that enclosed the gym and met up with some ladies to grab a quick workout. There were two active duty Marines on hand to instruct us and provide us with the WOD. We did a 1k row to warm up and then got right to the WOD: 15 minute AMRAP - 6 toes to bar, 8 hand release pushups, 12 squats (repeat 3 times), 400m run. That Thursday morning, there were approximately 15 ladies kicking butt at this huge gym...it was AWESOME!

Sorry for the awful pics, but I only had my iPhone.

After the workout, I decided to drive down to Wilmington to visit TrySports in search of some new shoes. I'm a mid to forefoot striker, and I was desperately in need of new ones:

The fella at the store watched me run, listened to my concerns, and then gathered up several pairs for me to test on their treadmills. I have been a loyal Saucony wearer for YEARS, so I fully intended on selecting yet another pair. After testing Sauconys, Brooks, Newtons, and Asics, I was shocked to find myself veering away from my "old standby" and selected the Asics! 

Since we were in Wilmington, home of many hippies, Weasel and I decided to hit up the Tidal Creep Co-Op where we ate some lunch and did a little shopping:

I grabbed several of these packets in search of some new great sources of protein and other healthful boosts:

I'll have a review later, but I'm stoked to try them out. And I even got some to send to Jess over in Afghanistan! After we got home, we hung out for a bit and then after a total nap fail, I packed Weasel in the car, headed back to MCAS and did a 3 mile loop to test out my new kicks. I'm happy to report that they feel great and I already notice a difference in the way my feet and legs feel with full cushion and support! Talk about a great day!!