Dear Marathoners,

You are about to embark on a life-altering journey and one which few can attest to having achieved. Whether this is your first marathon or your 30th, the training will challenge you both mentally and physically in ways you never thought possible. It will also bring about many moments of self-discovery; you will scale new heights in your evolution as a runner!

The mere fact that you have chosen to undertake such an enormous goal speaks volumes about who you are. We all run for many reasons; some more personal than others, but the common shared thread is to accomplish finishing 26.2 miles, and this is where I come in. Working with a coach in RunVermont's Rdy2Run program will help you stay on course, meet your goals, and cross the finish line come race day. For all Rdy2Run trainees, I will provide you with weekly training tips which, all things being equal, should help get you to the starting line Memorial Day weekend. Along the way, I will be there to provide support, as well as answer any questions which I’m sure will arise. Nothing is off the table when it comes to educating yourself about marathon training.

About the Training Plans: these are template plans which represent the basic daily mileage you should aim for, and it is assumed you have been running regularly before starting them. One plan is for beginner marathoners and the other one falls somewhere between advanced beginner and intermediate. Some of you may be following plans of your own and that’s ok, too. There is no magic behind either plan; the point is to have a running objective each day. As far as pace is concerned, the biggest gains will be made if you maintain a conversational pace on all your runs. If you miss a day or two, then just pick up where your plan currently is and don’t get obsessed with trying to make up for lost days.

If you miss multiple days due to injury or illness or whatever, then we should have a talk as to how best to get back into the flow of running. The single biggest success factor in your training will be consistency. Don’t get too focused on your long runs or any other single run. It is the cumulative effect of all the runs which will make the most impact. The most important advice I can start you out with is to trust the process. Do your training, listen to your body to avoid injury and fatigue and you will have the best chance of toeing the starting line ready to go and with plenty of confidence (hopefully ????)!

Here we go! If you're interested in 1-on-1 coaching, check out Rdy2Run. 

All the Best,
Coach Sam