Hansons Marathon Method

On the 9th November it will be exactly 18 weeks until I run Barcelona Marathon again. My first goal was to try and finish in 3 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds or less. This would be quite a challenge seeing as my best marathon time stands at 4 hours, 27 minutes and 19 seconds which I got in Berlin 2012.

As I didn't get a place in London Marathon 2015 and this has always been my ultimate running goal I started looking to see what the 'best for age' qualifying time was for a woman. It's 3:45. So my challenge for Barcelona 2015 has now changed into trying to qualify for London 2016!

I am aware that this is quite a BIG challenge so I needed to find the right (and proven) training program for me. I have decided to follow the Hansons Marathon Method as many people have had a lot of success with this plan and knocked a lot of time of their previous PB's. I have never followed a training plan completely before and certainly never trained more than 3 times a week consistently. I also take photos and talk a lot while running marathons, taking my time at water stations, and going to the toilet A LOT. I figured if I work on all these things I actually do have a chance of at least a SUB 4, if not qualifying for London!

The Hansons Marathon Method (I'm following the beginner plan as the advanced looks way too hard) starts off slow but then gets pretty serious very quickly. It's written in miles so I've had to work out roughly what it is in kilometres.

Here's an example of week 11:-

Mon     Tue                           Wed   Thurs                   Fri       Sat       Sun

8k         6 x 1.5k Strength      Off     Tempo - 13k       9.5k     13k      25.5k

(easy)   (400m recovery)                 (5:15 pace)           (easy)  (easy)  (5:40 pace)                                                                                                               

I'll be writing a post every Sunday about how the week's training has gone. I think the hardest thing will be getting out of the door 6 times a week during the cold Danish winter!!

Wish me luck! I'm going to need it..........

London Marathon Waiting Again!

And so here we go again!
The 'you got a place' and 'you didn't get a place' London Marathon magazines are ready to be sent out again so I'm waiting, waiting, and waiting as usual.

Last year when I didn't get a place for yet another year, I decided I couldn't be bothered to try anymore but watching London Marathon 2014 on TV made me realise that I will never be satisfied until I have run this marathon!!

I will be running Barcelona marathon again in 2015 so already have one marathon waiting for me but WANT A PLACE IN LONDON!!!

London Marathon Ballot!

Early this morning, (2:30 am danish time), I woke up and signed up once again for the London Marathon ballot which had opened just after midnight British time.

London Marathon ballot

I won't feel like I have reached my marathon goal until I run London Marathon. I know there are many other marathons I could (and do) run but my goal from when I was 14 years old was to one day run London Marathon so I will never give up trying!

I know that there are charity places but raising £2000 while living in Denmark is not going to happen as the Danish races are not run for charity very much. I tried raising money for Help for Heroes when I ran Copenhagen Marathon in 2011 and only managed to raise £150! And I was promoted on the radio then too.

If anyone out there wants to team up and help me raise the charity money but not actually run the race, (or gets injured after raising the money and can't run), I will run for you!

Gran Canaria Marathon Wins!

Gran Canaria Marathon wins over Valencia and I will be running it if I can get cheap flights down there.

This is because I don't have any accommodation costs as one of the most WONDERFUL people I have met in a long time has invited me to stay with them :-)

The price of registration looks like it goes up at the end of June so I have given myself until then to decide.....

Also I signed up yesterday for the London Marathon 2013 lottery. This is the 2nd year running! I don't like lotterys but have to try to get a spot if I can.

So we've got Berlin Sept. 2012 as a definate, Gran Canaria Jan. 2013 as an 80% chance, Barcelona March 2013 as a 95% chance (just have to convince Ciry), London April 2013 as a 50/50, Brisbane August 2013 as a 80%. I bet you thought I'd forgotten Brisbane (ok I actually had). And that will probably be it for 2013.

If I keep going like this I'll be getting so much closer to my 50 marathons, in 50 cities, before I'm 50 goal :-)
I'm already at 3! Only 47 to go in ___ years......Well I'm not telling you how 'young' I am!!

My Marathon Wish List for the Next Year!

Madrid Memories

My plan is now to become a 'Marathon Maniac' like my friend Paul from 50 is the new 30. All I have to do is run 3 marathons in 90 days. I'm not sure if I can do that this year or not. There is a marathon not far from me on October 14th which is 2 weeks after Berlin and one month before Valencia. You don't have to sign up much in advance so I think I'll see how I recover from Berlin and take it from there. If I do run all 3 I'll be doing three marathons in less than 2 months!!

This is my 'marathon wish list' for the next year (or so).

30th Sept 2012 - Berlin Marathon (already have a place)

14th Oct 2012 - Sydkyst Marathon (this depends how easily I recover from Berlin)

18th Nov 2012 - Valencia Marathon (again)

17th March 2013 - Barcelona Marathon (please please please Ciry)

April 2013 - London Marathon (if I get a place in the lottery draw)

Jan 2014 - Gran Canaria Marathon (for Pancho!)

I was looking at Athens in November 2013 but think that 90 Euros is a little steep for race entry. I know London will be expensive too but it's almost my 'home town' so if I get a place I have to pay out for that one :-)

Valencia looks like it will be a definate one as I'm hoping to go there for a week and take 'part one' of a beginner Spanish course. I'll take part two 'when' I am in Barcelona to run the marathon there next March!

I'm really hoping that Ciry wants to run Barcelona in 2013!! There are so many people we know that are going to. Come on Ciry......you know you want to :-)