Sweet 16 - SPBM marathon training

As the race day dawns, there is a feeling of having lost a dear friend - someone who stuck with you for all your waking hours those last 16 weeks - yes, I am talking of my dear friend - "training for a marathon".

How I am going to miss those 16 weeks. I write this post because I have had the most brilliant and satisfying 16 weeks of training this year, as a run up to the Bengaluru marathon 2015 (SPBM 15).

I frequently end up explaining to my non-running friends about what I mean when I say I am "training". My running friends know I follow a schedule.

For the last few years now, I follow Jack Daniels Running Formula, a 16 to 24 week training program. With advice from running buddies, I alter 1 or 2 things from my past years to bring out another personal best (PB).

This year, I did 3 things differently:

1. Reduce weight
2. Raise weekly mileage (peak mileage of 100km / week)
3. Include yoga, weight training, random hip & core workouts as supplement evening sessions

The "most brilliant and satisfying" bit in numbers:

• 77 days of running (of the possible 112 days)
• Average daily mileage of 15.5 km
• Average weekly mileage of 75 km
• 3 weeks of 100km, 4 weeks of 90km
• At one point I went 27days with 1 rest day

I don't know at this point how the race on Sunday will pan out, it better be one that is worthy of the training!