90 DAYS TO YOUR FIRST MARATHON
By Daniel Alick
Smashwords Edition
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Copyright 2012 Daniel Alick
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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To Maddie, Ray, and Maia
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Table of Contents
Tuesday, Day 2 - 2 km (1 mile) Indoors
Thursday, Day 4 - 4 km (2 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 5 - 60 Minutes at a Shopping Mall
Saturday, Day 6 - 10 km (6 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 7 - Your Office Email
Monday, Day 8 - Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday, Day 9 - 4 km (2 miles) Indoors
Wednesday, Day 10 – Peanuts / Peanut Butter
Thursday, Day 11 - 6 km (4 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 12 - 60 Minutes at a Park
Saturday, Day 13 - 15 km (9 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 14 - Your Office Contacts
Monday, Day 15 - Quinoa / Pasta
Tuesday, Day 16 - 4 km (2 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 18 - 6 km (4 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 19 - 60 Minutes at a Shopping Mall
Saturday, Day 20 - 5 km (3 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 21 - Your Office Drawers
Tuesday, Day 23 - 5 km (3 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 25 - 7 km (4 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 26 - 45 Minutes at a Park
Saturday, Day 27 - 15 km (9 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 28 - Your Personal Email
Tuesday, Day 30 - 7 km (4 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 32 - 9 km (6 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 33 - 45 Minutes at a Shopping Mall
Saturday, Day 34 - 20 km (12 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 35 - Your Personal Contacts
Tuesday, Day 37 - 7 km (4 miles) Indoors
Wednesday, Day 38 - Peanuts / Peanut Butter
Thursday, Day 39 - 9 km (6 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 40 - 45 Minutes at a Park
Saturday, Day 41 - 10 km (6 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 42 - Your Personal Drawers
Tuesday, Day 44 - 8 km (5 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 46 - 10 km (6 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 47 - 30 Minutes at a Store
Saturday, Day 48 - 20 km (12 miles) Outdoors
Tuesday, Day 51 - 10 km (6 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 53 - 12 km (7 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 54 - 30 Minutes around the Block
Saturday, Day 55 - 30 km (19 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 56 - Your DVDs/CDs/Books
Tuesday, Day 58 - 10 km (6 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 60 - 12 km (7 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 61 - 30 Minutes at a Store
Saturday, Day 62 - 15 km (9 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 63 - Your Photographs
Monday, Day 64 - Dark Chocolate
Tuesday, Day 65 - 8 km (5 miles) Indoors
Wednesday, Day 66 - Peanuts / Peanut Butter
Thursday, Day 67 - 10 km (6 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 68 - 15 Minutes around the Block
Saturday, Day 69 - 30 km (19 miles) Outdoors
Tuesday, Day 72 - 6 km (4 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 74 - 8 km (5 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 75 - 15 Minutes at a Store
Saturday, Day 76 - 20 km (12 miles) Outdoors
Sunday, Day 77 - Your Bathroom
Tuesday, Day 79 - 4 km (2 miles) Indoors
Thursday, Day 81 - 6 km (4 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 82 - 15 Minutes around the Block
Saturday, Day 83 - 10 km (6 miles) Outdoors
Tuesday, Day 86 - 2 km (1 mile) Indoors
Thursday, Day 88 - 4 km (2 miles) Indoors
Friday, Day 89 - 60 Minutes at a Shopping Mall
Saturday, Day 90 - Your Journey
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Preface
I wrote this book for all us who neither have the time nor the inclination to read many books these days, yet nonetheless aspire to do something magnificent at least once in our lives, such as completing a full marathon race. We may have even purchased magazines, training guides, athletic gear, and gym memberships, all in support of such an endeavor - but have just not found the right program to make it stick among daily pushes and pulls that time flexes over our lives. For all of us, this guide is here to help.
I completed my first marathon in 2006, and since then have travelled the world and listened to hundreds of people's stories to better understand why, and how, they decided to take up running (a fanatically addictive sport, I am happy to say). I did not intend this guide to be an allegory for how to succeed in business or in relationships or in life - but if it manifests into that purpose, then all the better. I simply meant it to be a little guide of collective wisdom on how to set a stretch yet achievable goal, and to celebrate a series of daily, bite-sized triumphs along the way.
Tennis professional Arthur Ashe once remarked, "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome." Throughout my journeys, my interviews, my research, my hours in gyms and across continents testing out the latest training programs, I have found that Arthur's quote rings true, but perhaps, is not the whole truth. With marathon training, success is both a journey and a destination; once the finish line appears in your sights and the adrenaline surges through your system, then you will know what I mean. It is an unbelievable feeling. But to get there, you first need to align your (1) physical, (2) nutritional, and (3) mental preparedness, which brings us to the purpose of this guide.
First, physical preparedness. This stands as the most obvious attribute, and I hope it may be the case, the easiest of the three disciplines to master. Physical preparedness remains the area on which this guide spends the most focus. With developing one's physical self, the keyword happens to be CONSISTENCY. Consistency in pace, consistency in breathing, consistency in training (even consistency in the way that I wrote and present exercises in this book); I suggest you reset your mind around consistency, rather than on speed, weight, or distance. Each of the latter naturally occur if you achieve the former. Speaking of which, it may be valuable just to call out a few of the basic metrics - i.e., 1 kg (2.2 lbs) = approximately 3,500 calories; 1 km (0.6 miles) run = approximately 100 calories; a 10 km / hour pace = approximately 10 minute mile pace; etc – so that you can acknowledge them, and now let them go. I find that most training guides and programs tend to get hung up on these types of metrics, although again I encourage you not to get hung up on these or others. Simply focus on developing consistent and positive habits and perspectives, and allow your body to reflect the results.
This gets me to the next point, nutrition. You may or may not have studied nutrition earlier in your life (and even if you have, you may have forgotten it; there remains a lot to remember), so a quick review of the basics. Most foods represent a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, distributed in varying degrees. Generally speaking, health professionals advise you to consume about one half or one third of your daily (caloric) intake from foods rich in whole grain carbohydrates, one quarter to one third from foods rich in lean protein, and one quarter to one third or less from foods rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Of these categories, carbohydrates result in the most efficient conversion of food, into muscle glycogen, into energy - although unless they are also high in dietary fiber, they may lead to hunger shortly after consumption. Meanwhile, fats rate among the least efficient sources of energy, although the conversion of fats into energy tends to delay the onset of hunger. So we witness an obvious trade-off here. Proteins lie somewhere in the middle, and are particularly good at aiding muscle repair, among other positive aspects. Now that we have covered them, like the physical metrics above, I encourage us to set them aside. Simply stick with the daily targets set forth in this guide that help carry you across the finish line; the commonly available foods that I have identified lead to a more balanced set of nutritional behaviors.
Third and finally, mental preparedness. The mental exercises throughout this guide are in the interest of helping you to physically and mentally shed those negative reminders of the past, and replace those with more positive sign posts to a leaner, healthier future. There are select group of us for whom these exercises, however, could produce great anxiety and guilt. To that, I encourage you as always to listen to inner self, but still question and challenge yourself to let go of some of these relics and reminders. You can judge of whether/when you have gone too far; get yourself to that point.
There remains much more to said, but let us begin the journey, so that you can start to quiet yourself and listen to what your physical, nutritional, and mental components has been yearning for you to hear. I also encourage you to consult with your physician throughout the normal course of your training, as everyone’s system responds a little bit differently to new physical, nutritional, and mental habits. If you were to miss a day here or there, then do not worry - other than the weekly long runs outdoors, the sequence of simple daily exercises have been designed to mold around you. Just remember to tackle one per day, do each of them over the next 90 days. At first, I admit, some may seem a bit odd to be woven into a guide about running, but trust me that they clear and open your mind to a new and healthy lifestyle. Finally, remember that whatever comes your way over the next 90 days that you are not alone – I am in the crowd cheering for you the entire way.
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Monday, Day 1 – Bananas
Snack on several servings (each about the length of a pencil) of plain bananas today. They are rich sources of carbohydrates and potassium, which helps to diminish the severity of muscle cramps. At 60 calories per serving, in theory you could consume anywhere from 13 servings for an average 55 kg (120 lb) individual, to 24 servings for an average 100 kg (220 lb) individual; just be sure that the total quantity you consume today represents about 50% of your daily (caloric) intake.
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Tuesday, Day 2 – 2 km (1 mile) Indoors
Target to run approximately 2 km (1 mile), at a 0.0 degree incline on the treadmill today. Feel free to listen to music or watch TV to keep your mind busy, but pay attention to your breathing and strive for consistent counts on which you inhale, hold, and exhale. Sync these with the natural rhythms of your strides.
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Wednesday, Day 3 – Chicken
Grill several servings (each about half the size of your fist) of plain lean chicken today. They are a good source of protein. At 165 calories per serving, in theory you could consume anywhere from 1 fist-sized portion for an average 55 kg (120 lb) individual, to 2 fist-sized portions for an average 100 kg (220 lb) individual; just be sure that the total quantity you consume today represents about 25% of your daily (caloric) intake.
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Thursday, Day 4 – 4 km (2 miles) Indoors