Training for marathon number six is just around the bend. This cycle will begin on Monday. I am still sitting here staring at an Excel sheet trying to figure out what training plan I am going to use. Let me tell you some of the things I want in a training plan.

Flexibility! I know that the whole concept of having a plan leans away from flexibility. You have a plan. You need to cover x number of miles today. You need to do speed work this day. You need to do hill work this day. You need to run long this day. Somewhere in there you should cross train and strength train. You should rest, too, so as to not overwork your muscles.

A stretch! What? I want to stretch? No. I want my training plan to be a stretch. I want it to take me out of my comfort zone slightly. I do not want too much stretch but we all need to get out of our comfort zone to get better. I am hoping that this upcoming mid-November marathon will be a PR of a race.

Nutrition! How I wish I could have a training plan that also came with a plan on what to eat for each meal! I know this is a stretch as everyone eats different items. I have been eating a vegetarian diet for over a year and a half now. I am not ready to change this up on a permanent basis. When I get a craving for meat – and I am cooking something for the family anyway – I may have some. I do not scarf down a lot of meat, though. I would be happy with a coordinated training and nutrition plan. I am working on this. 😉

Strength training! I know for a fact I need to write this into my training plan. I need specific items written in for specific days. Despite wanting flexibility, I know certain things will not be done unless they are on the calendar and strength training is one of those things.

So my Excel sheet is here. In it are the weeks and mileage from three different plans. I am not going to combine plans – my original thought. I am going to pick one of the top two plans. I am, then, going to work in some of the two and three a day runs from the Ragnar training plan so I can be use to running more than one time in 24 hours. I need to put in strength training. I need to figure out what I am doing for my cross training. I need to get this all done because training starts Monday.

Do you use a free training plan? Make up your own training plan? Have you ever seen a training plan that is fairly generic but includes nutrition?