One week down, 18 to go

I took about a week off after the Heart of Dixie triathlon, and then I ran two or three times a week for another couple of weeks or so. Last week, I started my training for the Mississippi Blues Marathon.

The running program I use is based on running a certain amount of minutes instead of miles. This is a beginner program that I used on my first marathon, but I like it so much, I've stayed with it. But I have modified it a bit each year.

It's an 18-week program, but I added a week to it, and I'll modify the long distances a bit, too. The reason I like running by time instead of miles is that it encourages you to run slow. If you have to run 2 hours, you might as run it comfortably. If the plan is by miles, you might be tempted to speed through it just to get it done.

If you want to run the Mississippi Blues Marathon, it's not too late to begin your training. If you'd like a copy of my plan, just shoot me an email at kwarren@jackson.gannett.com.