After a disastrous marathon in 2010, I’m determined to be better prepared for 2011. Despite having successfully completed two marathons, I’m swallowing my pride and following a 26-week beginner plan. I’m treating this year as though I’ve never run a marathon before. Since I have to run through holidays and the birth of my third child, I’m stretching the plan out to 29 weeks. Here’s the breakdown:

Training Phase Calendar Week Training Week Notes
Endurance 10/25 – 10/31 26 weeks to go
11/01 – 11/07 25 weeks to go
11/08 – 11/14 24 weeks to go
11/15 – 11/21 23 weeks to go
11/22 – 11/28 22 weeks to go Thanksgiving
11/29 – 12/05 21 weeks to go
12/06 – 12/12 20 weeks to go
12/13 – 12/19 19 weeks to go
12/20 – 12/26 18 weeks to go Christmas
12/27 – 01/02 18 weeks to go New Year
Strength and Stamina 01/03 – 01/09 17 weeks to go
01/10 – 01/16 16 weeks to go
01/17 – 01/23 15 weeks to go
01/24 – 01/30 14 weeks to go
01/31 – 02/06 13 weeks to go
02/07 – 02/13 12 weeks to go
02/14 – 02/20 12 weeks to go baby due
02/21 – 02/27 12 weeks to go
02/28 – 03/06 11 weeks to go
03/07 – 03/13 10 weeks to go
Performance 03/14 – 03/20 9 weeks to go
03/21 – 03/27 8 weeks to go
03/28 – 04/03 7 weeks to go
04/04 – 04/10 6 weeks to go
04/11 – 04/17 5 weeks to go
04/18 – 04/24 4 weeks to go
Taper 04/25 – 05/01 3 weeks to go
05/02 – 05/08 2 weeks to go
05/09 – 05/15 1 week to go