I have been following Jeff's plan pretty much to the letter, although twice now I have had to do the planned workouts one day later due to migraines. In those cases I combined 2 days of workouts into 1. I now have a solid fitness and strength base, and I am really enjoying the CrossFit classes that I am doing twice per week. We will see if my Pilates teacher notices any difference in my core strength on Friday, as due to my holiday and then her holiday, I have not been able to do Pilates classes for over a month now, but I have in the meantime started doing regular CrossFit classes.
Jeff had me do a 16k time trial on Monday, and I completed the distance in 1 hour 9 minutes and 44 seconds. According to the RW race time predictor, that gives me a predicted marathon time of 3 hours 14 minutes and 56 seconds. If I had run it in 1 hour 4 minutes and 23 seconds that would have given a predicted marathon time of 3 hours. So, based on this prediction and my prediction from the 3k time trial, I can realistically expect to run the Pisa marathon in 3 hours 15 minutes if all goes well.
There is nothing at all to say that I cannot improve between now and then, but to knock 15 minutes off my predicted marathon time in the next few months would be a long shot. I hate to set myself a aim and then not to achieve it, so my aim of a sub 3 hour marathon will most likely have to be carried over into next year. I will get Jeff to draw me up a plan that keeps me in great shape all winter, allowing me to start from a really solid fitness and strength base next year.
Once I manage a sub 3 marathon, I want to try my hand at an Ironman. One thing at a time though - for now my aim is clear, a sub 3.
