On the Runners Lounge Tom starts his post In Praise of Running Plans off by saying “People with a plan do better than people without a plan.” Very true! Having a plan for training for an athletic event is critical for success. You need to have on the calendar how many miles to run (or walk) each day of the week. This training calendar should be planned for the 4-6 months that lead up to a long distance race (half marathon, marathon or longer).

This is one advantage of charity training programs such as Team in Training or Train to End Stroke. These programs help first time marathoners by providing a training calendar. The group training sessions also help participants stick to the schedule.

If you are looking for more support when running or walking an endurance event consider one of the charity programs available. I know how much they help a first timer - my first (and so far only) marathon I did with Team in Training, walking the Anchorage Alaska Marathon. Since then I have done a half-marathon and several shorter distance events. The skills and discipline I learned in TNT made a big difference in training and being successful on race day.