As we head into week 4 of Big Sur training, I feel relief in that:

  1. Celebrities Who Were High-School Track Athletes
  2. I didn’t have to contend with the blizzard to get my long run in (though admittedly, the snowy runs I saw on social media looked pretty stinking inspiring)
  3. Other Hearst Subscriptions

I also feel something else bubbling up (and it’s not yesterday’s chili). I wouldn’t call it excitement quite yet, because I have a long way to go. But I feel different than the last time—the first time—I attempted a marathon.

I’ve covered 26.2 twice, but only one as a true marathon (the other was part of a 140.6). When I trained for that first one in 2010, I had some setbacks I couldn't control (a rolled ankle that kept me from running for about three weeks during close-to-peak training). But I also had setbacks I could control. I trained sloppily. I trained just to get miles in—very conservatively—because I feared injury and I feared implosion.

I trained wrong.

Shoes & Gear.

And I paid for it with a disappointing day. (As we get closer to race day, I will outline my goals for Big Sur. I have some now, but I want to tinker with them based on my training progression, finding the space between realistic and optimistic.)

Now, my recipe includes more planning, more strategy, more smarts—as I try to figure out the sweet spot between what works and what works for me. I know if my big-body self tries to run too much, I will crash. Run too little? Same result. My plan: I’m combining parts of two Runner’s World marathon programs—and sprinkling in the cross-training I know I need for strength and spirit.

Here’s how it looks.

Monday: Strength in AM; swim or bike intervals in PM
The Perfect Playlist for Long Runs
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lsquo;I Walked for 30 Minutes Every Day for a Month&rsquo
What I Learned Running 3 Miles A Day For 21 Days
Saturday: LSD run followed by strongman workout
Sunday: Off/stretch

I will back off some of the cross-training in certain weeks as my body needs it. But the big difference for me this time around is that all my runs—even if they all don't go the way I want them to—will have purpose.

I can’t guarantee that my outcome will be much better than it was some six years ago, but I can guarantee that my preparation will be.

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Ted is training in preparation for the 2016 Big Sur International Marathon with Runner’s World VIP. To learn how you can be part of the RW VIP program, visit runnersworld.com/vip.