Fit Friday: GRR 15K training guide

Officially 10 weeks from today is the largest 15K in the USA: the Gate River Run (GRR) here in Jacksonville!

Their website banner heading features the starting line from a past year's event.

My first 5K was the Florida Times-Union charity run part of the GRR in 2009. It was a great time with an overwhelming number of people in attendance.

After our first 5K. No fancy outfits, no timers...we were happy to finish and make it home.

It still intimidates me to think of running it. Partly because I’ve never run 9 miles and partly because most people there are “real” runners who do this every year and more.

There’s a huge expo that weekend and a carb-loading spaghetti dinner the night before. There’s also two great training programs to get you ready. I’m still on the fence about whether I’ll attempt it in 2012 (totally typed “2010″ the first time, yeesh) but I figure having a training program to attempt until then can’t hurt!

Here are the two programs from the GRR website’s training section:

option 1) 10 Weeks! By Jerry Lawson

“This is a 10-week training schedule designed to get you ready to complete the 9.3 mile Gate River Run. You don’t have to be a hard-core runner to take part in this mega event, just someone in decent physical condition.”

option 2) 12 WEEKS by Doug Alred, adapted from Hal Higdon’s 15K training program

» Click Here to Download a 15K Training Schedule from the GRR website

This is theirs, not mine. I'm simply including it for easy reference. Visit the GRR website and talk to your doctor.

I find it’s easier for me to stick to if I have a plan laid out ahead of time. I really enjoyed my C25K program and I just love that they offer these for anyone interested.

The second one is much more in-depth and it’s already two weeks in. But, I think I can follow it anyway and like that includes rest and cross-training. I know I got the rest days scheduled!

What fitness programs are you doing? I have a friend and a cousin who are probably planning to participate in 2012′s (they’re my running heroes) and I’m so proud and impressed.  The GRR brings 20,000+ people together so maybe one of them will be you?