Hey guys! I have finally finished my Dumbo Double Dare Challenge training plan and as promised I am going to share it with you. Now before I go any further, please remember that I am NOT a certified personal trainer, running coach, nutritionist or physician.

[Source: runDisney’s Facebook Page]

As of Monday, I am officially in training for Dumbo. To say that I am excited about it would be an understatement. I am ecstatic, overwhelmed, thrilled and nervous. I feel like I have created a plan that is both aggressive and not too difficult. I tried to follow all of the rules of training but I still doubt myself. I still worry that I will somehow become derailed and not be able to accomplish my goals. Here is my training calendar for the rest of the month of May.

{Click the image to see my full training plan}

When I set about to create this plan, I knew that I wanted a plan that would incorporate a wide range of workouts. The plan I came up with is 16 weeks long and is roughly passed on a plan from the Runner’s World Smart Coach program. I added in cross training, strength training, core work, stretching and shifted some of the runs around. Cross training and strength training are important for building overall strength as well as improving overall health. Here is a quick break down of the weeks.

Weeks 1 through 5:

• Mondays – Cross Training (XT) + Strength Training (ST)
• Tuesdays – Easy Runs (E) + Core
• Wednesdays – Cross Training (XT) + Strength Training (ST)
• Thursdays – Tempo Runs (T) or Speed Work (S) + Core
• Fridays – Cross Training (XT) + Strength Training (ST)
• Saturdays – REST
• Sundays – Long Runs (L) + Stretching

Weeks 6 through 16:

• Mondays – Cross Training (XT) + Strength Training (ST)
• Tuesdays – Easy Runs (E) + Core
• Wednesdays – Cross Training (XT) + Strength Training (ST)
• Thursdays – Tempo Runs (T) or Speed Work (S) + Core
• Fridays – REST
• Saturdays – Easy Runs (E) + Core
• Sundays – Long Runs (L) + Stretching

My primary goal is to do ALL of my training runs even if I don’t do them on the days planned. In the past, my biggest problem has been sticking to the training plans I create. This time I actually want to follow it all the way through … at least when it comes to the running days.

My secondary goal is to cross train and strength train 2 days a week. The first five weeks have 3 days with those workouts but I will be ok with 2 days. As I mentioned the other day, I really want to get stronger and two to three strength workouts a week will help me get there.

On the weekdays that I run, my goal is to do some additional core work. I haven’t quite figured out those workouts but I will share them once I do. After my long runs, I am going to do some stretching. It will probably be one of my many yoga DVDs. The point is to stay injury free while training for Dumbo and Dopey.

Each week, I will post a recap of how my workouts went. I already do that but now these posts will be focused on how well I am following my training plan. If you want to see my entire training plan, you can click the link below. It is a PDF so you can download it too.

Click {download} to see my full training plan!

A note about pacing: I am going to be using the suggested paces from Smart Coach. They match where my fitness/running is at now and where I want to be. If you are unsure about what pace to use for any of the runs, I would recommend looking at the McMillan Running Calculator. It is a great tool to give you an idea of the paces you should be hitting on your training runs.