Speaking of plans

I've been looking at beginner, 12-week couch-to-half-marathon plans, trying to find one I believe I can handle on my way to April 23rd's Cleveland 10-Miler. I realize a 12-week program does not really mean beginner, since you really have to be able to run a mile or two at the start to get anywhere close to 13.1 in that time frame. I have to wonder at some people's definition of beginner or novice, though.

This one, for instance, starts with a 3-miler. Skip a day, and then do 5. Skip a day, and then do 8. Really? This is a beginner training program?

This one starts with fartleks. 4 miles of fartleks, with a mile warm-up and a mile to cool down. For those non-runners reading this, fartleks are a training session that incorporates speed, alternating with an easy pace that allows recovery before the next effort. So basically, you're running a mile to warm up, 4 miles incorporating some level of sprint, and then a mile to cool down. 6 miles, the first run. This is not my idea of a beginner plan.

I finally decided on this plan.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	2	2	20 min cross	2	rest	3	rest	9 mi total
2	3	2	20 min cross	3	rest	3.5	rest	11.5 mi total
3	3	3	20 min cross	4	rest	4	rest	14 mi total
4	2	3	20 min cross	2	rest	3	rest	10 mi total
5	4	3	20 min cross	5	rest	5	rest	17 mi total
6	4	4	20 min cross	5	rest	7	rest	20 mi total
7	5	4	20 min cross	5	rest	9	rest	23 mi total
8	6	4	20 min cross	6	rest	10	rest	26 mi total
9	5	4	20 min cross	5	rest	11	rest	25 mi total
10	4	2	20 min cross	4	rest	7	rest	17 mi total
11	4	0	20 min cross	3	2	0	race	9 mi total

It's actually an 11-week plan. This is perfect, since I miscalculated and really only have 11 weeks until my race. It starts out with several 2 mile runs the first week. I can run 2 miles. I will continue with my swimming classes 3x a week. I will take a yoga class on Tuesdays, which is also a run day. Cross-training will be core work. I really need to work on my core.

The race is only 10 miles, but a 13.1 mile plan will make those 10 miles easier. It will also make the Cleveland Half Marathon on May 15th that much easier. I will take a week off, then do week 10 and 11 again. By then I hope to have a June race on the books, a July one, and maybe an August race as well. My preference is a race a month. A race every 2 months would work, too. As long as I don't have enough time to stop training before my next race, I'm good.

That's the plan.