30/30 workout

I've been wanting to lay in bed and not get up so early in the morning.. I know I should get up because I enjoy my slow morning start of yoga stretching, and some core exercises = warm up. This whole wake up takes a good hour out of my workout time. I decided to do the 30/30 plan this morning.. run for 30 minutes and lift weights for 30.. I am trying to make the most out of what time I have after my slow start. 

I was trying to just run faster then a 10 minute mile for an easy 3.4 miles pace Monday. I did better then that and kept it around 9 minutes per mile with easy effort. I like warming up this way then go do my strength training. 

Steve does a completely different set of weights then I do.. We kind of have our own plan for the gym. He did the 30/30 too, but runs in the gym on the cross ramp instead of joining me for a run outside and because I needed a ride home.. not enough time to run home. He took the car and didn't bike up to the gym. Nice of him!! 

I concentrate on doing a full body workout. I want to get tone all over. Not just the buns.. Those still need more help, but right now I want to focus more on my shoulders/arms to tone them up. I'd like them to look like they did a year ago. I'm upping the weights and doing a lot less reps 6 with 3 sets. I still don't feel sore from the weights. Well, I just will continue because I know this works and gets the results I want. Daily.. consistent always wins out, no matter what you do. I just think it's a myth that you have to always switch things up. You will see results doing the same every day and you'll know when to make it a bit harder. 

You probably have a good idea that I do love everything running. I spend a lot of time reading about it, thinking about it and planning my training when I do run. I also love to hear about others running and their training plans. I've been following a few bloggers on their training for a marathon. It sure seems easy enough to train for. I'm just not sure I'm ready to run 4 hours. I kind of like 2 hours max of running. That's enough for me and my feet. I'll never say I never want to do it.. I think I can with walking through aid stations to drink water and eat a little something. I'd probably like that I have no time in mind to finish other then to get to the finish line. I could even run a very slow 11 or 12 minute mile for the whole thing and be okay with that pace. 

My marathon plan is to some weekend spend a whole day knocking out 26.2 miles.. before October. I don't need to enter a race to run this many miles. I just want to see if I can do it.. no pressure and on my terms. I'd better start Marathon training.. then again.. I'm always training.. just need to figure out what for sometimes.. I'm going to do the combo method.. medium pace, slow pace and a little bit of speed  running. Hills, no hills and lots of hills. Biking, running and weights.. Eventually I'll be able to run the miles I want.. mostly its about moving for 4+ hours on my feet. I need to build up with just time.. not necessarily the number of miles... that will come..  

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Have any marathon running advice? 

Do you make up most of your own training plans? Or do you have to follow someone's plan for you? 

Did you ever try a training plan and it failed?