Training

It can be difficult to determine a good marathon training schedule and then stick to it. There are too many temptations to eat an entire chocolate cake in one sitting (I know.)

Since I am now the voice of experience, I can give you some tips on what you SHOULDN’T do so that you’ll successfully stick with your schedule. Once you’ve decided on your marathon training schedule, you should keep a few things in mind.

- Running very quickly for three minutes does not substitute jogging for thirty minutes. You will actually need to do the jogging that you’ve outlined on your schedule.

- If you have planned to run every weekend for three months, and can’t find the motivation, try what I did. My husband drove the car about three feet in front of me dangling a snickers bar out the window.

- When you break in your jogging shoes for the marathon, that means putting them on and running with them. Please put away the meat mallet now.

- A bottle of Jack Daniels is not a ‘running partner’. Choose a human as your running partner.

- When I say ‘stick with your marathon training schedule,’ I don’t mean taping the paper to your butt.

- While you’re jogging those three miles back home, resist the temptation to hitchhike.

- It is neither advisable, nor sanitary to take a small nap in the ditch off the side of the road.

Here’s another trick for finding the motivation you need to stick with your running training schedule: Imagine the faces of your competitors when you finish first place. Visualize them crying, howling, and roaring as you use false modesty although all the while you’re thinking, “No autographs please, just gaze upon the champion!” Good Luck with your marathon!

Want to learn more about the Ultimate Marathon Training Schedule? Visit Runners Knee, a blog for runners like us with running tips and so much more.

– Candace Right

Nursing Schools are challenging, and with the nature of a nursing career and Medical Training, it is truly a trial by fire. I am enrolled in a nursing program and will graduate the LVN program in August 2007. I attend evening and weekend classes to work around my current job. Going to school and working is tiring, but sometimes magical! It would definitely be easier if you could attend school full-time and not work. However it’s not impossible to survive, you just have to forget about a life for up to 2 years.

To be in the medical field, you must have hands-on experience, and no Medical Training would be complete without the opportunity to interact with real patients. I have discovered, both by my own learning curve and by watching my fellow students, that no matter how “book smart” you are, there must be clinical practice to be an effective nurse. The mannequins we use for procedures such as injections, insertion of NG tubes, catheters, and assessments just don’t give you the feel of a real body, nor does it give you the feedback (both good or bad), depending on the procedure.

It is very important to research the Nursing Schools you are considering on attending, and to consider the various Nursing Careers that are available to you. Be sure you will be satisfied with the level you aim for. Will LVN allow you to do what you want? Are there other Nursing Careers that may be more suited to you?

You need to check that the private Nursing Schools you are considering are accredited to state and/or national standards if you may consider expanding your career into other nursing specialities later. What qualification does the program lead to, an AA or a BS? Will your license be for your state only? If you decide to move to a community college or university and do a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, which credits from your private nursing school study will be able to be cross-credited?

Cost is another important consideration. It’s easier to get into a private nursing school, but, they are also a lot more expensive than a community college program. I went with a private school because the waiting list for my local community college was too long. The next opening in the RN program was for 2011! I paid more so that I could get my education in a workable timeframe.

And finally, I would like to offer one suggestion– sign up for the tour and perhaps try out being a student for the day. Attend a class and make an effort to interact with teachers and other students in order to get a good feel of the type of environment the school offers. This will give you a good idea of what it’ll be like for the next two years that you’ll be attending the school. With this experience, you may even decide that it’s not for you. Take note of the pace and structure of teaching and decide whether it’s suited to how you learn. Also pay attention to the staff; are they helpful? Judging the environment earlier on will give you a glimpse on how satisfied you will be once you enroll.

– Melissa G. Wells

Making a Marathon Training Schedule You Can Stick To

Nursing Schools: Everything You Need To Know To Get Started