Runner Matt Carrera has a training plan to reach both his marathon and fundraising goals. The 32 year-old chiropractor will be running the January 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon to raise funds for the Colon Cancer Coalition and to reach his own personal fitness goals. Carrera had always wanted to run a marathon, but when his father was diagnosed with colon cancer, he reached out to the Colon Cancer Coalition and chose to make his fitness journey a fundraising effort to help raise awareness and promote colorectal cancer research.
Marathon Training Plan
Get Your Rear in Gear Ask the Trainer fitness and running expert Matt Forsman accepted the challenge of training Matt for his first marathon. Forsman is a USATF/RRCA certified marathon coach and has helped countless runners reach the finish line. Forsman’s plan is simple. Carrera completes three high quality runs per week and two days of cross training. Also scheduled into the plan are two days of rest. Forsman explains that the non-running days are essential for injury prevention.
“Each day of running is buffered by a day of rest and/or a day of lighter cross training. This approach has worked well for me over the years and can significantly improve one’s running fitness while keeping the risk of aggravations/injuries relatively low.”
At this stage in the training plan, Carrera’s longest weekly run is 12 miles. The other two weekly runs are 6-8 miles long. Carrera will also be doing speed work at a local track and will record the times for Forsman who use those results to tailor the plan to help Carrera reach his pace goal. But Carrera is clear about his intentions. “Time isn’t everything,” he says. “I want to be able to enjoy this race and to raise awareness.” In the midst of Carrera’s training, he is helping his father weather cancer treatment.
Jeff Carrera’s Cancer Journey
Jeff Carrera, Matt’s father, was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the cecum with neuroendocrine markers earlier this summer. His course of treatment has included chemotherapy in two-week increments. So far, the treatment has been successful. Recently, Matt checked in with the Colon Cancer Coalition with good news about his father’s condition. “My father’s new CT scan show that the tumors have SHRUNK, especially the most urgent one, which went down from 5 to 3cm. The doctor had initially said that this first 8-week CT was more to see how the tumor was progressing, but it’s pretty amazing to see not only NO growth, but that they’ve actually shrunk! We’re so happy about this. He now has 4 more in two-week increments, and then surgery to remove everything they can. Overall, he’s doing great and my training is as well.”
Calling all runners! Fundraise for the Colon Cancer Coalition
Matt Carrera created his own personal mission for fundraising and fitness. Read more about Matt and his journey on the Colon Cancer Coalition fundraising page he created. Get Your Rear in Gear is encouraging runners across the country to do the same. Can’t make it to a Get Your Rear in Gear 5K? Set your own goal, create a fundraising page, then hop on your own personal path to fitness and fundraising.