A plan.

I thrive on routine. If I weren't such a hot mess otherwise, I'd think I was a touch OCD or something like that. I like knowing what's going on, what I'm doing and when I'm doing it.

So now that I've signed up for a marathon and I'm going to run a marathon, I need a plan.

If you Google "marathon training plan," you will find literally thousands of sites. And some of them actually have something to do with marathons, training and plans.

But I've yet to find one that suits me. I don't want two days off a week to cross-train. I don't want to waste days.

I've got five months until D-Day. That's 20 weeks.

After this week (busy week -- recitals and all kinds of stuff), I will run 8 miles a day during the week.

I think I'll run 12 miles on Saturday for four weeks, then bump it to 15 miles, then 20 miles and then 25 miles for the last two weeks. The final two weeks before the marathon, I'll take it easy.

I'm not looking to break any records with this marathon; I just want to finish in one piece.