YAY, Marcia! Good for you for taking the leap! That's step #1!
Thanks, by the way, for starting the thread with MY NAME! LOL. Like my name in lights on Broadway! WOO HOO! LOL
OK, let's see. For the half marathon that I have this weekend, the past 2 months I've been following 2 rotations. April, I'm doing the "Get Ready For Summer" rotation and in March I followed Cathe's March rotation called "Strong Like A Bull". That one used heavy weights. The sumemr rotation focussed on upper body mainly, with one lower body weight workout a week. That seemed good for me, as the half approached, as I didn't want to do TOO much leg work, but I also didn't want to eliminate it all together.
Now, when I was training for the Disney marathon, I followed a basic rotation of cardio 4 or 5 times a week (mostly my runs), 1 upper body weight workout, 1 lower body weight workout, and one total body weight workout. Of course, abs and core in there also. That worked really well for me also. I kept my weights as heavy as normal, until the last month and a half or so, when the mileage was creeping up there.
I hope that helps some. Really, what I suggest is trial and error for your body. Your legs will tell you what they can and cannot handle.
Let me know if I've completely confused you! LOL
Gayle