This is the date that has been ingrained in my head for quiet some time. The date of my 1st half marathon. 13.1 miles to be exact! The Lincoln Marathon!
This may not be a big deal to some. Some of my friends have been running this distance for a long time now...but this is a BIG deal for me. You see growing up I could barely run a mile. I played sports...volleyball, softball, and basketball...but when it came to running...I felt like I was going to die. I could NOT run a mile without stopping....I was always the last one to come it when we had to do timed miles in school.
Last year at the age of 33...everything changed. I trained myself to run 1 mile....straight....without stopping. I then ran a 5k without stopping. The most I have run is 8 miles (with a short drink break in between). It is brutal...I am still slow...but I am doing it!!!
So the training continues! My goal on May 5th is to finish. I want a pretty decent time....preferably under 3 hours....but I think....I know I can do better than that with the proper training!
I am the type of person that studies, reads, asks questions on pretty much everything. I have done just that in regards to running and training for a 1/2 marathon. I am not an expert by any means. I am a newbie with just a lot of facts from other runners stirring in my head.
I scoured 1/2 marathon training plans and couldn't find one that was just right for me. I wanted to have my rest day on a certain day. I wanted to do hills, speed workouts, a day of strength & stretching, cross training, and of course running! Since I couldn't find the perfect plan...I made up my own. I combined plans from Another Mother Runner, Hal Higdon, and a few other 1/2 marathon books that I checked out from the library.
In order to stay on track, I am forming a Facebook group. I may be the only one writing on it...I really hope not...but I am hoping that you will join this group so I have someone (besides my husband and kids) keeping track of my training. I NEED accountability. I NEED encouragement. I NEED feedback. I basically don't want to do this alone. No you don't have to actually train with me, but I would love for you to join in to see how I am progressing. If you would like to train...I would also really like that!!
My official training starts on February 10th and will finish with the 1/2 marathon! If you want to join me and follow my plan....or something similar....try to work up to being able to run 4 miles.
Need some good books to motivate you? Purchase Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother on the Another Mother Runner website. Also "like" their facebook page.
Here is my plan: (you should be able to click to enlarge)
If you want a .PDF of this plan...let me know and I can send you one via e-mail.
Sunday:
Stretch: Choose your own plan. There are quiet a few freebies on YouTube...Runners Yoga is a nice little workout. I know Jillian Michaels also has an intense Yoga video. I really don't like Yoga in general...channeling your innerself crap...but it does provide for a good stretch.
Strength: I am still working on this, but it will involve lots of squats, sit-ups, push-ups, weights etc. I found a few things on YouTube that I might try out.
Monday: 1 m means an easy 1 mile run. 5 x 100 spr. This means after you warm up with a mile run...find a flat road, grass or somewhere that you can run fast on. Measure out approximately 100 meters. Run as fast as you can for 100 meters. Take a short rest break. Do it again. The number of times will increase as you advance in the training. The first week I will do it 5 times.
Tuesday: I am resting during the first 3 weeks. I don't want to overdue it too soon. After that I will do some easy runs that will never exceed 6 miles. I plan to do these in the mornings or in the afternoon at the Y...free childcare....and I can leave and run outside!!
Wednesday: WU= warm-up with an easy 10 minute run.
Then find a hill that is 1/4 mile in length.
Set (in your head) 3 points equidistant from each other.
Start at the bottom of the hill.
—Run uphill to point 1; run slowly to start
—Run uphill to point 2; run slowly to start
—Run uphill to point 3; run slowly to start
—Run uphill to point 3; run slowly to start
—Run uphill to point 2; run slowly to start
—Run uphill to point 1; run slowly to start
Cool down for 5-10 minutes.
I will be doing this in the evenings outside of the Fallbrook Y. My girls are in gymnastics on Wednesday nights...so that is my plan.
Thursday: cross= cross training. I will be at a really small Y on Thursday afternoons swimming to the Tunes of Rush Limbaugh...not my choice of station...but the life guard seems to jam to that. I LOVE this form of cross training. I can run in the water, swim laps, and do some great strength training exercises. My 3 older kids are in a homeschool PE class, so I only have 40-45 minutes to do some good cross training. If you want to do some sort of cross some other options include biking or walking. Don't do something with sudden movement back and forth.
Friday: Rest.....aaahhhh!! We don't do school on Friday's and are typically out and about in the day doing fun things and then usually go out on Friday nights...so I am not training on Fridays...wait it said rest. Well I guess that is just a joke...I never rest on Fridays.
Saturday: These are the big runs. The real deals. I chose Saturday because we rarely have anything planned. Afternoon naptimes are usually my time to escape and get in a long run on a trail in Lincoln.
There are a few races (5 k and 10 k plugged in). I really don't intend to do a race...might do a trail run in March, but not sure. I think I will leave the "races" in the schedule for easy Saturday runs. A nice treat I guess:) Plus on the 10k race time I will be at a conference, so an easy run will be nice.
Any questions? Please ask! Any suggestions? Do tell!
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Thanks!
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