Going the Distance

Hey all!

So since this is only my first half marathon and I have never actually run 13.1 miles before, my training is all about building up my distance. I have looked at a couple half-marathon training work-outs but since my life will be pretty scattered for the next six weeks (being in Maryland working nine hours a day, then road-tripping to Colorado, and then flying back to Charlottesville and classes starting) I decided that I needed to make up my own training schedule that would fit around my life. Here is the schedule that I came up with (I am now on week 2):

The maximum distance I decided that I wanted to run before the race is 12 miles because that will prove to my psyche that I will be able to complete the half-marathon but I want the day of the race to be the longest distance that I have ever gone. Although there is no obvious pattern to when I run my longer distances and when I take rests or do yoga/pilates, I tried to base it on the vastly different schedules I will be on in each of the three places. Based on my research for training for half-marathons, if you are going to be in one place and on a fairly regular schedule for the two months leading up to the race, I would try to stay on a far more consistent basis than me. Some of the schedules I liked were Half Marathon Training by Hal Higdon and the 8 Week Half Marathon Plan by FitnessMagazine.com. I think some of the most important aspects to training for half marathons for newbies like me is to of course build up your mileage, alternate with days of cross-training for strength and flexibility (I chose yoga and pilates but you can do whatever works best for you!), and don’t forget to take some days to rest!

As you can see on my schedule, today was my day to run seven miles and I am very happy to say that I completed it! The family that I am staying with suggested this wonderful running path in the area and it was the perfect place for my long distance run. I got to run by a creek for the majority of the time plus most of the trail was shaded which is definitely a bonus in this 90 degree plus humidity weather! I started feeling a little tired in the last mile but overall the run felt great!!

After my run today, I decided to reward myself with a Sweetgreen salad (a local favorite- must check out if you are around DC!). I ordered the chic p.

Yummm!!

I know that I will probably not be able to stick to my schedule 100% but I believe it is important to make one in order to keep myself motivated and on a general schedule. Another trick to keep yourself motivated for doing a long distance race you have never done before is to sign up and pay and that way you will feel a lot less inclined to back out.

Well hope everyone has had a great Wednesday, I think I am definitely going to sleep well tonight!!

-Shelby