So after a hectic weekend, I have tried to seize this brief lull between then and Thanksgiving to get some miles in and to begin the gradual process of actually training for the National Half Marathon in late March. I have about 18 weeks from now until then, which is more than enough time to properly train for the race. In fact, the program I am basing my own plan on is only 12 weeks long. However, I drew it out to about 17 weeks for several reason:
1. Since I have more time, I can increase the mileage more gradually, lowering my risk of injury
2. Since I have 6 extra weeks, I can push my long runs so that I am running 14 miles on my long runs by the day of the race rather than getting that number to just 10 miles and relying on adrenaline to drive me those last 3.1 miles.
3. With the holidays coming up, I wanted to have some cushion built in to the program to allow for unforeseen circumstances. For example, the second wekeend in January Annie and I are going to an Engaged Encounter weekend as part of our wedding preparations. While I don't anticipate that hampering my training too much, if I have to miss a run, it won't be a big deal.
I also made the decision to go back to shorter distances for the beginning of the program to better handle the mileage. While I can run 8-mile long runs, I wasn’t comfortable starting at that level for my first real training program. Instead, I decided to start at the base level (3 mile easy runs, 2 mile tempo run, 5 mile long run) and work up from there at a slightly more accelerated pace than the program prescribed. So, this week my total mileage will be 15 miles and by the end of the program I will be running close to 40 miles a week. Every third week I step back as well to give my body time to rest a little and to reduce the risk of injury. With the extra 6 weeks, I can do that and still reach my training distance goals.
On another note, my birthday wishes came true and my parents got me the Foreunner 305! I ran with it for the first time this morning and it was awesome! Once it was able to find the satellites (downtown Baltimore has many tall buildings), it was great. I only ran 2 miles this morning, so I didn’t have enough time to really fool around with it. But I am going to use it tomorrow morning at the Turkey Trot. I am also going to set up the online training diary that it comes with although if it’s not free, I ain’t using it. But from the looks of it, the online program will be much more comprehensive than the log I have been using on RunningAhead.com. I’ll check it out tonight after work.
And one other thing. Now that I have my Forerunner keeping me informed as to my distance, time pace, heading, caloric burn, elevation, time of the sunrise, time of day, and heart rate, I ran outside today. It was much more relaxing than running on the treadmill and even though I was sweating by the end, I wasn’t as tired as I am after the treadmill. I think they keep the gym extra hot to make sure you sweat and feel like you’re getting a great workout. Problem is, the hot air tires your muscles out faster than more temperate air. Plus it smells in the gym, whereas at 6 AM even Baltimore smells fresh and clean.
Overall, I’m feeling good about this new leaf in my training. I spent the last four months getting a basic endurance base, which I have accomplished. However, to get to the next level not only will I need to run farther and faster, but I’ll have to do it smarter. That means more running outdoors to better acclimate to real running conditions, more morning running to get the distance in without screwing up my evenings, and sticking to a plan to make sure I reach my goal with time to spare in March.
Quick run-down:
Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: 2 miles
Thursday: Green Valley North Turkey Trot (5 miles)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Cross Training 60 minutes
Sunday: 5-mile long run
Total: 15 miles
Goal for Turkey Trot: 45:00 or better to set a PR.
Happy Thanksgiving! I know I’ll be feasting tomorrow afternoon after running in the morning. What better way to build up your Thanksgiving appetite than to burn 500 or so calories beforehand?
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