Buddy Up

In the weeks since my last half marathon, I have been focusing on running in a different way.  For one, I have been running with buddies more than I have in quite some time.  It's pretty awesome.  So, I thought today would be good day to post the benefits I see to running with a buddy.

You are less likely to skip a run.
My college roommate/number one running buddy and I were just talking the other day about a text message exchange we had last fall as we were both hinting toward the other one not having to make the trip to meet up if she didn't want to.  We laughed at ourselves trying to get out of it, but not wanting to disappoint the other.  Scheduling a run with a buddy is a great way to make sure you go out, even if you're not 100% into it that day.

Yay for buddy motivation!

It can heal a wounded friendship.
Recently, a close work friend and I had a falling out.  We talked it out and ended up scheduling a run together.  Eight miles later, we had totally reconnected and felt back to normal.

She/he can push you to do more, when you think you've got nothing left.
My roommate let me beat her for my first 5k, and only let me walk once.  She rocks.

A buddy provides a needed distraction when things get tough.
I find that the miles fly by when I'm with a buddy.  Of course, I may be going a little slower because I'm likely to be chatterboxing, but every glance at the watch has me going "are you sure we've been going that long?"

A buddy can provide another needed distraction--from the numbers that drive you crazy!
Lately when I'm running with a buddy, I don't worry about the pace.  I worry a little about the miles (just because I'm trying to keep my mileage above 10/week so I don't start slacking), but the time is not a factor.  I just try to focus on doing the last thing I benefit from...

Running buddies can renew your love for running...and help you form one you might not have known you had!

Who's feet are those?  Hmm...maybe she'll tell you Thursday.  ;)

Of course, I can't run with a buddy all the time, or else I'd probably lose the joy in that as well.  Variety is the spice of life, right?  Currently, however, I am loving having some buddies to run with, and really loving running again (still?)!

Tell me about your running buddy!

Don't Call it a Failure

As you may know, I ran my second half marathon last weekend.  My goal was to finish in less than two hours.  My time was 2:03:21.

Missing my goal this narrowly was something I was dreading the possibility of.  And it happened.  I'm not a fan of failure.

I think the worst part about missing this goal is that I knew I could do it, and I was soooo excited for that.  I had made my own training plan and was rocking it pretty consistently.

Then, the weather forecast came out, and the start time got bumped up.  Major heat predicted.  And I couldn't beat it.

Yay for non-flattering post-race pictures!

Luckily, I (think I) am past the stage of beating myself up about it.  I decided to take the logical route and make it a learning experience.  I've been running through things in my head, and I think my "fatal" mistake was that I didn't take the heat seriously.  I figured I would be finished before it got too hot and didn't worry much about it. 

I should have brought my own water.  When I panicked and got shaky in the last two miles, I think water would have helped calm me down and cool me off a little.  In the past, I haven't wanted to carry it, but this, I think, would have been a goal-saver.

I also should not have put so much into the time.  I PR'ed, and that's awesome.  I needed a reality check when I saw the e-mail about the heat warning.  Instead, I scoffed at it and assumed I was better.

As far as running goes, I have been quite successful as far as the goals I have set for myself.  This has given me a lot of confidence, but I am trying to change my perspective and learn that missing a goal can make me even better.  So, I'm going to take a little break before my next half, but here are the things I'm going to make sure to keep in mind:

• Nobody's perfect.
• I ran over 13 miles.  There are an awful lot of people who can't say the same.
• Don't force yourself to run.  Now that I am not training, I would like to keep my mileage above 10 a week.  However, I'm not going to force myself to run.  There are a lot of other workouts I have been looking forward to trying, but haven't had the time.  I will run when, and because, I want to.
• Don't let anything make you not love running. (How's that for a double negative?) I am making sure to get back to running with buddies and not worrying about distance or time. This has been huge for me in disappointment-ville.

With a little break and a fresh perspective, I will meet my half goal. Maybe it won't be at my next race, and I'm *trying* to be OK with that. Racing is fun, and I don't want to lose that feeling.

Have you ever missed a big goal when you knew you could do it? 
Any advice for moving on?

Couldn't Beat the Heat: Race Recap

My second half marathon was this past Sunday.

As you might know from my previous posts, my goal was to finish in under 2 hours.  I'll cut right to the chase and tell you I did not meet my goal.  I'm pretty disappointed, but I still feel like I ran a pretty solid race.

One of my favorite pics from the day...I feel like I'm looking strong.

For starters, I slept horribly the night before.  For my first half, I figured it was a total fluke that I slept OK.  I must have been right because this sure was not the case this time around.

However, I did keep reminding myself that I was racing on the little sister's lucky number.  Had to make the biggest cheerleader proud, especially on her number!

So, I got up around 5 am for the customary PB toast and banana breakfast.  Yum!

Then, I met up with the family to head to the race.

The race sent out warning e-mails days earlier about the predicted heat.  I figured that, since I was running the half and not the full marathon, that I would beat it.  Not the case.

Started off in the shade...this was good.

I started getting warm in the first mile.  Unfortunately, a lot of the course was in the direct sun, which made it a struggle.  Plus, I realized I forgot to re-tie my shoes, which made me all sorts of nervous.  Yay for mental roadblocks.

The race was a little tougher than I expected to start, but about two miles in, after I tackled a big hill at the 3 mile point, I started to get "comfortable" in my pace, which was right where I needed it to be.  Ashley, the BIL, and my mom stationed themselves at mile 8, which was an excellent pick-me-up.



Giving Ashley the time update..."It's gonna be close!"

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the spectator excitement to wear off.  The next mile or so was in the shade, and then full sun.  I felt myself slowing down.

Then, the 9:10 pace group passed me.  I knew I needed to be in front of them.  I admit it; I cried.  I felt totally defeated and almost walked.  Then I told myself that I should at least run it out as best I could.  Maybe I wouldn't make my goal, but I was still determined to PR.

Then came the dreaded hill...again.  This hill came just before mile 11.  I powered up without walking, relaxed on the way down.  Then I hit the bottom and decided I would give myself a slightly longer walk break at the water stop.

And this is where trouble insued.

I started walking and got the shakes.  Fingers and knees.  Not good.

Started running again...and knew there was a problem.  I was not going to be able to run this thing out.  I stopped again.

And I panicked. 

None of my training involved heat like this.  I had never experienced shakiness like this.  Suddenly, it occurred to me that I might not be able to finish.

I allowed myself some more walking, ran a little, walked again, and couldn't stop thinking of how much I would disappoint my cheering section if I walked across the finish line, and how much I would disappoint myself if I didn't PR.

Then, a girl passed me who I know from work.  I saw her at the start, and I was, I admit, excited when I passed her.  I made myself start to run again.  I considered asking if she wanted to run together, as I knew I needed something to get me to the finish.  I was straight-up scared.

Just as I was about to ask her, she stopped to tie her shoe.  Here was my opportunity--a goal to beat.

So I kept on running and did not stop until I crossed the finish line.

2:03:21.  I didn't meet my goal, but I did beat my previous time by well over three minutes.  Let me tell you; I don't know if I've ever been so releaved to be done with something.  That was scary.

This post is getting long, and I will definitely be touching on this subject again soon.  For now, I have to say that I am disappointed, but still proud of myself for making it through, and still loving running just as much as on race morning.

Before I go, though, I have to give a large shout-out to the most amazing cheering section.  These people are fantastic supporters for me, and I really, truly could not have finished this race if I didn't know I had this people waiting for me at the end.

I am one lucky girl.

Anyone race this weekend?
Any tips for hot weather racing?

Needed Distraction

My upcoming half marathon is 6 days away...more like 5 1/2.  And...my shin splints are back.

Needless to say, I'm panicing a little.  Enter kinesiology tape.

If you know anything about shin splints or kinesiology tape, you probably already know that I was panicking a lot.  Because it took me until I sat down to write this post -- a good two hours after said shins were taped -- to realize that I had taped them completely backwards.

Much better.  Hope this helps!

Needless to say, I don't think my sanity can handle another all-running post today.  Enter Paige's Healthy Living Survey, which has been sitting in my favorites for just a moment such as this.

1. What did you eat for breakfast?

Oat bran with ground flax, almonds, and banana.  I was super hungry before lunch.  Lesson learned: Peanut butter truly IS required for a good breakfast!

2. How much water do you drink a day?

Definitely not enough.  I would say probably anywhere between 2 1/2 and 4 glasses.

3. What is your current favorite workout?

I am strangly loving tempo runs these days.

4. How many calories do you eat a day?

Between 1800 and 2200.

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks?

I looove PB on toast.  I count this as healthy since I'm addicted to organic PB.  I also like cottage cheese with oats.

6. What do you usually eat for lunch?

Really into egg scrambles these days.  But the typical is some sort of main dish/sandwich/wrap with fruit and a little something sweet, like a kashi bar.

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train?

Abs.

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train?

Not sure I have a least favorite.  Although leg workouts have been boring me lately.

9. What are your "bad" food cravings?

Pretzels dipped in frosting...eek!

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements?

Multi-vitamin every morning.

11. How often do you eat out?

I'd say about 2-3 times a week.

12. Do you eat fast food?

Very rarely.

13. Who is your biggest supporter?

If you've ever read this blog...you know the answer to that one.  I have the best one ever.

14. Do you have a gym membership?

No, but this will likely change, and soon.  I am really missing spin classes.

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

About 7.

16. Do you have a "cheat" day?

Not really.  I give myself an extra 100 calories on long run days, but don't usually use them.

17. Do you have a workout buddy?

Currently, no.  But can't wait to change that!  :)

18. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?

My confidence has skyrocketed, and I feel a lot better in general.

19. What is the last healthy thing you did?

Didn't eat meat today.  :)  Rocking this new year's goal!

Your turn!  Answer some of these questions!

Any advice for my shin splints?  I would soooo appreciate it!

First and Many

       Thanks to the input of our cousin, Amy and I were notified of a 5K benefit run for a baby in our area who lost his life to Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS) a cause that I have really studied up on and attended many conferences on.  When Amy told me about it I was very interested but knew I was not ready to run it.  She told me it was also a 5k walk and I was totally on board for that.  Needless to say it was a big morning for both Amy and I as I walked in my first 5k fun run/walk and Amy ran it (not her first as you know she has run many!)  Anyway, I asked Amy what goal she would set for the time I should finish this walked 5k in...she told me "I'd say like 45 minutes"  and I really, really wanted to stick to that and I knew I could do it.  I started off at a really good pace but drifted behind a little bit in the middle, and finished up strong.  I finished in 44 minutes, 1 minute shy of my goal and even though that is not much I was extremely proud of myself,  I still am!   My body felt really good while doing it and it seemed to go by fast, as the day has gone on my leg muscles are a little sore but still for the most part I feel good.  I felt that keeping up with the walkers, not getting winded and not wanting to give up are all very good accomplishments for me because I haven't gone the distance I went today in a couple of weeks.

Our aunts, cousin and mom participated too!

And true to Amy's "Post Race" style... we enjoyed a light breakfast at Starbucks after.

Anatomy of a Tempo Run

Before about a month ago, I had never done a tempo run.  Since I started training for my next half marathon, I decided to incorporate some speed work and tempo runs into my training plan, both things I didn't do last time.

My first shot at it wasn't bad but wasn't great either.  I did a little over 4 miles in about 39 minutes, at an average pace of 9:26 overall.


My second attempt?  Epic. failure.  It was awful.

Yikes!

Then, I stumbled upon this post on Carrots 'n Cake about how to do a tempo run.  I had read up about it a little, but this post really helped in breaking it down for me.  I've done this format twice, and I felt like I rocked it both times.


Today's tempo run was another 4-miler, this time I did it in about 37 minutes, at a 9:10 pace overall.  When I looked at my splits, though, my 2 tempo miles were at an 8:33 pace...awesome!


So, I thought I'd break down my tempo run plan for you a little today.  I'm still in trial-and-error-ville, I'll admit, because I don't have a GPS watch.  Yep, I'm cheap.  I stick with my RunKeeper app on my phone.  Here's what I do for a 4-mile tempo run:


Set RunKeeper to tell me my average pace every minute.  I thought this would get annoying, but it's helpful.  I also set it to coach me at 1 mile slow, 2 miles steady, and 1 mile slow.  This just helps alert me when to speed up and when to cool down.


Run the first mile at warm-up pace (i.e. don't worry about it).

Gradually speed up for about a mile, until I hit my desired average pace.  For me today, I was aiming for 9 minute miles (could have gone a little faster, but my legs are UBER sore from yesterday's workout).


Gradually slow down for approximately another mile, but aim to keep your average pace about the same.  If your average pace is still improving, slow down.  Try to keep running this whole time.


For the last mile, cool down.  Expect your average pace to fall a little, but not too much.  If you have to walk at this point, you probably pushed it too hard (guilty of that today).  Aim to enjoy the living daylights out of this part.  It's kind of awesome.


Celebrate your rockstar-ish tempo run skills. :)

OK...I'll admit that I'm still not sure I'm doing this tempo run business correctly.  Feel free to correct me if I'm not.  Regardless, I'm having fun with it, and it spices up my week.  I was NOT positive about going out for a tempo this afternoon, but ended up loving it, and I definitely think it has been good for my running overall.


Tempo runs: love them or hate them?
Any advice for me when it comes to tempo runs? 

Oops!  Can't forget Ashley's photo challenge...how about a picture that shows a major difference between your life now and what it was 5 years ago.

Running the Numbers

Some people are "numbers" people.  I am not one of them.  I always liked math in school, and I like helping my students with them now, but they're just not my thing.

Or maybe they are.

On my long run this Saturday, I purposefully set my RunKeeper app so that it would alert me at each mile with my distance and time, NOT average pace.  When I hear my average pace, I find myself pushing too hard (at least for a long run) not to let it drop, or beating myself up that it needs to be faster than the one before it.

However, as I ran, I found myself doing the math anyway, and it got me wondering.  Are all runners number crunchers?

Then, I got to thinking some more (it was an 8 miler, after all) about numbers that are significant to me as a runner, and as a person.  So, I thought it would be fun to throw some numbers around today.

13.1: The farthest distance I've ever run in one "session."

26:44: My 5K PR (October 2011).

When your rock-star preggo friend tells you that you have to beat her, you listen!

6: Road races I've run so far.

102.5: Furthest distance I've run in a month (October 2011).

Even with a vacay thrown into the month!

2:54: Minutes I've taken off my 5K since my first.

1:59:59: My next half marathon goal.

And last, but certainly not least...

1: Number of my cheerleaders that I would love to race with one day :)

How about ya'll...
Do you think all runners are deep-down numbers people?
What is YOUR most significant running number?

What I Ate Wednesday: Spring Break Edition

Yay for Spring Break!  My mom and I just got back from a great little getaway to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  It's a small town, obviously by a lake, full of cute little shops and restaurants.  We found some amazing spots, that I just had to point out to people in the general area!

Our favorite by far was Simple Cafe.

Simple is an adorable little cafe just outside of downtown that serves breakfast and lunch.  They buy as much of their food locally as they can, which I thought was pretty cool.  We loved this place so much, we went twice.  In two days.  I had breakfast both times.  Yum.

We also loved Boatyard Bagel Co.  This place is what you would probably guess-- a bagel shop.  They have awesome bagel sandwiches!  I had "The Anchor" with apple, chicken, and brie, and it was ridiculous.  I had to text Ashley that we are coming back.  It was that good.

Not having to work brings the amazing freedom to eat what I want...and I realized this morning that, it's Wednesday!  So, I started taking pictures.



Here's what I ate...Spring Break style!

Pre-run snack

6:30 am

Banana (unpictured...it was early)

Post-run snack

8 am

Oatmeal-Raisin (well, in my case, cranberry) Breakfast Cookie from Chocolate Covered Katie (also unpictured...still early)

Breakfast

9:30 am

Breakfast Sandwich with potatoes at Simple

  Realized it was Wednesday halfway in.  Coffee was certainly consumed as well!

Lunch

1:30 pm

Yep, forgot the picture of this one too.  I had a black bean burger with yogurt and an apple.  Wanted something crunchy, so I finished it off with buttered popcorn rice cakes.

Snack

3 pm

I remembered the picture on this one--promise!  Google+, however, disagrees and won't upload it.  I was still surprisingly hungry after lunch (lesson learned- I really can't break my eating routine!), so I had a fairly odd combo of a pumpkin Vitatop with cottage cheese.  It tasted like pumpkin cheesecake.  Winner!

Dinner

6pm

Spinach Artichoke Muffin Pizzas with zucchini and cookies

The pizzas were inspired by this recipe from Get Healthy with Heather.  I definitely want to try the real version of this pizza when I have the motivation!  I had some zucchini (yay green!) and some more oatmeal-raisin breakfast cookies along with it.

Dessert

8:30 pm

Apple, Multi-Grain Cheerios, and almond milk

I have a small addiction to cereal.

There is something so liberating about just being able to eat when I want to!

Thanks to Jenn for hosting WIAW!  The second time was just as fun as the first!

What was the best thing you ate today?

Am I the only one who gets excited about not having to eat "around" my work schedule?



Making Sacrifices for a Race

I love sports, particularly seeing them live.  So, when a friend from work texted me to ask if I would be interested in going to a Milwaukee Brewers game in May, I was pumped! 

I want to say Go Cubs under this picture...but I say that every year, and you know how that goes.  So, I'm keeping my mouth shut!  :)

Until...I checked my calendar.

The game, which is quite a drive from where I live, is the night before my upcoming half marathon.  Uh oh.

Being the nervous racer that I am, I told her I'd have to think it over.  In talking to another friend from work the next day, she said to me "Amy...you can't let your races run your life."

Which got me thinking...when is it OK to make sacrifices for a race, and when is it not worth it?  So, here's my two cent's worth.

Worth it: Getting up a little earlier to squeeze your run in.  And sometimes necessary to juggle a training plan and time with family and friends!

Not: Going home from something early because you have to run in the morning.  Especially when friends are involved.

Could I really have skipped out on a fun night like this just to run in the morning?!?  No sir-ee!

Worth it: Rearranging your training schedule from impromptu plans.  Luckily I'm still good at this one.  I think it would make me angry at running, and that's no fun!

Not: Skipping out on plans because it might affect or make you miss your run.  Guilty.  But I will not give specifics, as I am kind of ashamed.  It's probably a sin.  Fill in the blanks.

Worth it: Leaving work a little earlier than usual to fit your run in before sunset.  This only applies, of course, if you're a teacher like me or have some other job in which you generally work 10 hours but only get paid for 8.

Not: Getting super paranoid in the week or two before a race. It probably just annoys your family and friends.  Sorry, fam!

Needless to say, I'm going to the game.  I won't lie and say that I'm not going to worry about what I eat or what time I get to bed, and I certainly won't be going out afterwards.  However, there are just some things that aren't worth giving up.  I just need to shift my mind set that going a baseball game the night before a race does not mean I won't meet my goal.

What sacrifices are worth it for you when it comes to races?  What sacrifices are not worth it?

It's Thursday, so we can't forget about Ashley's Photo Challenge!
Challenge:  A photo of one of my favorite traits about myself.

One of my favorite traits is one that I am trying to work harder on... that is my personality and learning to enjoy life instead of stressing about it!!  The best memories are made by doing out of the ordinary things!

For next week, I'd like to see a picture that relates to something that REALLY annoys you.

Running Roadblocks

The weather here is amazing.  Totally amazing.  In fact, I find it a little ridiculous that I am in here blogging right now, haha.  We went from this just a week or so ago...

...to this today...

Yesterday, I was totally excited to get out and run--in shorts and a tank top, might I add.  I had a tempo run scheduled, and it ended up being an EPIC failure.  Very frustrating.  So, this got me thinking of this article I saw on Runner's World not too long ago about roadblocks to running.  To bounce back from yesterday's rough one, I thought today would be a good time to brainstorm some solutions to my biggest roadblocks...maybe it will help you too!

Roadblock:  Energy Crash
I seem to have a tendency to not feel well when I run in the afternoon.  In the morning, this is rarely an issues, but some afternoons my energy suddenly plummets after only a mile or so.

Solutions: In yesterday's case, it became abundantly clear to me that I need to me more careful about what I'm putting in my body in the afternoon and when.  The culprit yesterday was definitely my beloved diet pop.  So, I've got to commit to no more pop before I run.  Monday's run wasn't great (not an epic failure), but I remembered later that after school I ate and then came straight home to run.  Need to give it a little more time, missy!

Also, I try to get myself to just cover the mileage, even if I have to walk.  Of course, then I come home furious about my time, but that serves as a good motivator for next time.

Roadblock: Thinking too much about how much I have left

Solutions: I sure do love my RunKeeper app on my phone, but I definitely need to just turn it off every once in awhile.  The reminders of your pace are great, but sometimes they turn into reminders of how far you have yet to go.  I need to remember to just run for fun sometimes! 

Another good solution for me, the teacher, is to think about lesson plans.  I come up with some of my best ideas while I'm running, and, consequently, these are some of my best runs!  When I get my mind out of it and just go, good things happen!

Roadblock: The evil shin splints

Solutions: I decided to try wearing a compression sleeve on my right leg, which is oddly the only one that is giving me trouble.  I'm about 2 1/2 weeks in, and so far, so good!  I have learned, though, that wearing it after is just as important, if not more so, as wearing it during my run.  I can definitely feel the difference in the hours after a run if I don't have the compression sleeve on.  Interesting what this will do to my routine when warm weather rolls around and I want to wear capris...maybe I'll just have to bust out the screaming-hot-pink ones!  :)  I've also given kinesiology tape a shot, and it helped, but I find the compression sleeves to be much more user-friendly (although much more expensive).

Well...I feel better!  Sometimes all you need is a little action plan!

What are YOUR running roadblocks?  How do you overcome them?

We changed up the routine a little this week, so here is Ashley's photo challenge for the week:
Challenge :  A day I thought was going to be OK but kinda turned out not as planned but now I can laugh about it.

A silly picture for sure... unfortunately it was taken on the first day of our honeymoon in Wisconsin.  The reason why I thought it would be awesome is because we were on vacation! Celebrating our wedding.  You see the weather on our wedding day was gorgeous, sunny, slight breeze and 75 degrees... we got to Wisconsin the morning after our wedding and it was about 50 degrees and freezing cold and rainy... therefore our honeymoon turned into a "stuck inside because of the weather" honeymoon and all of our plans for shows to see and things to do were washed away (literally!)  Now I can laugh about it because just knowing all of the other things we went through to get to our wedding day (drama, drama, drama) having a not so "sweet" honeymoon seemed to follow suit!

And next week's challenge:  A picture that shows one of your favorite traits about yourself.

How I Became a Runner

In the past few weeks, it seems like I've been talking running with people a lot...which is awesome.  In many of my conversations, people have brought up how I started running, which really wasn't very long ago.  So, I thought it would be fun to look at what turned me into a runner.

Hands down, I have to attribute my becoming a runner to my lovely freshman roommate, Amanda.  She is an avid runner, and I have known it from the start.  She even founded a running club at our school and asked me to be the PR chair (since I was an English major).  I never...and I do mean never, not a single one...joined the group for runs, but I did save all the newsletters I put together!  :)  (Funny how, now, I would LOVE to have that running club so close at hand when I never took advantage of it back then!

Luck sure was on our side when the computer randomly matched us as roomies!

Although I was always reluctant to participate, I constantly admired runners from a distance.  Then, I graduated and started working.  My best work friend is a runner too...what a coincidence!... and we decided to start walking/jogging together.  As I saw a little success with that, I decided--I can do this!

That is when I looked up the Couch to 5K plan.  It worked wonders for me.  I followed it religiously, and the success I felt from it truly started the addiction.  It wasn't until a several weeks in that I finally told my old roomie about it.  :)

At this point, a lot of things changed for me.  I went through a nasty break-up, had to move back in with my parents, and was really struggling emotionally.  I felt like my whole world had been turned upside-down, and I jumped into running head-first.

Enter the college roomie yet again.  She really came through for me when I needed her the most, and we started running together on a weekly basis.  I looked forward to these runs so, so much, and, when she sent me the link to a 5K, I joined, and the work began!

Finally, it was time for the big race.  With the support of Amanda, Ashley, and Matt, I met my time goal and had an AMAZING experience.  I was officially hooked!

Definitely a great time...although I may not look like it, haha

Soon enough, I did a few more races, set my eyes on a 10k...and then decided...hey, why not try a half marathon?  I did some research, found a plan, and went for it.  That brings us to the blog era, so you can read about my half marathon adventures:  pre-race jitters, my first half recap, deciding to go for it again, and trying my own training plan.

So, now, here I am, officially a runner.  I love that my love for running has developed because of people I love and is starting to spread to people I love.  Looking ahead, I can't wait to...

• Feel the excitement of hitting my sub 2:00 half marathon goal.
• Run the Chicago Marathon (2013!!!)
• Run a 5k with some loved ones who are going for it for the first time

How did YOU get into running?

Doing My Own Thing

To train for my first half marathon, I searched for training plans until I found that I liked.  I ended up using this one from Pink Runner, and I liked it a lot.

This time around, I had a much more difficult time finding a plan that worked for me.

I started with Smart Coach from Runner's World.  I've heard of lots of people being successful with these plans, and I did like what I saw.  However, my struggle came when you plug in your weekly mileage.  Right now, it's low, but I would like to gradually move it higher.  Smart Coach gave me plans that either consisted of an 8 mile tops long run (I want to get up to 12) for shorter weekly miles and sometimes 5 runs a week for the higher mileage plans (something I don't think I can commit to).  I really liked that speed work and tempo runs were worked in, though.

5 days a week may work if I was here...but not in good ol' Illinois, during the school year!

After more searching, I found a pretty promising one on About.com: Running/Jogging.  In particular, I liked this one catered toward "Advanced Beginners."  It had the mileage I wanted, but lacked the speed work I am hoping for in order to meet my time goal.

More searching ensued, and I finally decided to throw in the towel.  It was time for me to make my own plan.  So, I looked at all three plans I mentioned and made a 12-week training plan for myself.  It looks a little something like this:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Weds.	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Total Miles
1	3 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Speed	XT	XT	5 mi Long	Rest	12
2	3 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Tempo	XT	XT	5 mi Long	Rest	12
3	3.5 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Tempo	XT	XT	6 mi Long	Rest	13.5
4	XT	4 mi Easy	XT	3 mi Easy	XT	7 mi Long	Rest	14
5	4 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Speed	XT	XT	8 mi Long	Rest	16
6	3 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Tempo	3 mi Easy	XT	9 mi Long	Rest	19
7	2 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Tempo	XT	3 mi Easy	7 mi Long	Rest	16
8	XT	3 mi Easy	4 mi Easy	3 mi Easy	XT	10 mi Long	Rest	20
9	4.5 mi Easy	XT	4 mi Speed	3.5 mi Easy	XT	8 mi Long	Rest	20
10	5 mi Easy	XT	5 mi Speed	3 mi Easy	XT	12 mi Long	Rest	25
11	XT	4 mi Easy	XT	5 mi Tempo	2 mi Easy	7 mi Long	Rest	18
12	XT	2 mi Easy	XT	3 mi Speed	XT	Rest	13.1 Race	18.1

As I planned, my essentials were:

• Start with low mileage, and gradually build up to about where I was last time. 
• No more than 4 running days per week.
• Speed work and tempo runs built in.
• 12-mile longest run.
• Sunday rest days.

(PS: Please excuse the green boxes; I'm highlighting my progress as I go :)).

If this plan works, I will be ecstatic.  I feel like I am taking a bit of a gamble, because I have never flown solo like this before, and I have zero experience when it comes to creating training plans of any kind.  Heck, I've only been running for two years in the first place. 

Why do I have Central Park on the brain today?

Training started yesterday, and my shin definitely gave me some trouble.  This is unsettling, but I'm trying some things to make it work.  I'm kind of intimidated by tomorrow's speedwork (using Smart Coach's suggestion of 2x1600 at an 8:47 pace with 800 jogs), as I have never really done it before (short of sprinting during the chorus of a song).  Wish me luck!

Have you ever made your own training plan?  Any suggestions for me?

Check out my guest post at Pink Giggles for more half marathon talk!  :)