And it's about time because apparently the registration deadline is March 15th?! Leave it to Bean to leave everything to the last minute. That's my trademark. I was hemming and hawing on registering for this because I felt my running has been spotty and somewhat lackluster this winter. The snow, all my random illnesses, etc had me feeling like I wasn't in the best shape. And I only just recently started what I would call 'training' for this. And by 'training' I mean ensuring I'm running 3x/week and slowly upping the mileage on my weekend runs. And this race is only 6 weeks away. Oy. I always do this. Ideally, if you are training for a half marathon your training cycle should be about 12 weeks (I'll talk more about this later).
To give you an idea of what my training typically entails, I'll share the workouts I did this week:
Sunday: 8 mile run outside
Monday: 20 min bike interval workout // 1000m rowing // 1 min plank
Tuesday: 5K interval/speed workout (treadmill) // 30 pushups // 1 min plank
Wednesday: Strength training - Upper and lower body (combo free weights & machines) //static crunches and Russian twists w/ 12lb dumbbell
Thursday: 5K easy outside (in shorts!)
Friday: Rest day (Planned)
Saturday: Rest and/or cross-train (Planned)
I think I will feel more confident if I can get at least a couple double-digit runs in over the next few weeks.
Now, back to the topic of training for your first half marathon. I ran my first half in 2011 in Atlanta:
Prior to that race, I had never done a double-digit run. So if you're in the same boat no worries! If you have a plan, you'll get there. I didn't follow any specific plan for mine, but I did research some of the big ones and then created my own plan around those. Below are some of the best resources for choosing a half marathon training plan:
Hal Higdon
Runner's World
Jeff Galloway
Active.com
Most of these resources have plans for beginners, intermediates and advanced runners. One caveat here: Before attempting any training plan you may want to consult a professional. You should also be running regularly (at least 2-3 times/week) and can run a minimum of 3 miles at one time.
My half marathon training cycles usually look like this:
Running: 3x/week (2 shorter weekday runs/1 long weekend run)
Cross-training: 1-2x/week (Biking, Hiking, Walking, Swimming, HIIT)
Strength-training: 1-2x/week
Some half marathon training plans prescribe 4 days of running per week. Personally, I find that to be too much. With my history of shin splints, I need a day off between each run day and I've always trained with only 3 days of running. But if you can do back to back run days, then more power to you! If you want me to go into more detail in the future re: half marathon training plans, please let me know!
And now to end this post with some of my Favorites from the week!
- I got 7 hours of sleep on Wednesday night! Glorious. I usually average 5 hrs/night during the week so this was a nice treat.
- I love folding baby laundry at work. I find it adorable and relaxing. I also love washing dishes. I have a dishwasher but don't use it and wash all my dishes by hand :)
- On the same note, is there anything better than a baby falling asleep on your chest?! Heaven on earth, truly.
- I got an email this week entitled "The Best Bras for Big Boobs" HAHAHA Good one. Maybe in my next lifetime.
- And I ran outside, in SHORTS yesterday. Thanks Daylight Savings Time. You're the best.
That's it! I'm going to live it up TSwift 22 style this weekend because come Monday, it seems I'm going to find myself in my late 30's?!
Have a great weekend!
If you run half marathons, where do you get your training plans?
Tell me some favorites from this week!
