Posted on Sep 14, 2009 under running |
After all of that waiting and anticipation, I finally got my half marathon training started. Even though it was just the first week, I wanted to make sure I got it started on the right track. What is pretty cool about this half marathon training program is that there are only 3 real workouts that I need to focus on each week: Tuesday speed intervals, Thursday/Friday tempo runs, and Saturday/Sunday long runs. Every other day is either off, cross training or an easy run. I’ve ran recent workouts at or faster than the paces that I plan to run these workouts, so I should be able to do each workout. I just have to tell myself before each hard workout that I can do it because I HAVE done it before. The weekend long run seems like a pretty important workout since that is the day where I’ll be running more and more miles until that peak weekend when I run just a little more than a half marathon, which if completed, will guarantee that I COULD finish a half marathon. However, pacing will definitely be an issue come race day since I have a tendency to start off too fast within that first mile and if that happens in a half marathon race, it is going to be a long 12.1 miles. I’m hoping the interval workouts, tempo runs as well as long runs will help me learn the correct pace to start at and keep during the half marathon. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Aug 30, 2009 under running |
This was my first 7-day running week, if I’m counting this past Sunday as the end of the week (which I am). I probably won’t be doing that from now on though according to my new half-marathon training plan. Monday’s are off days, which is a change from Sunday’s, but there are also two other days in the week that are either off, cross training or a 30-45 min easy run. It just sounds weird to me that it’s possible to train for a half marathon with only 4 days of running. I probably won’t be taking those other two days off, but just go for an easy run instead. I contacted Caleb, a fellow Twitterer & DailyMiler who initially suggested this training plan and he actually planned out how fast I should run all my workouts, from my 5K to 10K pace as well as moderate to hard tempo pace. How great is the running community? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Aug 23, 2009 under running |
I was surprised to find out that I was sore from last Sunday’s 5K race. I don’t recall getting this sore after any of my other races and I didn’t run that much faster this time. However, I didn’t have time to really stretch before this race though, so that may be the reason why I was this sore. I didn’t run on Tuesday because of some work stuff that I had and I guess because I was still sore. Maybe I should have taken Monday off instead Tuesday.
I think the visuals in Nike+ are cool, but not sure what else. DailyMile FTW!
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Posted on Aug 15, 2009 under running |
This is the week before the America’s Finest City Half Marathon and 5K, so I didn’t want to do anything too crazy to get myself tired or injured before the race. I’m only doing the 5K and am starting to feel bad just racing such a short distance. I can back myself by saying that I have only been running 3-5 mile workouts since I started running again in March and have hit 6-7 about 3 times. When I ran in high school cross country, the most we ever ran was 10-11 miles, so racing 13.1 miles just seems so impossible for me right now. But constantly reading other people’s running blogs about how many marathons and half’s they’ve ran has really motivated me to finally get one under my belt. After the AFC 5K, I will start looking for longer distance races and also register for a couple of half marathons and probably one full so that I will have no choice but to get started on a training program for those races. It’s probably going to be a really hard workout schedule with many more miles than I have ever ran before, but I know I can do it. I hope I can.. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on Aug 09, 2009 under running |
I didn’t get to run on Thursday because we were having dinner with a co-worker of mine who is leaving us to go to medical school at Harvard. I don’t think there is any better reason to skip running. I was able to get in some pretty good workouts in this week if you look at the times. However, from my perspective, a lot of the runs didn’t really feel that fast. Meaning, after many of the runs this week, I would think to myself that I didn’t run that fast, but looking at the overall time and splits, it looks like I ran really well. After Saturday’s run, I have come to the conclusion that I have simply moved up a level in my training program. I am going to attribute this level up by switching to running at night. Since that switch, I have been able to get some quality runs in, at very fast times and paces. And from those workouts, my body has gotten a lot more comfortable running that fast. So now when I am running, even though I feel like it’s slower, the time and pace is significantly faster than a month or two before. So on those rare occasions that I have a really good workout, my time and pace will be that much faster. Now is probably a good time to start increasing the mileage, although the reason why I haven’t done it yet (other than the fact that I wasn’t physically capable) is the time factor. Running in the mornings was hard because I was waking up so early just to get in a short run, waking up any earlier would have been very hard for me, especially since I’m not really a morning person. Now that I’m runnning after work (which I come home fairly late), running for too long is not something that I really want to do, since I still have to shower, eat dinner, do a little more work, relax and then go to bed. I’m hoping increasing the mileage on Saturdays will be good enough, maybe throwing in a slightly longer run once or twice a week.
Nike+ graph of my pace during the Brick ride and run. Notice the sluggish start where my legs felt like 'bricks'!
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