12 Miles Down 1 to Go!
This time last year (or at any point in my life) I would never have believed you if you told me that I would be running a 5k.
Or a 10k.
Or a half marathon.
I would have said to you, "you're off your rocker!"
Things have changed BIG TIME and I have grown to love running and the benefits it brings.
Starting in June 2010 I trained for my first 5k using this amazing 9 week program called "Get Running" (click here for the link to the app). There was a point about 3/4 of the way through that I started doubting myself and wondered why people love running so much. Glad I got over that hump. Now I'm addicted.
After running my first 5k in September I used another app called "Bridge to 10k" (click here for app link) which is a 6 week training program for graduates of a 5k.
From there the next goal: half marathon! It's been surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. I'm using the Jeff Galloway (Olympic marathoner) RUN-WALK-RUN method. Using this method allows you to run injury free, have a quicker recovery and finish your race with a smile on your face. He has you calculate your "magic mile" to determine your pace and provides the correct run/walk ratio according to your "magic mile." The ratio I'm using right now is a run 4min/walk 1min (faster runners could be using an 8/1 ratio) while slower runners could be using a 2/1). With that little 1 minute walk break it allows me to run faster than if I ran the whole thing straight through. Then if you choose, you can run the last 1-3 miles of your run without any walk breaks. Something I've noticed with training this way is that it has improved my speed on my short runs during the week. A little added benefit. I also want to add that I have a little arthritis in my knees which makes them snap, crackle and pop. Using this training plan gives me hope that I'll be able to keep running even with my knee issues.
If you're interested, you can purchase his book on Amazon: "Half Marathon: You Can Do It." I don't own the book but have checked it out from the library and highly recommend. Lots of tips and tricks on good running form, what to eat, what to wear according to the temperature outside, etc... He has training plans for all levels of runners. The schedule I'm using is this:
I hope I've inspired somebody to "catch the fever" because it really has made my life better. Who knows... maybe one day I'll run a MARATHON!!! Hmmmm.....
Or a 10k.
Or a half marathon.
I would have said to you, "you're off your rocker!"
Things have changed BIG TIME and I have grown to love running and the benefits it brings.
Starting in June 2010 I trained for my first 5k using this amazing 9 week program called "Get Running" (click here for the link to the app). There was a point about 3/4 of the way through that I started doubting myself and wondered why people love running so much. Glad I got over that hump. Now I'm addicted.
After running my first 5k in September I used another app called "Bridge to 10k" (click here for app link) which is a 6 week training program for graduates of a 5k.
From there the next goal: half marathon! It's been surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. I'm using the Jeff Galloway (Olympic marathoner) RUN-WALK-RUN method. Using this method allows you to run injury free, have a quicker recovery and finish your race with a smile on your face. He has you calculate your "magic mile" to determine your pace and provides the correct run/walk ratio according to your "magic mile." The ratio I'm using right now is a run 4min/walk 1min (faster runners could be using an 8/1 ratio) while slower runners could be using a 2/1). With that little 1 minute walk break it allows me to run faster than if I ran the whole thing straight through. Then if you choose, you can run the last 1-3 miles of your run without any walk breaks. Something I've noticed with training this way is that it has improved my speed on my short runs during the week. A little added benefit. I also want to add that I have a little arthritis in my knees which makes them snap, crackle and pop. Using this training plan gives me hope that I'll be able to keep running even with my knee issues.
If you're interested, you can purchase his book on Amazon: "Half Marathon: You Can Do It." I don't own the book but have checked it out from the library and highly recommend. Lots of tips and tricks on good running form, what to eat, what to wear according to the temperature outside, etc... He has training plans for all levels of runners. The schedule I'm using is this:
If you're starting from scratch you would use this one and start according to how many miles you're up to:
I hope I've inspired somebody to "catch the fever" because it really has made my life better. Who knows... maybe one day I'll run a MARATHON!!! Hmmmm.....
After my 12 miles on Saturday I was relaxing in the sun on the waterfront as regatta practice was going on in the background:
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