Baby steps to training for September . . .

It has been too long since I have posted. But the good news is that instead of writing about running, I have actually been running! As I mentioned before, I'm training for the Women's Half Marathon in Nashville at the end of September. I was really worried because my leg had been injured, but I can say that today I am injury free! I have started up my running nice and slow, following the training guide I got for free with my half marathon sign up.

It was a good guide to get me going. Most weeks look like this:
M- 30 min run, low intensity
T- cross train, medium intensity
W - rest
Th - 30 min run, medium intensity
F - cross train, low intensity
S - long run (started at 4 miles)

Then of course the minutes go up and the mileage goes up, with a nice taper the few weeks before the race. I like that it slowly builds and has a good beginning outline. What I don't like is that it just focuses on running. Not different aspects of running.

Everything I have read about training for longer races (and everything I've heard from talking to others) is that there are 3 important exercises to include each week. Each of these exercises helps strengthen different parts of your body, and I'm not talking about different leg muscles. They train your heart, lungs, metabolism, and other systems to work more efficiently.

First, you want to do intervals one day. Intervals are like little (or big) pick up during your run. You warm up with a good mile or so, then do 6-10 intervals. You could pick up the pace for a minute or for a specific distance if you're on a track. This isn't just picking up the pace a tad but going significantly faster. This will help build speed over time. Here's a pretty good article on speed work: Speed Work/Intervals

Second, you want to do a tempo run. This is practicing the pace you want to run for your race. It trains your muscles how to use oxygen more efficiently. As your tempo runs go longer, your lactate threshold, or the point at which your body fatigues, gets longer as well. What you do is warm up with a mile or more, then hold your race pace for a few miles, starting with less mileage and building up. Note - this is NOT your long run. That comes next. Here's a good article about tempo runs: Tempo Runs

Lastly, you will need to do a long run. This is actually at a "conversation pace," or a pace at which you could talk to someone next to you. This builds strength endurance. You want to add no more than a mile each week, but you want to get close to your race distance (10 miles for a half, 20 miles for a full marathon). Once you start getting some races under your belt, and your goals become more time oriented instead of "I just want to finish!" you can build these to longer than race distance. Also, every fourth week, you should back off a tad on your long run mileage, as well as your other mileage. This is true of any exercise, including weights. It gives your body a bit of recovery time. I love using www.mapmyrun.com to map out runs, including around park tracks and such to figure out mileage. It was also great to use when I ran in Tennessee, since I didn't know the area well.

Something that I read in Born to Run, spoken by a big time trainer, is that too many people do their fast runs too slow and their slow runs too fast. I definitely fall under that category. I always ran the same speed, whether I ran 1 mile or 10. I never thought past the idea of running a certain distance. I'm excited to really use the above exercises, and to really vary my pace.

As you get closer to your race, you should start adding in hills as well. This is obviously running up and down hills to train your body and muscles to adapt to different terrains.

The other things that should be included in a good training schedule are rest or easy days. It is important to give your muscles (heart included) time to recover. you will see better results if you give yourself some recoveries, especially after hard and long runs. (This is also true of weigh lifting.) Speaking of weights, you want to include crosstraining. This can be cardio, though as I just mentioned, you don't want to push hard everyday, or it can be weight lifting. Weight lifting is such an important part of fitness, which I am slowly learning. I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan. But as I've been lifting regularly for the past two months, I feel a difference in my running as well as overall fitness and health.

With all this said, I am starting to add these three workouts into my schedule this week and it feels great. I have successfully completed a month of training just focusing on getting moving and such, but now it's time to kick it up a notch. I feel great, and I'm proud to say that while I've only lost 2 pounds, I've lost 1/2 inch everywhere, and I see a noticeable difference. Everything feels a little more firm and a little less giggly. And most of all, I just FEEL better.

As I pay more money towards this trip, I somehow find more motivation to train. I start thinking, "Man! I better make the most of this!" I'm getting excited. I feel stronger, but I'm only a few steps into the journey. Two months to go, and I feel like I've got a long way to go . . .