New Beginnings and Fun Finishes

Well folks, today's the day--Day #1 of my half marathon training. Today begins my 14-week long training plan to run the Bayshore Half Marathon on May 23rd. It's an exciting day for me as the race I will be training for over the next 2.5 months is the longest I'll ever have run in my life. And, as the weather forecast is calling for a high of 64 degrees F today (a good omen), it's a great day to kick off what is sure to be a grueling, yet fun, race to the starting line.

Lucky me gets to start my training with a 3-mile hill run. (Non-runners who may be reading this: Hill runs are exactly what they sound like. You run hard up a steep hill over and over to build strength and endurance.) Some people hate hill runs, I'm not one of them. I wouldn't go as far as to say I love them, but I don't dread hitting the road on a hill-run day. Last week, during my base training, I did a 20 minute hill run and it was exhilarating. There's nothing like running up a hill, strong and powerful, and getting to the top only to realize you want to turn around and do it again! My legs felt like powerhouses. In fact, when I got home from my run I sent a text message to my husband and said "I have powerhouses for legs!" (He replied with, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!") It may all sound a little dramatic (and those of you who know me personally are fully aware of my flair for the dramatic) but it's just so amazing to feel your body changing and strengthening when you, at one point in your life, were completely out of breath after climbing the staircase to your bedroom and felt sorry and weak.

So, I think my training plan is going to be really good for me...I've looked it over, made changes and modified it for my life over the next 2.5 months. I tweaked Hal Higdon's Novice Half-Marathon Training Plan to give me a couple more weeks of training in case I injure myself or life gets hectic. Here's the basic flow of my training plan:

Monday--stretch and weight train
Tuesday--hill runs
Wednesday--moderately easy run
Thursday--run, cross-train and weight train
Friday--REST! TGIF
Saturday--moderately easy run
Sunday--long, slow run

I'm also taking a Physical Fitness class at the college I'm attending for Culinary Arts. My trainer is so excited about being able to help train an athlete (she usually just gets weight-loss students). On a side note: How cool is it that someone called ME an athlete?! Ha! We've gone over my training plan, which she thinks is pretty solid, and she's got me lifting weights and cross training each week. The weight training is mostly to strengthen my core so that I can run more efficiently as well as tone my upper body (I'd love to have arms like Madonna). I can already feel a difference in my running form and my strength from the weights. The cross training has turned out to be running's evil twin. I hate it--mostly because I'm stuck in a gym on a bike that doesn't go anywhere. I'm so used to the scenery changing as I run that staring at a red brick wall just doesn't do it for me for whatever reason. I'm considering buying a bike so that I don't have to endure that mind-numbing torture anymore. But, nonetheless, the cross-training has done wonders for balancing the use of my muscles; and therefore, my running has improved. Already, after just 2-3 weeks of weight and cross training, I've increased my average pace from ~11 min miles to ~10 min miles. It's unbelievable...really, I cannot believe I've gotten so much faster in such a short period of time.

My first goal for my half marathon is to finish. Above all else, I want to cross the finish line--even if it takes me 3 hours. But, as I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to finish, #2 and #3 goals focus on the time it will take me to finish. Goal #2 is to finish in under 2 hours 30 minutes. That would allow for an average pace well over 11 minutes per mile which brings me to goal #3--To finish in under just 2 hours (an average pace just over 9 minutes per mile). Now, I know that's a huge difference and may not be obtainable on my first attempt at a half marathon....BUT (and you know with me there's always a "but") if I continue to train how I have been and continue to improve in the same fashion, I just may be able to do it.

Running has brought a whole new world of hope and ambition to my life. I can't remember ever having felt so excited or motivated by something that I'm giddy with the anticipation. It's addicting, like my own healthy brand of heroine. I see other areas of my life beginning to light up with the same kind of spark as my running. For instance, cooking and culinary school. Yeah, I was always excited about going to school to learn to cook but I was only focused on the end--when I graduated, where would I work, how good would I be?--but now I'm just excited to go to school each day and see what new and exciting tidbits there are for me to learn. Running has helped me to learn to appreciate the road to the finish in addition to the achievement of completion. When you're training for a race, you can't only be focused on race day, you have to appreciate and love your run today, too.

So, fellow runners, when you head out the door today, be happy that you are healthy and able enough to go on that run rather than thinking about how much work it's going to be and "race day, won't you please come so I don't have to bare this any longer?!". Non-runners, try to appreciate today a little more. Rather than moping about the snow and the cold, and dreaming of greener pastures in warmer weather; take today for what it is, a day on this little blue planet that you're lucky enough to be alive and experience whatever it is you will experience with vigor and appreciation.

Run long and live happy,

Sarah