So, I signed up for my first half marathon post-baby. It is the More Fitness Women’s half marathon on my birthday; April 14! It is thru Central Park in New York! What a way to spend a birthday! A birthday weekend; a race expo, overnight in New YOrk able to carb-load in a NYC restaurant and an amazing race through the city that never sleeps 😉 I am super stoked but nervous because I hear the course is quite hilly. As you know, I have done ALL of my training thus far (and since I started running again post baby (save fora handful of runs outside when it was nice out) on a treadmill. So I decided to start trying to hill train on the treadmill. I asked this girl to do a post on how to best do this. She knows her treadmill stuff big time. I also am going to start integrating speed training. Up until now I have only been doing same-pace runs not matter what the distance pretty much. I truly have been ENJOYING my runs and loving this “me time.” So I generally try to enjoy it as much as possible, so I do a “nice” pace for me. I would say I average around a 10 minute mile. I also have not really being sticking to any type of training plan involving a long run and distances with a purpose. Basically I’d alternate between different distances. Sometimes based on what I did the day before, but sometimes not. A lot of it depended on the baby’s nap length or even how I felt that day. So I’ve been taking it easy and just doing what works. I have decided to start a “training plan” and by putting it in quotations, I mean it will be a quasi one. I will know each week what needs to get accomplished. So for instance in 7 days, I know I need to do:
1. Long run
2. Rest Day
3. Swim Day
4. 30 % race distance (4)- “easy day”
5. 40% Race distance (5)- speed train
6. 6 miles
7. Hill Train
Then, I will look at my next week and decide what might work when and consider options to swap (like a 4 for a 5, etc), I have been taking my rest day (or swim) prior to the long run. So For last week my training was (I’ll refer to the numbers above):
Monday- 6
Tuesday- 2
Wednesday- 3
Thursday – 1
Friday- 4
Saturday- 7
Sunday- 5
Anyway, that is how I am going to continue training. My long run this week is a 7. Then I am going to have two weeks each of 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Then rest week. Then HALFIEEEE! The only thing I might change since I have a lot of time to train (12 weeks I think) is to do 12 only once …dunno. Anyway, what are your thoughts on training?