The Final 7

I'm down to seven weeks to race time and, as I mentioned in my last post, that means a revision to the training plan was in order.  I know it's only Tuesday but so far so good with abiding by the plan!  My long run on Sunday (7 miles) was a great lesson in my true speed abilities; read on.

By the time I made it to the gym on Sunday (no, I didn't feel like running in the rainy, cold weather), I had just over 1/2 hour before closing time.  I started as usual with a 1/4 mile walking warm-up and then broke into a 12-minute mile run.  I soon realized however that my usual speed for long runs wasn't going to allow me to finish before closing time.  So, with every mile I completed, I upped the speed on the treadmill and ended up running mile 6 and 7 at a 9.5-minute mile pace.  My mathematical skills served me well and I had enough time to finish my run, cool down, and stretch before the staff kicked me out.

Jen threw together a delicious salmon with rosemary and black olives dinner and we concluded the night with a small bowl of ice cream.  Yum.

Even though I upped my speed out of necessity, it clearly demonstrated that I do not have the speed constraints I believed I had when it comes to long runs.  Knowing that is a breath of fresh air.  Test yourself in the same way - see what you can do.  We all have false beliefs built up within and we often find comfort in these beliefs (it was, after all, much easier to run 7 miles at a steady 12-minute mile pace).  Do whatever you need to do to push past it.  Go to the gym right before they close next time and see what happens.

Reinvigoration

It's amazing how much the environment can effect your mood and interests.  This past week broke through my previous post's weather expectations - we were consistently in the 60's!  That made for some great nights at the dog park and a few refreshing outdoor runs.

Taking advantage of this reinvigoration, Jen and I refreshed our iTunes library/iPods with some new tracks and I recompiled my training plan.  Revised, final-seven-weeks version below.

Good news and bad news

Bad news:  Thus far I am failing at the blog....

Good news:  The weather was finally warm enough this weekend to push my long run (6 miles right now) out of the gym and into the fresh air.  Ahhhhh, it was wonderful.  Rain is expected this week but the temps should remain in the 50's.

Week 2 Update

Following my long run this morning, I've successfully completed week two of training; only 12 weeks remaining!  In an upcoming post I'll discuss the past two weeks and why I reiterated the flexibility concept so hard....

Today was a great lazy Saturday.  Cincinnati was blasted by a snow storm (as in, we received roughly 2 inches of snow and had a weather emergency...) so naturally Wally wanted to wake early and run in the snow.  Needless to say, Jen and I were up at 7am as Wally bounded and sniffed his way through the fluffy powder.  Breakfast was some Oikos Greek Yogurt with a little honey, granola and fresh mango.  Delicious.

We took the rest of the morning easy with some Paul Simon playing in the background and then made our way to the gym for my 4 mile run.  I ran this at a pace between 12:00 and 12:30 minute miles which definitely works up a sweat right now.  Jen has some ideas to alter my training plan that can help with increasing the speed so look for a revised training plan soon (I'm glad she reads so many fitness magazines).

When Training, Be Flexible (Physically and Timely)

Today I finalized my training schedule.  I've worked in several different workouts including yoga.  The inclusion of yoga will improve my flexibility as well as my balance and ability to keenly focus on my goal.  Not to mention yoga is a lot of fun!  I can't wait to get back into practicing - even if it's only once a week.

As you can see, I'm planning on running my long runs on Saturdays (as long as I can get up and not be tempted my Jen's delicious breakfasts...) with short runs on Mondays and Thursdays.  I'll plan to cross train at the gym on Sundays and Tuesdays (Tuesdays will be spinning!), practice yoga on Wednesdays, and finally, rest on Fridays.

I'm sure I'll find a few other days fall way to resting as well but that's okay.  The importance of the schedule is not to stick to it 100%; instead its importance is the accountability it creates.  I have a plan to follow to reach my goal.  RIght now the goal is to run the race, but as I progress I'll get a time in there to help fine-tune my schedule.  Most importantly though, the schedule should be FLEXIBLE!

So, how did I put this together?  6 simple steps:

Assembling a Run Training Schedule

1. Step1
   
   Sit down with a weekly calendar and determine (a) how many weeks you have before your goal and (b) how many days of the week you want to spend on each type of training (including rest!).
   
2. Step2
   
   Decide what specific type of exercises you want to engage in. For instance, you will need to balance your short runs, long runs, cardiovascular, and resting days to safely reach your goal.  Include yoga to really train across the entire spectrum of health and wellness.
   
3. Step3
   
   Starting with today (or starting from your goal), decide what types of exercises you will do on each day.  Spread it any way you like, just be sure you have 1 - 2 days of rest per week and that you aren't running any two days in a row.
   
4. Step4
   
   For any "run" days, determine your mileage.  Your long runs should build up to your goal and your short runs should stay attainable to fit in with the rest your life's schedule.  Experiment with running at, below, and above your race pace.  Run mile sprints/surges within your runs to train your muscles for quick changes in pace.
   
5. Step5
   
   Put it on paper and commit yourself to training according to your plan (but remain flexible!). This is the most important step.
   
6. Step6
   
   Don't be afraid to re-make your schedule.
   
   
   
   

And we're back!

October 18, 2009
Jen and Brian successfully complete their first half marathon (woo hoo!) and then immediately take a nap.

November 26, 2009
Jen and Brian run the 100th Annual Thanksgiving Day Run (what an event!) and then immediately eat a delicious meal (prepared mostly by Jen, of course).

December 31, 2009
Brian registers for the Flying Pig Half Marathon.

January 12, 2010
Brian runs the Corporate Climb (and realizes he hasn't run more than two miles in over two months).

January 14, 2010
Jen gently reminds Brian that he should probably start training soon.

January 24, 2010
Brian lays out a training schedule and re-inaugurates "Go, Craft, Go!" for another round of racing adventures!