Week 3 - Inspiration

Competition = Inspiration

I'm a pretty active person, and I always have been. My boyfriend, however, has been relatively sedentary up until last year. That seems like a huge disincentive to work out, since it's not as natural for him to want to exercise. But he does, and quite consistently after a full 8-hour work day. I told him I wanted to run a half marathon, and suggested he do it with me. He was not thrilled about it, and he gets terrible shin splints. So a few weeks went by, and he didn't commit one way or another.

Then, he decided he was going to do it, and ran 5 miles the next day. I was a little annoyed, as I had been running for a few weeks and we ran the same length that day?! That doesn't seem right... I must not be pushing myself hard enough. If he can fit it in his schedule, push himself that much, and work through the pain, well I certainly can increase my length a little than I had been. He is up to 7 miles now, past the halfway point. He has far more barriers than I do, and he doesn't complain - so I can do it too.

Week 2 - Motivation for Change

Motivation

The deepest motivation for me is that I've always been interested in fitness and being in shape. When I graduated from college, I also graduated from being on a dance team. Trying to find the time and energy to exercise now that I don't have practice built into my schedule has been tough! I work the best when I have a goal in sight - so training for a half marathon with a set date is as close to having a practice regiment as I can get.

A further motivation is that I want to try out for professional dance teams in July. I know that the chances of making them are quite slim, but I know that one thing I can control is my weight and image. Whether or not I make it, I will know that I went into the auditions putting my best foot (and stomach!) forward.

Week 1 - My Goal

My Goal

My goal is to run two half marathons - one in February, and one in April. For the first one, I just want to cross the finish line to prove to myself I can do it. The second one is where I have the most work and training to do. I want to finish the 13.1 mile race under 2 hours. This means averaging 9 minutes/mile.

My Current Status

I have 5 more weeks to train. Each week I try to run a mile farther than the previous week's longest. Today I ran 8 miles, averaging about a 10 minute mile. I'm focusing more on the length than the speed at this point, and probably will do so throughout January and February. I run 3 times a week, once doing the increasingly longer run, and the other two average around 4-5 miles each. Two days I do an interval training class, and the other two days are rest days. My schedule is as follows:

Monday - Shorter run (4-5 miles)

Tuesday - Burn 60 (interval training)

Wednesday - Longer run (8+ miles)

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Burn 60

Saturday - Shorter run

Sunday - Rest

The Future

I want to maintain the schedule I have. I think it is a good balance of rest and running, as well as getting an alternative workout in. It was easy during break - no class, no homework, and I was getting plenty of sleep. Now, however, staying on schedule will really test my resolve. Especially if I want to shave off 1 minute/mile before April, since that will actually take a different type of mentality than I have right now. But for now, I want to focus on getting my endurance up, regardless of the speed. Taking in it small steps will help me stay on task and not get disheartened.