Training

I promise* after this post that I will stop going on about this half marathon business.  It's just that I'm super-excited and I can't really contain it.  Plus, if I capture this excitement that I have right now, I have something to go back and look at on days when I don't want to run 700 miles or do 9 billion squats.
        
* Actually, I make no guarantees about this.  But I do promise to talk about other things too.  My next post will be something non-fitness related, for all of you who could care less about this kind of stuff.

Today was the first official day of half marathon training.  The Chicago Rock n Roll marathon is on July 22nd so I have 16 weeks to prepare.  The typical training program is 12 weeks so I'm pretty excited to have an extra 4 weeks to build into the program.  Just in case you are curious, this is what my weekly training program looks like:

Monday:  Sprints and strength training
Tuesday:  3 mile run for speed
Wednesday:  Strength training and probably sprints
Thursday:  Run at race pace - Distance starts at 3 miles and goes up to 5.5 miles throughout the program.
Friday:  Cross-training (most likely spin classes and core work)
Saturday:  Rest day!
Sunday:  Long run - Week 1 starts at 4 miles and by week 11, I'll be at 12 miles.

This is the basic outline.  If there comes a week when I'm just exhausted, I'll throw in a second rest day.  The key is to be on point with the long runs.  Everything else, I can mix around a little bit, but I feel better knowing I have some kind of plan in place.

I feel like I'm off to a good start, though to be fair, today is probably the easiest day.  I did 20 minutes on the stairclimber to warm up.  Then 3 Tabata-style sprints at 8.5 (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for 4 minutes and then repeated for a total of 3 cycles).  Then I did 4 rounds of the following:  21 Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls with kettlebell; 15 Supine Rows; 9 Burpees.  Then, I finished up with 3 more Tabata sprints.  When your arms feel like they might detach from your body in protest, you know you are killing it.  Let me just tell you, I earned my chocolate almond milk protein drink today.  :-)

Also, just as an update on my recent struggle/obsession with the scale, I'd like to point out that it has been 1 full week and I have not weighed myself or freaked out about whether or not I am losing weight.  I know a week doesn't seem like that big of a deal but it definitely is for someone who was weighing themselves on a daily basis, which was totally me.  The best part is that I haven't even felt a strong pull to do it.  I'm loving this freedom from that ridiculous piece of plastic and metal.  I know that I'm making healthy choices and that's all that matters.  This half marathon training is just what the doctor ordered to get the focus back on what matters.

Mantra of the Week:
Respect the Training.
Honor the Commitment.
Cherish the Results.

I think these are inspiring words for anyone, whether you are training for a race, a bodybuilding competition or just trying to get healthier.

Lastly, I have a couple ideas to float by you guys.  I kind of want to give back right now.  I don't actually have any free time so I don't know how I think I'm going to do either of these things but I'm feeling a strong pull so maybe I can finagle something.  I want to either follow through on my goal to start a weekly email/newsletter for anyone interested in health/wellness/workout tips OR start some kind of group to get kids interested in fitness, like a kids running group or something.  Thoughts?  I don't know why I feel like I need to add more to my plate but I really want to do it.

Peas and Love, Dreamers and Doers!

Erica