This Week (Dec. 29-Jan. 4)

Short Run: 3 miles
Medium run: 3.5 miles
Short Run: 3 miles
Long Run: 4.5 miles

Do a speed work run on one of your short run days. I was also thinking that if you get stuck in a rut and feel like you need to do a week over, you can. Because I think that 11 miles will be a long enough training run. But you should probably only do that once maybe twice. Alright, good luck this week in the cold weather!!

We Are Runners.

"What does it mean to be a runner? Simply that you run.
'To move the legs quickly,' says the Oxford English Dictionary, '(the one foot being lifted before the other is set down) so as to go at a faster pace than walking; to cover the ground, make one's way, rapidly in this manner.' Now, consider what the dictionary says about jogging: 'To move up and down or to and fro with a heavy unsteady motion; to move on at a heavy or labored pace, to trudge.' Is that the kind of activity you see yourself doing? No. You don't jog-you run. It doesn't matter how fast, how far, or how often you run, if you're moving faster than you would if you were walking, you are a runner."
--Claire Kowalchik (author of The Complete Book of Running for Women)

Here's the Schedule

Week of December 22-28:

Short Run: 2.5 miles
Medium Run: 3 miles
Short Run: 2.5 miles
Long Run: 4 miles

Choose one of your short run days to do speedwork. After next week the mileage starts to pick up a little bit faster. Including this week, we have 13 weeks until our half marathon! Good Luck this week!

Water and Electrolytes

Let's all make sure that when we start doing our long runs that we are hydrated with water, and the longer the runs get the more important it is to stay hydrated not only with water but with electrolytes. So - take some Gatorade or Smart Water with you. Even a small dip in electrolytes can be devastating!

Speed Work

Let's start incorporating speed work into our schedule.  So, here is how you do it.  Do your normal warm up and then start running at your normal pace for 5 minutes.  After the 5 minutes is up, take your speed up at least one point over what you normally run.  For example, if you normally run at a 6.0 on the treadmill take your speed up to at least a 7.0 and run at the speed for one minute.  After the minute is up take your speed back down to your normal speed and run for 5 more minutes.  Repeat until your mileage goal is reached.  Do this on one of your short run days.  We'll start out with one day a week for now.  Good Luck!

I'm a Slacker...

Ok, so not really (although I have been at keeping the schedule updated... sorry!).  I've been a little bit injured but I started back to running yesterday and put in the required 2 miles and I'm planning on doing the 3 miles for tomorrow outside, weather permitting.  How is everyone else doing?  So, for tomorrow we're going 3 miles.  Here's the schedule for next week (Dec. 15-21):

Short Run: 2

Medium Run: 3

Short Run: 2.5

Long Run: 3.5

I found tonight that another great way to cross train is the stair stepper.  It's also a butt kicker, so use at your own risk!!! Just kidding.  It's good!  Give it a shot. :)

Happy Running everyone!

ahhhhh... i'm getting shin splints. I can run 3 miles but i'm scared if i keep running they will get worse!!! help!

I have a confession to make. I haven't been running at all this week becasue I've been really, REALLY busy with school projects. It's probably a good thing because it's given my knee some time to rest and recuperate. I'm planning on jumping right back on the band wagon starting Saturday!

Schedule for the Week

Short Run: 1.5 miles
Medium Run: 2.5 miles
Short Run: 2 miles
Long Run: 2.5 miles

There you have it! We're slowly working up! I hurt my knee on Saturday, but I'm going to try and continue to run through it. It's not very bad. Try hard to keep up with the training! Good luck to you all this week!

Another Idea for Cross Training

Swimming. Swimming would be the best cross training ever, I think.

This Week's Schedule

Yay! We're training for a half marathon! Here's the schedule for this week:

Short Run: 1.5 miles
Medium Run: 2 miles
Short Run: 1.5 miles
Long Run: 2.5 miles

Two days this week are for cross training, meaning doing anything other than running. You could go for a walk, lift weights (I think we should incorporate weights into our training anyway), do plyometrics, do Yoga, pretty much whatever you want that isn't running! One day this week is a rest day meaning that you don't do a darn thing on that day. You give your body a day to heal up and get rested!