Half Marathon Training – Week 1

Half marathon training is officially underway! 

And with that, here’s what week one looked like…

Sunday – Rest
Monday – Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 Level 2
Tuesday – 3.25 mile run
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – 3.25 mile run
Friday – 5 mile run
Saturday – Rest

It definitely wasn’t the most intense week, but it was good (enough).  To be honest, my workouts as of late have been feeling a little blah.  And I think it’s due to the fact that Vishnu’s schedule was so random last month.  Because of this, I haven’t been able to stick with any one sleep schedule.  And I’m most definitely one of those people who needs their sleep.  If I get anything less than 7 hours of good quality sleep, everything is off.  With that being said, I’m looking forward to his more normal (8-5ish) schedule this month.

Two other things that are top of mind right now are how I’m going to fuel and prevent injury for this half.

I know that running makes me hungry.  Really hungry.  So for now, the plan is to buy/make healthy snacks that are protein rich, meal plan every week so that good food is always on hand, and drink lots and lots of water.  I also need to be a little more mindful of how much I’m eating.  While I’ve kept an eye on my portion sizes, there’s still room for improvement, especially when it comes to more indulgent foods (cheese and chocolate).  I’ll share more as I figure out what works for me.

Preventing injury is actually my number one focus for this half.  Why?  Because if I’m inured, I can’t run!  My plan is to include at least two days of strength training, (when possible) even if it’s just 10 minutes of body weight exercises, and lots of stretching.  Something else I’m mindful of is listening to what my body is telling me.  For example, my calves were killing me this past Saturday and Sunday.  Instead of trying to fit in exercise, I rested on Saturday and went for a walk with my sister on Sunday.  In my opinion, rest days are a must for so many reasons.

So that’s week one in a nutshell!  I think most people are idealistic when it comes to the first few weeks of training, and I’m no exception.  While I would love all 12 weeks to go according to plan, I going to have to be flexible and adaptable, especially when travelling. 

Anyone else training for a race?  How’s it going?