On the Run

Guess who has been running...

It's me! It's me!

It wasn't easy to get started again, but I have successfully hit the pavement 12 times in the past month. And I've completed my 1st race of the year!

Other races I that I'd like to repeat this year are the Cinco de Mayo 5K, the Council Bluffs Half Marathon (I'd love to redeem myself from last year's disappointment!) and the Memorial Day 5 Miler. Reading the recaps from last year got me really excited for nice, sun-shiny running weather!

However, my next big race is the Lincoln Half Marathon on May 1st. I ran this race 2 years ago, and it was my first (and fastest!) Half Marathon. I have such fond memories of this race, and I can't wait to do it again!

Training Plan

I would love to come in under 2 hours at the Lincoln Half, but I know that will take a lot of work. I've developed a bit of an unconventional training plan for this race. It is more "loosey-goosey" than most, but I've found it works well for me. At the beginning of each week, I set goals of:

• # of runs OR # of miles
• long run mileage (increase about 1 mile per week)
• # PT/strength sessions

For speed, I'm trying another very general approach:

• long run miles < 10:00
• all other miles < 9:00

Basically, I don't want to run a bunch of "junk" miles. I want to learn what it feels like to run faster because I naturally fall into an "easy" pace (I am a long distance runner, after all.) I am focusing on each mile individually, as opposed to an average, because I find that it pushes me to run faster. That way, I can't slack off at the end of my run just because I ran the 1st half faster than expected.

It's funny because I would have pegged myself as someone who follows a strict training plan. But, honestly, they stress me out! I suffer from extreme guilt when I don't follow the plan exactly, and I constantly feel like there is no room for deviation. I've found that I need the flexibility to say, "I only have time for 4 miles" or "It's gonna rain tomorrow so I'll move my long run up" or "I just don't feel like running today". And I like to be able to do that without feeling like I have to reconfigure the whole schedule.

Running Mantras

Coming back from months off is always frustrating. You think you should be able to pick up close to where you left off, but your body tells a different story. I mean, I was knocking out 20 milers last fall, and now 5 miles feels FAR. During my last few runs, I've caught myself thinking, "Wow, this is hard!" And you know what has gotten me back on track? Reminding myself that this is supposed to be hard!

Lots of people use mantras when the going gets tough while running. I have tried and tried to come up with a positive saying that is motivating for me, but I can't seem to get one to stick. However, reminding myself that this isn't supposed to be easy has been working wonders for me. It helps me stay in the moment, instead of brooding over the past or fretting about the future. And it pumps me up to think that I am doing something challenging...which will just make me stronger.

Do you use a mantra while exercising or when times get tough in your life?