Getting back into training mode

February 22, 2012 6 Comments

February is almost over, thankfully. It’s lived up to its reputation as my least favorite month of the whole year and I’ve basically taken the entire month off from running/hardcore training/actually trying.

My knee isn’t 100 percent back to normal, but I think I finally have the right brace and I’m working hard on changing a few things around to help it get stronger and healthier.

Now, I’m staring at an excel spreadsheet of a training plan and I’m ready to get started:

I even added a race next Sunday, March 4 that kind of fits nicely into the first full week of real training: the Mill Creek Distance Classic Half in Youngstown. It’s hilly and tough and we’ll see how it goes.

Anyway, I’m excited to be able to get back into feeling like I’m training for something and I’m actually getting ready for my next two marathons and my first 50 miler. I hate to admit, but I’ve felt extremely behind pretty much everyone I know who is training for Cleveland or other spring marathons and have been training for weeks. I even know a few people who have been training for the half for a few weeks and here I am, not doing much of anything.

But I’m trying to appreciate my body for what I can do each day, but I’m looking forward to getting back to where I was and building up to my full potential.

It’s all about the bigger goal now. I’m ready to start doing the work.

Full disclosure: The wonderful people at the Cleveland Marathon gave me a race entry and I agreed to blog about my training and race day experiences. And you should know by now that I’m too snarky and opinionated and everything I post on here are my own thoughts and experiences. 

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Run for Regis recap

January 17, 2012 9 Comments

Sunday, I ran the eighth annual Run for Regis (check out my race preview here!)

The race is a half, full marathon and 50K and runners can change distances during the race. It runs two loops: one 5.1 mile loop (green) and one 8 mile loop (orange) and repeat over and over until you are done.

I was on my own for this one (or at least without Erin. A few people I knew even asked me where she was!), but luckily I had Kirsten and her sister, bro-in-law and friend, Brian, to run with.

It snowed most of Friday and Saturday and Sunday morning, temps were in the low teens. . When I got out of the car, I kicked myself for running this race and not going to the Road Race Series awards brunch so I could get my last RRS first place female AG award (damn).

Shortly after 7:30, 200 or so of my closest friends and I were off into a big, snowy field (which later became a big muddy field):

I’m going to be honest, I don’t remember much from the loops at all. I do remember my hands being cold a lot… especially every time after we stopped and started again. I ran a lot with my hands balled up in a fist inside my glove. Case in point:

At least I’m still smiling?

The first two loops went well. I was feeling pretty good, nothing hurt, nothing was cold other than my hands and the only thing that really sucked was when my handheld froze and I couldn’t get it open. Luckily, the aid stations had hot water and I started filling my bottle with mostly warm water and a little cold to keep it from happening again.

The trails weren’t too bad at all. It was cold enough that the snow was packed, but not icy (yet) and we were moving along. We took a lot of photos, my hair was frozen:

After 13.1, Kirsten’s sister, Kelly, was done and finished with her first trail half! The rest of us lucky ones went out for more. The third loop (or second 5.1 mile loop) went by rather quickly. I don’t remember much about it either other than seeing Vince from Vertical Runner and some of the really fast guys coming through and finishing off the 50K. Oh and at mile 18.62, we saw a guy with a completely frosty and snowy beard.

About three-quarters of a mile into the last 8 mile loop (right by the ledges), we were going down a hill and I started talking to some guy walking up it with a dog. I was leading the pack (at this point, it was just myself, Kirsten and Brian. Mike had ditched us). And of course, next thing I know, I’m half on the ground, holding myself up with my arms. My left knee had crashed on the rock next to me and I don’t know what happened to my right leg, but it was OK. I passed it off like it was nothing and said it was about time one of us fell, brushed off the snow and kept going.

But pretty soon, I was in a world of hurt and so very badly wanted to stop. I decided that after the loop was over, so was my race and Run for Regis would become my third marathon/first trail marathon. I went back and forth in my head, telling myself that if I were feeling OK, I should change my mind and that if Erin were running with me, she wouldn’t let me quit (that and I don’t think I would have complained as much, ha). I became kinda bitchy and snippy and tried to push the pace a little because I wanted to finish the race and go home.

Of course, I fell again a few miles later. This time I didn’t hit anything, but again, caught myself with my hands and yelled some obscenities and nearly started crying in public. Fail. My knee hurt more and more and was just becoming an all over pain.

I started counting down the miles, but did my best to keep up and not completely just give up on it. After coming back up to the Ledges and seeing the open field again to the start/finish, I did what I do best and started kicking. At that point, I was on pure heart. My right leg was sore and my left just radiated in pain. With some words of encouragement from Brian, I pushed as hard as I could to the finish.

And then I crossed the line of my first trail marathon in 6:20:37. Mike, Kirsten and Brian all finished the 50K (so proud!) a little later. I stuck around long enough to eat some food and get my finisher’s gift:

Yes, that’s what you get in small races (especially trail ones). Though the race didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted, I’ll wear it proudly.

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2012 at the races

January 3, 2012 11 Comments

So, in my last post, I talked about how I finally bought myself a Christmas gift and signed up for my first 50 mile ultra. I’ve been really hesitant for the past two months to sign up for anything or even set a race schedule for myself because of weddings, leave, showers, work, etc.

But I was going crazy not having anything to train for (except for that 50K in a week and a half…). So I wrote a bunch of races on my calendar (in pen) and though I’m only registered for three of them, I’m sure more will follow.

I’ll tell you now, I’m not racing that much this year. In the past two and a half years, I’ve ran 41 races, so I’ve decided to become more choosy on what races I spend my money on. That being said, here’s what I’m doing this year:

Jan. 15: Run for Regis 50K. I’m getting a little nervous about the weather, but other than that, I’m ready for this race and looking forward to it. At least I am when I remember it’s happening and I’m registered for it…

April 1: Fools 50K. Registration opened today… I’ll probably sign up tomorrow. I had originally planned on running this as my first 50K. Haha.

May 5: Capital City Half Marathon. This will probably be the first part of a two-race weekend. But I am so ridiculously excited to run this half marathon again. Of the four I ran in 2011, Cap City was the most fun, best course and had some of the best spectators. I had a really really good time and I’m excited for the changes they’ve made this year and to help celebrate the bicentennial of my state capital.

May 6: Cincinnati Flying Pig. No, I’m not crazy. Traditional ultra training calls for back to back long runs and honestly, a half one day and full the next are not even within the time frames I’m supposed to be training in that weekend. But I’ve always wanted to run the Pig and I figure I may as well just head down to Cincy, since I’ll already be in Columbus.

May 20: Cleveland Marathon. I ran the half the past two years, it’s probably time I run the full. As one of the official bloggers again this year, I’ll be posting about my training (though, let’s be real, I’m more focused on Mohican), so expect a rather unique and not-so-normal training perspective in those posts.

June 15: Mohican 50 Miler. Boom, can’t wait.

July 14: Buckeye Trail 50K. This will be interesting. I’ve ran on bits and pieces of the Buckeye Trail (one day, I want to say I’ve ran the entire thing. Not at once. It goes all the way around Ohio). But from what I hear, it’s a really challenging 50K. Love it.

July 28-29: Burning River 100. No, I’m not running yet. I hope to crew or pace someone. If not, volunteer. But I have to put it in my schedule because well, it lasts for 30 hours… And if you know of anyone looking for crew, I’d love to help!

September 22-23: North Coast 24. I’m on the fence about this one, but it may be a great way to mentally prepare for things to come in 2013.

September 29: Akron Marathon. It’s about damn time.

October 21: Columbus Marathon. I don’t know if I’ll be running the half or the full. I’m leaning toward the half marathon just so I can rest after a big September (like if I do for sure complete 80-90 miles at NC24). But I this race holds a special place in my heart, obviously, so I definitely want to go back.

I’m sure I’ll do the Turkey Trot and Pigskin Classic again. Those are must-do’s every year. Other than that, this obviously isn’t going to be my year of setting new PR’s and getting faster. I’m OK with that, I’d like to focus on just simply going longer.

What’s your race calendar look like for 2012?

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Here’s to 2012

January 1, 2012 7 Comments

Happy New Year!

I couldn’t be happier with the way 2011 ended — I ran 22 miles Saturday on the Regis course. Erin and I joined some new friends, including Kirsten, whose blog I’ve been reading for a very long time and we now finally got to meet and talk and run together:

(Many thanks to her bro-in-law/Facebook for the pic! That was after 14 miles and I was already that muddy. Yuck.)

Those 22 miles rounded out 214 for December. My highest mileage month EVER (my second highest was 170 in November!). Because of laziness in the winter and injury in the spring, I only totaled 1,451.25 for the year. But with all of the crap that happened, I’ll take it. I only had four of 12 months under 100 miles (and March and May were just barely under 100, each had about 96), so I’ll consider it a good effort.

I’m looking forward to 2012 bringing many great things and new challenges. In fact, I plunked down a nice chunk of change and registered for one of those challenges today:

Merry Christmas to me! I’ll be running the 50 mile race on June 16. I know I can do it, but I’m mostly terrified at the thought of it right now.

So, here’s to another year. New races, new distances, new trails, new friends and a whole new journey :)

Happy running!

 

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2011 racing season

December 20, 2011 5 Comments

I can’t believe I didn’t think to post about this last week… maybe because it was a shitty week, but my 2011 race season ended last Saturday (Dec. 10) with a Northeast Ohio interclub race, sponsored by NERC:

It was a three-person relay with 3, 5.5, and 8 mile legs. Teams were coed, male or female. Our Second Sole fielded quite a few three-person teams. I ran on a coed team… which we named “team slow” and I ran the 8-mile leg. It was a trail run and Erin and I ran 2 miles beforehand and then ran the race.

My team didn’t finish first, or last, but we had fun, froze our asses off and I ate some donuts. Just another day in the woods :D

So anyway, like last year, I wanted to go back and take a look at how 2011 went race wise.

I ran a lot of races, started trail running, got hurt, learned some lessons and won my age group in the Hermes Road Race Series again. My distances ranged from 5K to 50K this year and I couldn’t be happier with the way most of the races turned out. So here’s what came out on top:

Most improved distance: 5 mile. Yet again, I have to hand this one to the five mile. It’s my favorite distance to race, for sure. Short enough you can race it, but long enough to feel like it’s a real workout. I started the season off with a disappointing performance at St. Malachi (again) and ran it in 42:22, nearly two full minutes slower than my PR. But again, I pulled out an awesome race at the Turkey Trot and finished in 38:50, smashing my sub-40 goal.

Best road race: The Chicago Marathon. I had a really difficult time choosing between the Chicago Marathon and the Akron Marathon here. But Chicago, despite the heat and the crowds at some points, was one of the best race experiences I’ve ever had. I definitely want to go back and take on the race again. The way the city comes together to support one of the biggest road races in the country is truly amazing and if you want to really have an amazing marathon experience, Chicago is it.

Best trail race: Bills Bad Ass 50K. OK. I only ran three trail races. But the BBA50K could not be any more different than the races I was used to.  And that’s what makes it special. The way the group comes together to put the race on and support each other through it is simply amazing. The weather was perfect, the course was great and it was all around one of the greatest days of my life.

Biggest accomplishment: BBA 50K again. When 2011 began, I had no idea I’d be anywhere close to running a 50K. I thought I’d run a few marathons and that would be it. But as the year progressed, I started thinking about my life and where I want to go and the distances I really want to run (ahem Badwater) and that I should start ultras now. And without a second thought the day before the race, I did just that.

Most unique: Lakewood Summer Meltdown 5K. Any night race is unique. Any night race where it starts pouring and storming 10 minutes before the start makes it an even more unique experience. The race was part of some Lakewood street festival (we don’t do those things on the good side of town) and was an out and back through some Lakewood streets. It was my second post-injury race and with the rain, the atmosphere and the energy, it was definitely one of the most unique and fun races of the year.

Best overall: Akron Marathon (relay). Can’t say that it was the greatest day in the world overall (it’s hard to run the last leg of a relay), but Akron puts on one of the best events in the entire country and I’ve always had huge successes there. The weather was great, I had great company the whole day and it’s such a well-organized and put together race.

How did your year end up?

And some blog keeping — You know how I mentioned last week that I may or may not have committed to at least one spring race next year? Well, the news is pretty much out… I’ll be running the 35th Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon this year (yeah, I know). I’ve been asked to be one of the official bloggers again, if you’re on my actual page and not a reader, I updated the sidebar. I’ll talk more about the race and my 2012 season later this week (or next. I work in retail, I’m busy) and I have some more fun changes coming to the blog when I get some more time and motivation :)

Happy running!

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dear first-time marathoner…

October 6, 2011 7 Comments

Dear first-time marathoner,

You may think the journey has been the past 16 or so weeks of training. Diligently doing your long runs, following a plan, figuring out what you’re doing, fitting it all in.

But the real journey is about to begin.

You’re about to take on one of the most amazing, most difficult and most rewarding experiences of your life (I’m going to assume it’s second to childbirth and some other life experiences that I have yet to have, but let’s pretend you’re in the same place as me.)

Whether you’re about to run 26.2 through the streets of Chicago in one of the biggest marathons in the world with me or taking on NYC, Philly, Columbus or any other lovely fall marathon, you’re in for an amazing day.

It doesn’t matter if you finish in three hours or five, running a marathon will change your life. It’s an experience like no other. The marathon is something you can’t fully understand until you experience it.

I wish I could tell you what’s in store for you, but every runner is going to have their own unique experience, sometimes good, sometimes bad. But I want to use this post to tell you some things I learned and hope you take away from your first marathon:

Just like every other first in life, you’re only going to get one. You know exactly what I mean. You’ll never ever have a first marathon ever again. It might be your only marathon, it may be the first of dozens. But just like those other firsts, you’ll never ever forget it.

It’s OK to be nervous. Seriously. When you’re standing in the corrals with thousands (or hundreds maybe) of people, remember, you’re not the only first timer out there. Even those people who’ve ran 50 marathons probably still get nervous every time.

Talk to others along the way. I met two very important people during the course of my first marathon. I don’t know their names, but if it weren’t for them, I would’ve probably sat on the side of the road in Upper Arlington waiting for the SAG car to come get me. And the hug from the woman who ran most of the way with me after mile 22 meant more to me than anything else after the race was over.

Be aware of everything around you. Take in your surroundings, the city, the trail, the spectators, your fellow runners. Read the backs of people’s shirts, high-five the kids along the course, point out the signs, smile and wave at race photographers. Remember the buildings you pass, the houses you see. Thank the volunteers and leave only footprints.

Trust in your training. The hard work is done. You should be well-rested. You know your limits, your goals and should have a clear idea of what you can accomplish. Be realistic and trust in the work you put in. You will be rewarded.

Wear your medal proudly. Show it off. Soak in the well wishes and let your accomplishment speak for itself. You did something great.

I hope you enjoy every single minute of those 26.2 miles. Just think, at the end, you’ll be a marathoner and part of a very special group of people. I hope you have one of the best days of your life.

Happy running!

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wordless wednesday

September 28, 2011 7 Comments

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Akron Marathon Relay Recap

September 26, 2011 6 Comments

Saturday went down as the day I ran my first relay. Or the day I finished a sub 4:00 marathon. Or that time I “only” ran eight miles and then was an asshole about it all day long.

Anyway. I took a spot on a relay team thanks to twitter all the way back in early August, knowing Chicago training would pretty much be over and I’d be tapering already. I didn’t want to ruin the memory of my half marathon PR from last year and potentially screw things up for Chicago either, so I figured the relay would be the perfect option.

The thing about Akron is though, both years, I’ve made plans to run in August, been really pumped about it, then race week comes and it’s seemingly the last thing I want to do. But I wasn’t about to let my team down, and just like last year, good things ensued.

I went down the night before, though I didn’t need to so my friend, Joe, could pick up his bib. We stopped by the expo (and I saw Kimi for the first time in months!) and went out to dinner in the AK. I made it home in time to talk to the LT and then I just had to watch “Four Weddings.” It’s a Friday night tradition.

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. sans alarm, got dressed quickly, and was out the door by 5:05. I made a PB&J to eat in the car and brought a Clif bar and Clif Shots with me, not knowing exactly what time I would start running. The nice part about running the last leg of the relay is not having to rush in the morning (if you know what I mean), but the crappy (ha ha) part is you don’t know exactly when to eat or when you’re going to be hungry.

I got to back to the rowdy in plenty of time because I’m a crazy driver, parked in some garage, walked up a few stairs, and bam, there was the start line.

(OK, I’m a terrible person, that photo is from last year. It looked exactly the same this year, I promise.)

I stood around for a while, waited for my team members and my other new friend, Julie, who was running the last leg of the relay after volunteering to take the spot 11 hours prior to the start and hadn’t run in months.

Julie, Becca, new Julie and me (rocking the headband Katie gave me! And my other team members were Ryan and Paul. Paul’s wife, Ann, organized the team and cheered us on. I ran the leg she runs every year, but with baby almost here, I was happy to fill in).

After watching the start (I got that nervous, butterfly feeling that I get when I’m about to start a big race… damn, I can’t wait to be in the CHI), Julie and I went to my car, put our bibs on and ventured out to find the shuttle. We ended up running into two of my Second Sole friends at mile 3 and watched the race for a while. I cheered on a few of my friends that went by, including my awesome running buddy, who was a few miles into her first full. I caught up with our coach/cheerleader Ann and Ryan (who crushed the first leg!) before they went to the next exchange point to meet up with Paul and cheer on Julie.

Then there we were, at the top of Sand Run, 18ish miles into the race. The lead marathoners hadn’t come through yet, but a lot of people were there standing around, talking, sitting in the mud, etc. I had planned on getting some miles in before my turn started, but I knew I’d already be on tired legs anyway (Saturday was day 5 of 6 in a row), so I opted to talk to some strangers and wait.

Soon, the lead relay group came through (from Second Sole… but not our’s. The team was from Canton) and shortly after the lead male marathoner. It was really fun cheering on the marathoners and soon, the 3:05 pace group came through and there was Ryan looking strong! He went on to best his Cleveland Marathon and BQ time and I’d like to think me screaming and jumping up and down at mile 18 helped.

Soon there were more and more numbers being called and I decided to wait by my bib number for Becca to come through. But somehow, I missed “054,” because around the 2:50 mark, I looked up and there she was looking for me. My throwaway shirt was still around my neck and my iPod was in my hands. I tossed the shirt aside, grabbed the slap bracelet and took off. I heard Julie yell, “go Kali!” at me and I started kicking.

Seriously. I broke out at a pace I’d love to run a 10K in (I’ve only run two very hot, humid, disappointing 10K’s in my career). I had no strategy but to pick off other runners and try and get in under 4 hours.

I’ll admit, I felt like a big asshole picking off people who didn’t have a pink “RELAY” bib on their backs, especially if I could tell they were struggling and I was running on fresh legs. But then I kept reminding myself, that’s their journey, I’m on my own journey today and I shouldn’t stop passing people because I feel like a jerk.

I ran up some hills, through Stan Hywet (probably one of my favorite parts of the race), hammed it up and made an ass of myself in front of some race photogs and kept pushing the pace as the miles clicked off.

Stan Hywet. Thanks Google.

I didn’t actually look at my watch much at all. I only saw one mile mark beep and it said 8:01 or something. It made it easier since my watch and the mile markers didn’t match up. Most times I looked down I saw an 07 in the minute column, but never had that “OMG SLOW THE FUCK DOWN” feeling.

Molly was running the relay too and she passed me on Market and I scared her, but I couldn’t help it, I was excited since I hadn’t seen her in a while. On the last hill, I passed Justin, who went on to achieve his goal of running a 4-hour marathon.

Before I really knew it, I had turned the corner and was running down Main Street. I saw Stephanie and her boyfriend cheering and I waved, but my iPod was blaring house music so loud, I couldn’t hear a thing (I know that’s bad, but I was pumped). And then all of a sudden, there I was, entering Canal Park again, about to hit the finish line.

I ran my leg in 1:06:12 (but remember that not being ready at the exchange? That cost me about 45 seconds or so) and crossed the line in 3:58:13.

I picked up medal No. 10 (and ones for the rest of the team), met up with my team and then went to find Joe and chill at Barley House. After some beers, cheering on some marathoners, we headed back to CLE to keep celebrating.

Yet again, probably the most fun I’ve had in a race in a long time. I don’t know what it is about Akron, but two years in a row, I’ve had a really amazing experience there. Maybe it’s a sign I should run the full next year…

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River Run Half Marathon Recap

September 15, 2011 5 Comments

Sunday, I ran half marathon No. 6, as well as celebrated two years of road racing!

I ran the race last year and really wasn’t expecting much… just like last year. I had ran 16 miles last Thursday and then 20 the Saturday before that. My body is tired.

I got to the other side of town just before the shuttle buses got there (shorter bathroom line FTW) and had every intention of using the bathroom and then knocking out three miles before the race and calling it a long run. But my body wanted nothing of the sort and I only did the former. (sorry, TMI).

Anyway, the race began with a moment of silence and a guy playing the “Star Spangled Banner” on the trumpet. And then the race started.

I started out too fast. In my head, I was screaming “slow down” at myself, but I couldn’t help it. Eventually I settled in and found a good pace, but still too fast for a half marathon I didn’t specifically train for.

The miles clicked off relatively easily after I calmed down a bit. I kept having to remind myself though to slow down and enjoy the day. I wasn’t gunning for a PR. Sunday’s race wasn’t about me or splits or PR’s or my personal goals. For me that day, it was about so much more than running and was more about living the life I love, doing the things I love and thinking about those who have sacrificed so much so I can do so. (If you read Sunday’s post, you’ll probably understand more.)

But then I hit mile 5(ish). I noticed I had stopped sweating completely, but I wasn’t feeling terrible. I stopped and checked my pulse. Not ridiculously high, it was actually pretty low. I pushed on. Then I stopped again right before mile 6. There was a cop and a park ranger standing on the side of the road. The cop stopped me and asked “are you OK? Do you need something?” I know I wasn’t feeling great, but I guess I looked even worse. I told him I just needed a little Gatorade. And literally .1 miles later, there it was. I think if I had responded any other way and if the aid station weren’t right there, my race would not have ended at the finish line…

Around mile 7.5, a woman with just a sports bra as a top on that I had been back and forth with for a while looked at me and goes “are you trying to run a sub 2?” I almost said “I could care less when I finish,” but I nodded and we ran together until the water stop at mile 10.

I hit mile 10 around 1:30. Which was good. The “plan” was to do that, switch to faster music, zone out and run a quick 5K.

Unfortunately the quick 5K didn’t happen. I indeed sped up, but I couldn’t keep up and had to stop every so often. My foot was hurting (yes, it does that sometimes) and I knew this wasn’t my day. I kept reminding myself that I was there to have fun and the day wasn’t about me. I kept running and listening to the music, trying to have fun for the last bit of the race.

With about a mile or so left, I caught up with Beal, who was walking. I tapped him on the back and said, “come on, we’re going to finish under two,” and we ran the last mile together. That was, until I could actually read the finish line clock and thought, “oh shit, you cannot have a 2:00 half” and kicked as hard as I could:

(Stole it from Facebook. Thanks J :) )

My chip time was 1:59:41. My slowest half of the six.

I hung out for a bit with my fellow #DirtyRunners until I got “the look” from my roommate:

(Me, Ryan, Christian… or Christina…, Jeff, Jessica, Beal, Angie and Mason)

Despite my disappointment with my time, it ended up being a pretty good day. I’m not going to PR every single race and 2011 definitely has not been my year of breaking my own records. It’s been a year of learning, balancing and focusing on other important things in my life like my relationship and my career. Someday, yes, I do hope to have it all, but now is not the time. Like Sunday, I want to continue accepting God’s plan for me and keep working hard to realize the gifts I’ve been given.

After all, it’s just running.

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it’s that time of year again…

June 23, 2011 8 Comments

Last summer/early fall, it literally felt like everyone I knew in the running community was training for a fall marathon. The end of June/beginning of July means it’s time to start planning.

If you google “marathon training plans,” you’re going to be faced with about 1,590,000 results (at least that’s what google just told me). So how do you choose one?

Pick a goal. What is your goal for this race? Do you want to simply finish without dying? Run the entire time? Beat your PR? Qualify for Boston? Finish in 3:00? (OK, if your goal is one of those last three, you probably know what you’re doing and don’t really need to read my blog for running advice. Unless you like it, then hey, keep coming back :) ) Figure out what is going to make you happy when you cross the finish line and work toward that.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses from previous long-distance races. When determining a plan for anything, it’s wise to look at your past and see how you fared in a similar situation. How did your last marathon go? How have more recent halves been treating you? Are you good at pacing the whole time? Do you work better when you take walking breaks? What do you need to work on? For me, I know at the beginning of every training cycle, my weakest areas are cross training and speed work, and for the next few years, will probably be the focus of every training cycle. Long runs are definitely one of my strengths. It’s about building on your strengths and improving your weaknesses.

Do some research. There are so many plans out there, from run/walk to traditional to minimalist. All follow the same basic principles of having at least two quality workouts a week (long distance and speed). Evaluate the pros and cons of each one. Here’s a few popular options:

  • Jeff Galloway — Galloway’s plans are based on a run/walk method, designed to get you to the finish line in a certain amount of time. Galloway’s plans are great for beginners and people who have a life outside of running (not me ha).
  • Hal Higdon — Higdon’s plans are some of the most popular. They’re based on having a flexible training schedule and really put a focus on the long, slow distance (on the weekends!)
  • Greg McMillan — I’d like to start by saying that McMillan has this awesome running calculator that predicts your finish times for other distances based upon your times in another distance and some other mathematical forumla and it thinks I can run a 3:35 marathon (awesome, he thinks I can BQ!) Besides that, McMillan’s plans are based on balancing aerobic and anaerobic training (think speed) and high mileage.
  • Jack Daniels (no, not my favorite adult beverage) — Jack Daniels is a really, really smart man who developed the “Daniels’ Running Formula.” (very interesting book). His marathon training plans include easy long runs, marathon pace runs, threshold pace runs, interval pace and repetition pace. If you’re looking for a good running book to read and a different approach to training, I highly suggest you check this one out!
  • Smart Coach (the link will take you to a Runners World login page. Just register. It’s free.) — Smart Coach is what I used for my first half and full marathons. You input a time for a recent race, select how many miles a week you want to train (be realistic), how hard you want to train and what day you want to do a long run and it spits out a calendar for you taking you to race day. It usually includes one day of speed work (I’ve played with it to make it give me two) and one long run. It gives you specific paces for each run and predicts your race time as well (it also thinks I can BQ…)

Be honest about your schedule and start planning. I say “be honest” because if you work 40+ hours a week, have three kids under the age of 10, are in a grad program, just started a new job, moved across the country, taking care of a sick relative, whatever, you’re busy. Is a six day week of running going to be too much? How are you going to fit in cross training and speed and long runs? Look ahead to your schedule, be flexible (sometimes it might be too hot to run when you have time or something happens), but get it done. Make a calendar. Make a plan. I find it easier to map out one big plan and take it week by week (mostly because I don’t know my work schedule too far in advance).

Pick what looks fun. OK. I know more than anyone that running Yasso 800′s when it’s 85 degrees and humid out is not necessarily fun, nor is a 20 miler by yourself on the Towpath in pouring rain (both happened during Columbus training last year. I saw four people total during those 3.5 hours). But in general, you want to have fun with it. Pick a plan that’s going to motivate you, challenge you and that you enjoy. You’re more likely to stick with it, nail your workouts and have a great race if you have fun with your training.

So, with all that being said, what kind of plan are you using to train for your fall race?

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