09 June 2011

Training plans for a half-marathon... and kid cuteness

If you don't run, this will probably be super boring for you. It might be super boring even if you do run. If you would rather just see my cute kids, skip to the end... and if you would rather learn how to make a caipirinha, go here.

It is time to begin.

There are 18 weeks until the Long Beach Half-Marathon, which I have officially entered. I'm nervous. It has been a really long time since I ran that far. I wish I could run it just to run it... but I can't. Just like I did with the Bay to Breakers, I've gone and set myself a very lofty time goal. As with B2B, it's okay if I don't meet my goal... but it's there for the shooting. I'm not even ready to say it publicly yet. I will in time... but for now let's just say I need to get a lot faster :)

Picking a training plan is impossible for me. I don't like any of them. And I consider myself a 'special-needs' runner to a certain extent. What are my special needs?
  • first of all, I have 4 young kids (nothing compared to Catey's 8) who are just about done with school. They will be all up in my face around because I have been a total slacker and have set up NOTHING. That will limit training time. 
  • Secondly, I have this weird hip issue. I need to be super careful about overdoing it. Because I tend to overdo it, this is a very challenging point. I can only run 3 times a week to let my body recover properly... I might be able to push it to 4, but I don't think I want to risk injury. That said, cross-training will be happening and has already started.
  • Thirdly, I get bored. Most training plans are just not varied enough for me to stand. And I also get too into comparing workout to workout. 
I looked at a number of online programs that are free... cuz I am too cheap/broke and too experienced and too special-needs to justify paying for one. So I have created a hybrid of two programs that both utilize a "3 running days a week" set-up. One of them was too intense for my current fitness level and hip... and I know that if I tried to follow it, I would hurt myself. The other was too "loose" and... boring. I took the weekend, long mileage increase pattern of the boring one and  used the "hard" (aka speed and tempo) workouts of the other more sparingly than specified (i.e. only once a week instead of 2-3 times) and added in an easy day to create what I am hoping will be a wonderful, 3x-a-week training plan for me :)

Somewhere in this 18-week plan I may need to add a couple of ... things. I want to do a 10K for time in August, I think, to use as a gauge to determine the realistic-ness of my goal. And I might do a relay... or two...

And now for the cute kid stuff... as promised in the beginning... and if you're a runner, you might find these supremely boring... don't give me grief about it, I AM a mom first and foremost ;-)

Miss C is now jumping down the stairs...
she'll take 'em 2 at a time for now... but I know what's coming.

This is just cute... kind of long... but cute...
I love how toddlers talk, so I could listen to it all day!


What plan have you used for half-marathon training... that you liked?

Do you prefer going up stairs or down?

And finally, do you like the Batman with the blue cape better or the one with the black cape?




18 comments:

  1. I'm doing Long Beach, as well!

    I'm doing a modified Run Less, Run Faster plan.. I'm not at all serious enough to REALLY stick to their track work, but I dig the three day a week plan.

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  2. Ive never really followed a plan. I now run 3-4 times a week with one being a long run. I go up 10% a week for 2 weeks and then go down 10% and then cycle again. Im still at about 40-50 miles a week but I feel so much better than more days and less miles. I tried to follow a plan but I really like listening to my body. #1 is a long run (I think) so I am religious about that and the 10% rule. Plus every other day is super important to me. You will do great. I watched the LB half last year and there was a lot of great support! Plus there is a Roscoes there which makes any run worth it! Chicken and waffles baby!

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  3. Yay for half marathon plans! I like going up the stairs after a marathon. :) much easier. I'm excited to see your training progress. :)

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  4. I always create my own plan, so guess I like the SUAR plan. I have used Runner's World Smart Coach too and that's pretty good and free.

    Miss C is so stinking cute.

    I love that you could spill 5 bottles of red wine on that carpet and not know it.

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  5. Plan? My plans have been something from the classic John Cusack movie "Better Off Dead". "Go that way really fast. And if something gets in your way, turn." Sorta works. I also forget to stop when I am tired.

    As to Batman's cape, I like the black one. Although, having just re-watched the classic Adam West movie...hmmm I might have to go with blue.

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  6. Perhaps I'm insinuating too much, but it seems like Beth @ SUAR has some experience spilling 5 bottles of red wine on carpet. And I like the plan that makes sure I get to the finish line (in one piece) - the alternative is not good to think about.

    Miss C's stair climbing adventure reminds me of me and my brother having sled races down our carpeted stairs. We'd use an old sleeping pad folded like a toboggon and race each other into the wall at the landing!

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  7. Blue cape.

    Excellent toddler speak.

    And because I <3 you, I read about the running :P.

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  8. I can't get your cute kid video to load so will try that again soon and probably cry cuz my bratty teenagers are soooo far from that age I love so much.

    If you ever wanna throw some ideas around for your 1/2 training, you know where I am!! :)

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  9. I love toddler speak. :) Charli walked up behind me and said "hey-that's me!" lol Oh, definitely black cape.

    I am following my first training plan ever for this marathon. I merged Higdons two intermediate plans-we'll see how that works for me. I figured I'd better do something real if I'm going to tackle a race that big. I never realized how much of a fly by the seat of my pants runner I have been till I hear people talking about training for a 5k, and a 10k and think "there's training involved for those?" Hmmm....what does that say about me? Oh yeah, it says that I ran my first half with 3 days notice on a whim because I was too dumb and inexperienced to know better! ha! Good thing I was just running to finish with a very arbitrary goal time.
    Hope your hip weirdness is staying in check and continues to do so over the next few months!

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  10. I detest running.

    I'm in it for the cute kids and the hair-tossing.

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  11. Blue cape Batman cuz that is the one my kids love.

    I followed Hal Higdon intermidiate twice and I will use it again for Disney and LB. starts monday for Disney. I like more then 3 days per week, with the summer it is hard for me as well. I have to train on the TM a lot more and I am not liking it too much but better then nothing at all.

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  12. I'm using a modified amateur endurance 70.3 plan which requires a 13.1 as part of the race. I like it because I am prone to get lazy and fall into ruts by doing the same stuff every week. The plan really mixes it up - days, emphasis weeks, different combinations of double sessions. What I also really like is more frequency/less distance runs for the first month or so.

    Blue cape.

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  13. SO cute!!!! Good luck on the training plan. I just followed you on twitter.

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  14. All I've ever done is RLRF so that's all I can recommend. I'm trying something different but I'm like a dog who was dumped out of a car but keeps finding its way back to the old plan...old habits die hard.
    Definitely the black cape.

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  15. I'm using the Run Less, Run Faster approach (first time) and am liking it so far. It works with my schedule and each run has a purpose which for some reason works well with my personality. I'm doing Disneyland on Labor Day weekend -- and I have a lofty goal for me as well so we'll see how it works.

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  16. You always have the best videos!! YOU ARE GOING TO DO SO AMAZING IN LONG BEACH!! I can't wait to follow your training!! Be careful with that hip! We are all here cheering you on. Wish I could come babysit to help you out with your runs!

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  17. Wow half marathon!
    Thats awesome!

    She is Adorable.....Love it!

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