Pressure Free – Half Marathon Training
I’m not going to lie, the half marathon distance is not a comfortable one for me…
I know, some of you take great pleasure in running wonderful distances which leaves me in awe of your endurance and ability.
When it comes to me? My current status is: ‘enjoys plodding around the block’
So, I signed up for another half marathon of course!
There’s a minor complication with this, the half marathon just happens to be the day after my first Tough Mudder, I’m not one to do things by halves. When I say that, please keep in mind that it’s just a front because deep down I’m terrified.
My head is a jungle; ‘how on earth am I going to morph into some sort of mythical runner who can perform with precision and grace at back to back events?’ I’m not.
This weekend has seen me run back to back events for the second time this year and it’s taught me some valuable lessons.
*I need to take a few days rest before the events
*Fuel is seriously important, for the first time ever I stopped for regular food and snacks on an event and it made all the difference with my performance. I wasn’t aiming for a PB, I was aiming to keep on going with a smile on my face.
*Positive mental attitude will pull me through when I hit the wall because let’s face it I’m only human and chances are ‘I’ll hit the wall’.
*I need to train.
Of course, I could throw myself into a Military style training plan, or I could be kind to myself and follow a sensible plan to avoid injury and burn out. I strongly feel that contrary to popular belief, we don’t have to push ourselves to the limit to achieve great things.
I have an objective, I’m aiming to finish with a smile on my face, to enjoy the experiences and not worry about setting a personal best. I’ll aim to train my body to keep running for 13.1 miles at a slow, comfortable pace and I’m working on my upper body strength and conditioning ready for the obstacles.
My training will be simple:
*3 Runs each week – One longer slow run, one upbeat tempo run, and one relaxing/social run.
*2 Strength Training sessions each week – As a minimum and I’ll incorporate sprints with kettlebell swings, pull ups, push ups etc
*Focus on great nutrition – Eating a really balanced and energizing diet to ensure I’m constantly fuelled correctly, with cake, carbs and coffee.
Here are some resources I’m finding helpful right now:
*Pinterest – For varied workout Inspiration.
*Kate Percy – Go faster food, need I say more?
*Natacha Oceane – Her breakfast recipes are fabulous, try the cookie dough!
Whilst my plan may sound amateurish to many, I strongly feel that it’s okay to speak up and say…
‘I just want to run a half marathon, without time pressure or training myself to the point of exhaustion’
I know many people who’ve had great results with the train slow, race hard philosophy and people who are running less, but with more structure and seeing great results/improvements.
After all, it is meant to be fun! If you’ve never run a half marathon before, you might enjoy my blog post about why you should and can.
How do you feel about the half marathon distance? Any events coming up?
Katie
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