The Plan + I Am the Tortoise, Not the Hare

So here is the plan, and because I'm an all-or-nothing kind of girl, I'll be sticking to this religiously.  It can be done.  I forced myself (and my poor husband) to follow my half-marathon training plan through the Polar Vortex from hell, no excuses accepted.  There was a bit of a tendonitis issue at one point and only because a medical professional threatened strongly advised me to, I was forced to bench a 4-miler, but the rest?  Done and done.  Runs may be juggled but never skipped.

This is a combination of a Hal Higdon Novice 1 plan and a No Meat Athlete Plan combined with some advice given by a personal trainer and a little intuition about how I operate and how I'm most likely to get.it.done.

A bit of explanation...

Running: Because this is an endurance plan, most of these runs will be at an easy pace.  For me, that's about a 10:00 min/mile.  Long runs on Saturdays may even go slower than that just because it's important to get the actual miles in without falling over dead all because I wanted to set a personal record.

Strength: This is a 45-minute session of weight-lifting/muscle-building training using 2-8 lb. weights, my own body weight, and resistance bands (which I still need to dig out of storage!)  Per my trainer's instructions, strength training stops when my weekday miles tally more than 18.  Something about the fact that I need everything I've got to get the miles in, not worry about breaking down and rebuilding muscle fibers.  (It all made perfect sense during our one-and-only session.)

Yoga: This is crucial for me.  I did a weekly yoga class during my half training and it proved to be very therapeutic for my mind and my body.  I now have a Yoga for Runners DVD that I can do at home because let's be honest, I don't have time for yoga studios!

Cross (as in Cross Training): An activity that gets my heart rate up for at least 45 minutes to an hour that is anything but running.  I typically do walking, rowing, or swimming.  This is to work my cardiovascular system but give my primary running muscles a bit of a break.

Abs: I do an Ab-Only workout that keeps my core and back strong - it is the powerhouse - ROAR!

Foam Roll: There is soreness.  There are knots in muscles that just don't go away.  There is pain.  I'm not going to lie - this is not a walk in the park.  It's a run up a damn hill.  This is the definitive guide to rolling away your pain.  Try it - love to hate it.  I also implore the use of a rolling pin and a tennis ball - screams of pain happen and then I'm in my happy place. 

Captain Obvious Disclaimer: I'm no running guru.  I have no medical training.  I can't tell you what is best for you.  This is the story of my journey - possibly motivation for some - but definitely not a running, health, or nutrition guide.  What I can do is tell you this: Check with your doctor, do your research, get professionally fitted for running shoes (do this if nothing else), don't wear cotton anything, listen to your body (not your inner blerch), and get your ass up and run.

And my mantra when I see young whippersnappers zooming by me on the trail or energizer bunny grandmas smoking my ass road-side...

This is a race to finish, not a competition with anyone but myself.  I am the tortoise, not the hare.

Peace out and run on.