Kick it into Half Marathon Training

Last year around this same time, I downloaded a half marathon training plan that had a goal time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Very ambitious yes I know, but I have big goals! Plus I already know how to run a 1 hour 53 minute half marathon (2010 Hyannis Half Marathon) so if I am going to plop down some money for a training plan, I might as well make it something I am going to have to work my butt off for!

When the alarm went off this morning I shut it off as usual and contemplated going back to sleep. Luckily I have been living by the thought that I will NEVER regret going for a run or to the gym but I always regret not going. It really is so true and actually helps me get out the door every morning to workout before work.

The weather was perfect and the run well pretty well! A 2 mile warm up, followed by 3 miles at race pace (8 min/mile per the super ambitious training schedule) and a 1 mile cool down. I didn't wear a watch, but I am pretty certain I was not running 8 min miles at any point but I may have gotten as fast as 9 minute miles. So I have 10 (well basically 9 now) weeks to knock a minute off my per mile pace....should be interesting.

In other news, I finally ordered myself a Garmin watch!! I haven't run in a watch at all for over a year, but I think now is the time for me to get back into it. Especially is the watch is going to track my miles, time, pace, heart rate, calories burned, and whether or not I am beating a little virtual race partner who is running at exactly the pace I want to run at! It's a number cruncher's dream!! I wish it would get here yesterday so I can start testing it out!

Some Things

I started this blog a few years ago to document my training to run the Bosotn Marathon for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The point was that people would be able to track how I was doing and it would motivate me to keep up the training. Unfortunately, with the exception of that first year, I am pretty terrible at posting. Lately though, I have been reading a bunch of different running blogs and got to thinking that I should try to make this more of a regular occurance. Instead of just using it during my four months of Boston Marathon training, I am going to take a stab at blogging year round about running, fitness in general, and whatever else I feel like!

So stay tuned! I have been doing some strength training at Koko FitClub and am just beginning to train for the Harwich Half Marathon (as in I am going to start training tomorrow). I'll also try to incoporate more pictures and other things (like mile trackers and links to other blogs) once I get a grip on this whole blogging thing.

Thanks for reading!!