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!!

Letter!

This weekend I finally got my letters together and ready to deposited in the mail tomorrow morning! Everyone keep your eye on the mail. I don't know where the winter went this year! One day its February and its snowing and the next minute its 50 degrees out and there are only 14 days until the marathon! I apologize for getting these out so late this year, but on the bright side, the marathon is right around the corner so you will want to respond right away and not wait until it gets closer to race time! :) I did have a few technical difficulties so please forgive the donation sheet where the box was covering a sentence. I just hand wrote it over because I couldn't bear to waste all of that paper.

Next on the agenda is emails!

If you would like to get on my fundraising mailing list (email or regular mail) send me an email at hspearston@yahoo.com with either your mailing address or your email address!

Or if you are ready to donate right now head to ! (I can't tell if that is going to work so if it doesn't the website is www.runDFMC.org/2011/heatherp).

Thank you very much in advance for your generous donation!

Final long run weekend!

Saturday is the last long run before taper! I cannot believe it's here already! (Especially because I woke up to a snowy winter wonderland this morning.) It seems like just yesterday I was kicking off my training. Those long training runs that I dread never seem so bad in retrospect. Last Sunday I ran 17 miles around Harwich. That has been my new weekend run routine. I leave Maddie at home for this one, grab my iPod, turn on the Spanish lessons, and hit the road for 16 to 19 miles! So if you see me running around hola-ing to myself, I'm not crazy! Just trying to multi-task!

Oh! Some other great news! I got my bib number and it is fabulous! It is 22336! Super, right? Now you can all use it to track my progress on marathon day at bostonmarathon.org!

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Number Nine!

I'm deep in the heart of training for my ninth Boston Marathon as part of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge team! Yay!

Last year I raised just shy of $6,000 for this great cause. I finally managed to achieve my goal of finishing under 4 hours. It only took me 8 years!

This year I am approaching my training with a more laid back attitude. My secret? I got rid of my watch. It's great! No more checking my arm at every mile to see if I am on pace. It's working out quite well for me so far.

Now for a training recap. I started a little late this year. I kicked it off the beginning of February, but have been on my game since then. Maddie (my super goldendoodle running buddy) and I have been getting up before work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and running 7 or 10 miles. Then a long run of between 13 and 19 miles on the weekend and that's a wrap! Bring on the marathon!


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Running Log

I wanted everyone to see that even though I am the worst blogger in the world, I am still getting my runs done! I inserted my training log to date below. Its a super spreadsheet! (says the accountant dork). Anyway I hope you can see it, I'm not sure how its going to come though. and PS 12 more days until the marathon!!!! YAYAYAY!!




I just checked it and you can see it pretty well if you click on it!

The worst!

So I guess I am pretty much the worst blogger ever this year!! Just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean that I haven't been running!!! Last night I ran 9 miles in the rain after work. It was the first time all season that I ran after work. It took a little longer than usual to get into it but I still managed to finish in a best time of 78 minutes!! I'm getting super excited for the marathon since I have been able to keep up my faster than normal pace through all my runs this month!

Backtracking to some past runs.....last weekend BFF Alli was here from Oregon so we went up to Waterville Valley and spend Saturday testing our snowboarding skills! Sunday we ran 6 miles and then headed home. Not as long as I should have run but sometimes I think it is nice to take a little break and I think my legs were happy with me for it.

Last Tuesday and Thursday I ran 10 miles and 9.5 miles (I think). I know I ran at least 9.5 miles each day. I keep the best track of my running on my paper training schedule that I keep at my desk because that is where I go after most of my runs! Tomorrow I will post a pic of my super training spreadsheet (which I found on the Cape Cod Athletic Club website). Its like a spreadsheet lovers dream!

Two Saturdays ago I ran 19 miles in the windy rain! I ran with another girl from the Dana Farber team again for 14 of the miles! You can't skip a run because of the weather because you never know what the weather is going to be on marathon day!! I really hope its not raining though because the yuckier the weather, the less people come out and if no one shows up to watch its going to be a long boring 26.2 miles!

This weekend is my last long run! Its a 20 mile race that starts in Maine and usually ends in Massachusetts. This year it ends in New Hampshire because of some bridge work. My Dad and I are going up Sunday morning and its great because the roads are open so my dad can drive ahead a few miles at a time! My goal for this race is to break 3 hours, which is my previous best time for this race!

Well I need to get some rest because I have a 10 mile run planned tomorrow before work!! Good night!