Richmond Half Marathon Training Plan

After doing one week of the training program and seeing that I can actually hit the targets set, I'm ready to spill the beans.

On November 10, 2012, I am going to attempt to run a 1:50 half marathon.

If you do the math, this requires a 8:30 pace for the entirety of the race.

Woah.

I'm turning to a formal training program to help me get there. Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Hal Higdon's Intermediate Half Marathon Training Program:

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & strengthen	3 m run	5 x 400 5-K pace	3 m run + strength	Rest	3 m run	5 m run
2	Stretch & strengthen	3 m run	30 min tempo	3 m run + strength	Rest	3 m pace	6 m run
3	Stretch & strengthen	3.5 m run	6 x 400 5-K pace	3 m run + strength	Rest	Rest	5-K Race
4	Stretch & strengthen	3.5 m run	35 min tempo	3 m run + strength	Rest	3 m run	7 m run
5	Stretch & strengthen	4 m run	7 x 400 5-K pace	3 m run + strength	Rest	3 m pace	8 m run
6	Stretch & strengthen	4 m run	40 min tempo	3 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	10-K Race
7	Stretch & strengthen	4.5 m run	8 x 400 5-K pace	3 m run + strength	Rest	4 m pace	9 m run
8	Stretch & strengthen	4.5 m run	40 min tempo	3 m run + strength	Rest	5 m pace	10 m run
9	Stretch & strengthen	5 m run	9 x 400 5-K pace	3 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	15-K Race
10	Stretch & strengthen	5 m run	45 min tempo	3 m run + strength	Rest	5 m pace	11 m run
11	Stretch & strengthen	5 m run	10 x 400 5-K pace	3 m run + strength	Rest	3 m pace	12 m run
12	Stretch & strengthen	4 m run	30 min tempo	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon

The reason I chose this program is 1) its rough correlation to my current running schedule preferences and 2) the amount of flexibility that is built into the plan.

The extensive notes Higdon provides on his page puts even a procrastinator like me at ease. The main tenets as summarized by me are:

1) Don't skip speed work or long distance runs.
2) Easy runs are substitutable with cross-training.
3) Mix and match to fit your schedule.

My main changes are going to be:

1) Keep my Sunday LSD runs up at a minimum of 8 miles.
2) Swap out Thursdays runs with yoga sometimes.
3) Try to make every Saturday a Pace run.

Here goes nothing!


 

Which Footsteps Will You Follow? Or will you make your own?

The Beauty of the Irrational from The African Attachment on Vimeo.

Speed Drills

Yesterday was Day 3 of Week 1 of my training plan for the Richmond Half Marathon.

It called for speed work - 5 x 400 @ 5K pace (7:50 min/mi avg for me).

And I nailed it.

A first

A running first at that.

Yesterday, after a couple of false starts, James and I ran a good chunk of the Capitol Greenway in Raleigh.

In the rain. In the pouring down rain.

Surprisingly, it wasn't half bad. Our spirits were pretty high, despite the leaden shoes, pruned fingers, and rat's nest of a ponytail I finished with.

It was breezy and warm and the rain was cool. We chatted about the past three years of running - remembering our lowest moments and our breakthroughs - and talked about those to come. James is officially in training for the Richmond Marathon on November 10th and after a lot of debate, I've decided to run the half.

It will be my tenth half marathon and I'll run the course on which I ran my first.

I've got a really lofty goal for this one.

I'm terrified of typing it because I'm afraid the moment I do, the procrastinating will begin.

The Crew

Summit County Colorado

The Macauley Summit in Summit County Colorado was as spectacular of a trip as I could have hoped. Not without its bumps, bruises, and unforeseens, but all good vacations need some legendary stories.

Taken the first morning we were there, we drank up this view while drinking our coffee. A small group of us planned to hike up Buffalo Mountain.

You can see the full slide show of pictures here: Buffalo Mountain Ascent

The hike was by turns, exhilarating, brutalizing, and inspiring. It left us all a little hobbled and thankful we attacked it the first day we were there.

After a full lower body work-out on Day 1, Day 2 found us in the grueling Class V Rapids of Gore Canyon, guided by the extremely talented folks at Liquid Descent. I'll detail that trip later when I have the pictures to go along with it. Unfortunately, my filmed experiences were less than graceful, but our boat (Joel, Emily, James, and myself) managed to defy our guides expectations and a) keep a hold of our paddles and b) stay in the boat.

As I often do, I contracted some sinus mess while up in that dry, cool mountain air and came home with a bit of a head cold, which I have been nursing since Thursday with lots of couch time and Olympics.

This morning, watching the DVRed taping of the Women's Olympic Marathon, I couldn't help but feel excited. (Okay, so maybe it was the multiple cups of coffee in me, too.)

I wish I could say it has inspired me to want to run a full marathon. I'll leave that to James, his mother Cathy, and my sister Emily; but I do have a new goal in mind. And it will be good.