Run for your Life

When I think back to my childhood I remember loathing my father every Saturday morning because he forced my brother and I out of bed and made us run 3 or 4 miles.  We weren't regular runners, just Saturdays.  Oh how I HATED those runs!

My grandfather was a marathon runner and even qualified and ran in the Boston Marathon.  He died of colon cancer when I was a baby so I didn't know him but one of the legacies he left behind was his passion for running. He wrote a memoir and in it there are countless pages and stories of his races and his love for running. My brother took up running about a year ago and is currently training for his second marathon. Distance running is part of my heritage and I finally decided I want to be a part of it!

I am going to run in my first ever half marathon on October 13. That is just 10 short weeks away and I am so excited about it. Running makes me feel healthy and strong.  I love getting to the end of my planned run and feeling so accomplished and proud about doing something good for myself. My body is changing for the better and I have never had more energy.  I never thought I would say this but; I love running!

This is what I feel like when I'm running, I'm sure the actual sight is MUCH different!

I have come up with my own personal training plan for my half.  This plan was designed to help me complete a half marathon while achieving overall health and fitness, not to have the fastest race time. It includes weight training, intervals, yoga, as well as long runs. I recommend starting slow and working your way up to running 3 miles before beginning this training plan.  Start by doing a combination of running and walking for 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week.  Gradually add more running and less walking until you can run for 30 minutes straight. You can change the days around if you need to but make sure you take at least 1 FULL rest day a week. Good luck!

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Weight Training	30 min. walk/jog	25 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	3 miles	Rest
Weight Training	3 miles	30 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	4 miles	Rest
Weight Training	4 miles	30 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	5 miles	Rest
Weight Training	4 miles	30 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	6 miles	Rest
Weight Training	5 miles	30 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	7 miles	Rest
Weight Training	5 miles	35 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	8 miles	Rest
Weight Training	5 miles	35 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	9 miles	Rest
Weight Training	6 miles	35 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	10 miles	Rest
Weight Training	6 miles	35 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	11 miles	Rest
Weight Training	7 miles	35 min. running intervals	Weight Training	Yoga	12 miles	Rest
Weight Training	4 miles	30 min. running intervals		Yoga	4 miles	Rest
Weight Training	3 miles	3 miles	Yoga	Rest	RACE DAY!	20 min. walk/jog