Tag: jogging

Check out my “Races” Page

Leave a comment

Hello, all!  As I mentioned the other day, I have added a “Races” page with all of the races I’m planning to participate in this year.  Take a look, and if you’re planning to be at one or more of them, get in touch!  Let’s run together!

In other news, the Half Marathon I originally wanted to do, The Charlotte Covered Bridges Half, is scheduled for the same day as the Color Run.  Whomp whomp.  Since it would be completely beyond me  to do both (physically as well as logistically), I have decided that I’d rather do the Color Run that day since it’s such a fun event, and I was planning to get a team together.  This just means I have to find another half to officially sign up for.  If you look at the Races page, you’ll see I’m looking at 2 in October.  At this point, they’re pretty evenly matched regarding which one I might pick.  Only time will tell.

How do you decide which races to sign up for?

Getting it Done

Leave a comment

Last night I made it all the way to the gym only to discover that I’d forgotten my running shoes.  I yelled a few choice curses and got back in the car to head home.  On the way, I had an epic back and forth between Lazy Rachel and Motivated Rachel.  It went something like this:

Lazy Rachel:  See?  This is a sign.  Just give this whole thing up and go home.

Motivated Rachel:  No!  This is a test!  You’ve just got to go home, get your shoes, and go back and get on that treadmill!

LR:  Seriously?  Drive all the way home across town and all the way back?  Are you nuts?

MR:  You can do this!  You have to!

LR:  F%$#!  This is so stupid!  I don’t wanna!  I’m hungry!  I’m tired!  Let’s just stay home and go another day.

MR:  Don’t be a lazy a$$!!  You HAVE TO DO THIS!  Don’t be lame and give up your first week of training!

And so on.  At any rate, I’m pleased to report that Motivated Rachel won, and I went back to the gym and ran a slow, but steady and free, three miles.  It actually felt wonderful.  I haven’t been running with any regularity for months, so to be able to bust out 3 miles like that felt so good!  I am so proud of myself for going back even though I REALLY didn’t want to.

For those of you who know me, you know that I get “hangry” or “hungry angry.”  Just ask my poor, sweet boyfriend, who usually bears the brunt of my “h-anger.”

Me all the time

So the fact that I got back to the gym with my shoes around the time I was planning to leave, and was consequently REALLY hungry the whole time I was at the gym but still managed to do my run, is a complete miracle.

How do you stay motivated on a tough day?

The Plan

1 Comment

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I found a training program on Pinterest that looked pretty good, but I needed to alter it a bit because I don’t want to run 6 days a week, and I also really like to get lifting time in at the gym with my boyfriend.  Therefore, I added in another rest day and another cross-training day, leaving me with 2 cross-training days, 2 rest days, and 3 running days per week.  I think this will work for me right now because the half is REALLY far away (either September or November, depending on which one I pick).  As I get closer to the actual race, I can add in more running days as needed, but with at least 6 months to train, this should do:

Half-Marathon Training

Please keep in mind, I am not a trainer or doctor, so I can’t vouch for the safety or efficacy of this training program–this is just what I plan to do.  I would consider myself a novice runner, since I have completed a few 5ks and used to run regularly.  If you are a beginner, you may want to start with a Couch-to-5k or Couch-to-10k program to ease into it.  When I started running, I used Couch-to-5k and it was great!

Also, I’m planning to add a “Races” page with all of the 5ks, 10ks and half-marathons that I plan to participate in this year.  If any of you are in VT and looking for a running buddy or plan to be at one of these events, let me know!

Half Crazy

3 Comments

I’m sure you’ve seen those t-shirts and bumper stickers floating around Pinterest–“I’m only half crazy–13.1.”  Well, I guess I’m half crazy, because I’ve decided that I’m going to run a half marathon in the fall.

Why? you may ask.  Good question.  And the best answer I have is:  Just to prove to myself I can.  Willpower has never been my strong suit.  I know my body is capable of running 13.1 miles, but my brain is a quitter.  I get to mile 4 and I get bored or tired and give up.  I need to push myself out of my comfort zone and do something I can be really proud of.

And of course, there’s the body-image thing, which I know pretty much everybody is tired of talking about.  Suffice to say, I’ve gained some weight since we moved back to VT in August, and I’m feeling down.  My pants don’t fit.  My bras don’t fit.  It’s not cool.  Having a concrete training goal will help me to stay focused in my fitness endeavor, and also most likely help me eat better, because if I don’t fuel properly for workouts, I won’t be able to complete them.

I found this Half Marathon Training Program on Pinterest, and I think it will work pretty well, although I’m going to add in a few more rest days.  I think running 6 days a week is pretty insane, even if you are training for a big race.  Also, I plan to give myself PLENTY of time before actually doing a race.  I’m looking at the Charlotte Covered Bridges Half Marathon in early September.  Since the training program is 10 weeks long, I may actually do it twice, just to stay committed and stay in shape.  Once I make some tweaks to the training schedule, I’ll post it here.  I’ll also be giving periodic workout updates and info on running gear, tips and food.  Giddy-up!