Running/Fitness – Page 2 – From Wyoming, with love

10 Week Half Marathon Training Plan + Free Pace Calculator!

April 19, 2015 6 Comments

I’ve mentioned that we are training for a half marathon coming up in June, and our official 10 week training started 2 weeks ago now. Where does the time go?? I’ve also promised to share said training plan and my training pace calculator, so here it is!

If you’re looking for a training plan and want to know if this one could be right for you, here is why I love it:

a. It works well for someone that has at least some experience with running. First and foremost, if you are brand new to running, this plan is probably not for you. It’s not a couch to half marathon program, and it does not allow for many easy “just go out and jog a couple miles” days. However, if you have some experience running and are looking to complete your first half, or you are a seasoned runner trying to improve your time, this plan may be perfect.

b. You only have to run 3 times per week. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t fathom running 5 to 7 days a week like I used to in high school and college. It’s either that I work too many hours, that I’m slightly lazy and enjoy my free time/sleep too much, or all of the above. Being an adult is hard work.

Running/Fitness

March Running Recap & April Goals

April 7, 2015 7 Comments

Hey! We are officially back in action, after a minor hiatus from running. We had a couple of distractions which quickly led to a 2 week break from our running schedule. It’s amazing how fast training can get away from you. You think you’re just taking a couple of days off, or something interrupts your groove, and WHAM! Next thing you know, it’s several weeks later and you’ve been sitting around like a bum. I once tried P90X. Made it just past 30 days, was feeling pretty good, and then went on a week long trip to Cancun with my sister. And that was that. The extent of my days with Tony.

Anyway, this time we had a bit of an excuse, with Jesse’s foot being out of commission for a week – we weren’t sure at first if he had a sprain, or worse. (Ok Jesse had an excuse… I took a sympathy break). The good news is,

Running/Fitness

Sharin’ O’ the Green 5K and St Patty’s Shenanigans

March 21, 2015 No Comments

So I’m about a week behind, but I’m finally here for a recap of the race we ran last Saturday. This was our 4th Sharin’ O’ the Green, and it has become quite the St. Patty’s Day tradition. We lucked out yet again with the weather. It was around 34 degrees prior to the start (cold right?) but actually turned out to be perfect race weather. There was no wind, which is huge, and the sun was out. Two ingredients for success in the weather department around here. I think it was right around 40 degrees during the actual run. We were Reagan-free this time, which is a bummer because there were so many cute dogs, and I feel bad leaving her at home. But it was in her best interest, she had been limping last week so I didn’t want her to hurt herself. And she will never quit.

Anyway, I was hoping to improve on my time from the same race last year, and also to run a faster pace than I did at the Valentine’s race.

Running/Fitness

March Running Goals + Why the 10% “Rule” is Toilet Paper

February 27, 2015 2 Comments

One of the things we’ve got lined up for this summer is the Sandhills Half Marathon. I have a 10 week Half Marathon training plan that I’ve modified for myself and used for all three of my previous halves, and it’s been perfect for getting into race shape. However, it’s nearly impossible for me to use the 10 week plan effectively if I don’t build up a decent running base well in advance of starting the 10 weeks. I tried basically starting from scratch the first time I signed up for a half, and probably only trained for 12 weeks total. While I did run a decent race and was happy with my finish, I literally had trouble walking for a couple of days after. So for the past couple of years, I have worked on getting into a training habit much earlier once I have a race in mind. (While it is always my intent to keep running after the big race, I have failed miserably every year and end up taking at least a few months off). So I’m usually starting over. Maybe THIS year will be my year?

Now that we’ve been running fairly consistently for two months, I think it’s time to set some goals. First, here’s a recap of my progress so far:

Running/Fitness

Sweetheart Classic V-Day Race

February 16, 2015 No Comments

Our first race of the year is officially in the books. Saturday, Valentine’s Day morning, we got our butts out of bed bright and early and headed down to Loveland, CO for the Sweetheart Classic 4 mile run. The race didn’t start until 9:00 a.m., which is actually fairly late for a typical fun run. The weather was just about perfect, about 43° F at the start (felt chilly, but nothing compared to last year when it was maybe low 20s). No wind, and no ice on the ground! Can’t ask for much better in February.

This is a pretty laid-back event, and it seemed like there was a bigger turnout than last year (results say 455 participants). It is put on by the Loveland Road Runners, and raises funds for the local High School cross country team. The course is nice, running through a couple of neighborhoods and around Lake Loveland. I think the size of the lake probably dictates the 4 mile distance, rather than it being a typical 5k.