Week 1 of 10 Weeks to a Half Marathon

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Every week between now and early May, I will be charting my progress as I train for my next half marathon in Pittsburgh. I'll post everything about my training from the actual distances to what I wear to how I stay hydrated, nourished and entertained while running.

I'm following a training plan that I found years ago in Runner's World magazine. The training plan is just 4 runs a week, which is very doable with my work/spouse/parent schedule.

Along with completing my fourth half marathon in May, I gave myself a goal of running the distance in less than 2 hours. My best time to date is 2:03, so breaking the 2 hour mark will take some training and I've been a bit of a slacker all winter. I am not a good treadmill runner and it's been a cold and rainy winter. I've enjoyed the break, but I'm also ready to get my tail outside on the asphalt.

This past week marked the first week of my 10 week training and quite honestly, I'm off to a slow start. I only laced up my kicks 3 times. In order to get all 4 runs in during the week, I'll need to get back into my 6 AM running routine at least 3 days during the week and leave my long run for the weekend. This works well with my husband's schedule, since he doesn't leave for work those mornings until 8. I'm usually back by 7, just in time for the kids' wake up call to get ready for school.

My Week 1 Workouts

• Tuesday: 3 miles on the treadmill
• Friday: 1 hour of yoga at the Y. The teacher focused on stretching most of the hour which helps my tight hamstrings.
• Saturday: 3 miles outside at an easy pace. It was a chilly, but thankfully sunny afternoon.
• Sunday: 5 miles outside at an easy pace. A chilly, cloudy day, but I felt good during the run.

I kept to a 10 minute pace for all three runs. I'll need to increase my pace as I work through the next 9 weeks, but for my first week, I'm just trying to get my running legs back after my winter break.

My Training Plan for upcoming week 2:

• Monday: 3 mile run, easy pace
• Wednesday: 4 mile run, easy pace
• Thursday: 3 mile run, easy pace
• Friday: 1 hour of yoga at the Y
• Saturday: 5 mile run, run at conversational pace

Read more about My Road to Half Marathons.

A note about my training plan: The half marathon training plan that I follow is designed for beginners. Although, it is advised that you do not start using the 10 week training plan until you are able to run 6 miles. If you are new to running, start by training for a 5k. There is plenty of information online to help you with 5k training.

Are you a runner? Are you training for a race? Let us know in the comments.

This post is linked to Motivation Monday at A Life in Balance.

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