In January, like many years before, I listed off some some what random and scary resolutions — the scariest?
Run a half marathon.
I’m not a runner. I enjoy walk/running short distances for cardio. The farthest I’ve ever gone is four miles (a lot less than the 13.1 that is a half!). I come from a family of runners though, in fact my mom has completed the Iron Man three times. An Iron Man is a triathlon that is 140.6 miles!! Crazy I know
Anyway, I have officially signed up for the St. Jude Half Marathon this December!! I’ll be talking more about why I’ve chosen this race and more later. Today I’m here to introduce you to my training journey and invite you to join.
My mom, Leslie, offers training as her career in Memphis and I’m so lucky to have her in my back pocket for any training I may need. I thought it would be fun to share this journey with you too! Even if you’re not looking to train for a half marathon, this plan is an excellent way to become a runner.
We’re going to start out with a walk/run combo. Not only is this less intimidating, it’s actually how my mom began running many years ago. The scheduled timing of the walk and the runs help build your endurance and keep you pushing through your tired moments to make you stronger.
SO are you ready?! Every two weeks, I will post the upcoming two weeks training schedule, you’ll receive it a week before so you have time to map everything out. In addition to the actual training schedule, my mom will be sharing tips on fitness, nutrition and more. We will also be doing some Instagram Lives with my mom to answer any questions y’all have.
I’m so excited for this adventure together!
Week One & Two — all runs easy and building base
Day One // Run long – 4 miles aprox. 40-50 minutes. Run 3 minutes/walk 1 minutes for duration. Use a watch and keep it consistent
Day Two // Off
Day Three // Run 3 miles – Aprox 30 – 40 minutes – same as above walk/run times as above
Day Four // Cross train – Go to barre, bike, swim, elliptical, etc. Equal to 60 minutes.
Day Five // Run 3 miles – Same walk/run times as above
Day Six // Run 3 miles same walk/run times as above
Day Seven // Cross train – Go to barre, bike, swim, elliptical, etc. Equal to 60 minutes.
Day Eight // Run long – 4 miles Aprox 40-50 minutes Run 4 minutes/Walk 1 for the duration
Day Nine // OFF Day!
Day Ten // Run 3 miles – Run 4 minutes/Walk 1 for the duration
Day Eleven // Cross train – Work out equal to 60 minutes (aerobic or strength)
Day Twelve // Run 3 miles – Run 4 minutes/Walk 1 for the duration
Day Thirteen // Run 3 miles as above – Run 4 minutes/Walk 1 for the duration
Day Fourteen // Cross train – Work out equal to 60 minutes (aerobic or strength)
A few tips from Leslie:
- Decide what is the best time for you to train. Are you a morning person, afternoon, or night? Most people prefer and perform better at a particular time of day.
- Look at your calendar every Sunday evening. Note all activities that you have the upcoming week. ( work meetings, lunch with friends, kid activities, etc). SCHEDULE YOUR WORK OUTS ON YOUR CALENDAR. Put them in on date and time and then TREAT THEM JUST AS IMPORTANTLY AS A WORK MEETING THAT YOU CAN NOT MISS
- It will take about 2 weeks to develop a habit. Once you start following this plan regularly, it will become second nature to you. Just another part of your day such as waking up and brushing your teeth.
- On days when you feel like skipping your work out – make a deal with yourself and just start or say I will cut the work out in half. Most of the time, starting is the hardest part and once you get going, you will complete the workout
- Find a friend to train with you, meet each other for runs, keep each other accountable. This makes it more fun but will also help you stay on track.
- Remember your final goal. If you want to be successful at a race, lose weight, etc. You have to put in the work to see the results.
- If you have questions about training, fueling, equipment – don’t be afraid to seek out and ask someone who is trained in this field. Most people love to help beginners.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate is key when running and starting a program. Before, during, and after. In summer heat – you need about half your body weight in ounces of water a day. Monitor your urine, it should be the color of light yellow to clear
- On short morning work-outs, you can go without eating before but have a small protein snack after within the first 30 minutes. Egg white with toast, chocolate almond milk, protein bar, greek yogurt all good choices. Any work an hour or more you will want to eat something small before the work out. ( toast with peanut butter and half of banana, half of bagel, oatmeal, etc)
- Any work out over an hour, you will need to take in nutrition during the work out. Gu is my favorite. Training is the time to figure out what works best for you. You never want to try something new on race day!
- NEVER TRY SOMETHING NEW ON RACE DAY. Eat the same breakfast you always eat before your long runs, take the same gus, drink the same things. Do not wear new shoes, sports bra, shorts, etc
- Stretch and foam roll! They will be your friend.
I’ll be back next week for the next two weeks of training and then after that we will be on track for every two weeks! I use the app ‘Simple Interval Timer’ to time my run/walk periods and it’s so, so helpful!! Be sure to follow along on Instagram and comment any questions you have!! My mama will be in town this week and we’re going to do an Instagram Live to talk about everything/answer questions/say hi! To make sure you never miss a week, click here to subscribe to Yes, Please in your Inbox — no spam or obsessive emails I swear!
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