Goal Setting for My First Half Marathon

Since I have officially completed my first goal (my first 5K), I am now ready to set goals to achieve my ultimate goal this year - my first half marathon (Sea Wheeze). I was so happy about completing my first goal that I forgot about my second and as a result, this past week has suffered with regard to picking up training. I did run my farthest yet - 4.06 miles (woohoo!) but I only ran two days last week and that's not really going to cut when it comes to training for a half. So I need to pick up training and add some speed workouts as well as training sessions at the gym.

Coming up with a schedule isn't as easy as it sounds because I have to figure out what Little Beast is going to be doing. He's been so good lately that I honestly think I should change his nickname to Little Angel. Then again, I'm sure his beastiness will come out soon enough and he will be back to Little Beast. I just love my little man. Sorry, Mommy Renita took over, let's go back to Training Renita.

So as I mentioned it's tougher to come up with a schedule because I need to plan around Hubby and Little Beast. This is why I sometimes wish I had discovered my love of running at an earlier age. Had I started running in my 20's, I would have no issues coming up with a training plan and sticking through it. I probably could have run a marathon! Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda but Didn't. Back to Today.

My run days will now be Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I plan to run 3-4 miles Wednesday and Friday and then have my long run on Sunday (which is currently at 4 miles). As the distance of my long run increases, I may add a mile to my short runs but I am going to plateau at 5 mile short runs. Once the weather gets warmer, I will substitute one of my run days for speed work. The plan will adjust as I build endurance.

I have also decided on getting a trainer. This is partly influenced by Hubby (and the fact that my job pays for half of it!) but I think it will be really good for me. I need to improve my stride and speed and stronger muscles will help me do so. I have to admit the fact that summer is coming and that I would love to wear a bikini also play a role in my decision. I will work with a trainer twice a week for 3 months so look out for posts on how awful my sessions are. I'm a baby when it comes to people pushing me so it will definitely be tough!

If you have any advice on training for a half marathon or training for a race, post a comment and let me know! I would love to hear from seasoned runners on their training plans and focus before a big race.

Until my Wednesday run,
Renita

Lamaze for Running

Yesterday I ran my farthest yet! 3.65 miles in roughly 36 minutes. The first two miles, I was averaging a 9:20 min/mile pace but slowed down after I started getting tired. This is a change for me because usually I stop when I'm tired. Instead, yesterday I focused on breathing. I was so focused on my breath that I kept running and stopped when I thought I did enough. Surprisingly, I could have kept going!

So what did I do? I breathed in through my nose for a count of 3 (or 3 strides) and breathed out through my mouth for a count of 3. When you're tired, breathing in through your nose for that long is tough but if you really focus on doing it, it will make you run longer. I read this first on someone's blog - sorry I can't remember who - I follow a lot of blogs! And then a couple of my facebook friends suggested it as well. Today when I was thinking about how far my long run will be this weekend, I thought of my breathing technique yesterday and remembered that's exactly what I learned in Lamaze! I clearly remember our instructor's "relaxed" face during the breathing - it still cracks me up! I never got a chance to use my lamaze breathing since I had a C section but it's good to know that the  money spent on the class wasn't wasted. I'm using Lamaze for running!

So next time you find yourself exhausted on your long run, try to focus on your breath and see where it takes you. I'm confident I will use my lamaze breathing this weekend on my long run (hoping for 4 miles).

Are there are other breathing technique you use during your runs? What about techniques in general? Do you have any that you reserve for races?

Until my 4-miler,
Renita

My First 5K

On Sunday I ran my first official 5K. I woke up feeling nervous and excited. I got up extra early so I could have a couple coffees and have time to drop Little Beast to my parents since it was a frigid 30 degrees out! The time on the race website said 8:45 for the 5K so I figured we should get there by 8:15. What I didn't realize was that the race actually started at 9:45! Hubby and I were standing in the cold for a long time! I am especially thankful for how supportive he was. Not only did he help me warm up (which I have to admit, I'm not very good at), but he also put the chip on my sneaker and put my bib on. I don't know what I would do without him. I was so nervous, I could barely do anything!

Smiling before the race

After a LONG time, the race was about to begin. I stood towards the back so I could work on my pace. I usually run with an arm band and my Nike app on but this time I decided to go "naked". I didn't want to distract others with the Nike app. I started off slow and picked up my pace around 1 mile. By 2 miles, I was tired but knew I would make it to the end. When I saw the 1/2 mile left sign, I picked up my pace again. I assumed I would finish in around 28 minutes but my final time was 30:44.

Smiling as I'm finishing

Woohoo! I ran my first 5K!

When I finished, hubby ran towards me screaming and lifted my arm up. I am very lucky to have such a supportive husband. The poor man had to stand outside in the cold for an hour and a half before the race and then a half hour while I ran the race and he was still smiling! Thank you Michael, you're the best husband ever!

As far as my feelings post race, I was happy I ran the entire time. I lost a lot of training time because I was sick the entire month of February. I only had the chance to run 4 times before the race and the farthest I ran was 2.34 miles. So yes, I was happy I ran the entire 3.1. However, I can't say I wasn't disappointed that I didn't come in under 30 minutes. When I was actively training, I ran 3.18 miles in 29:56 (or something close to that) and I guess part of me assumed I would do the same during the race. I do know that I took it easy and just had fun with it. Overall, I think I have a good baseline time and am looking forward to improving it on my next 5K. There will definitely be plenty more! Another factor that threw me off were the hills on the course. I don't usually train on hills, I run around my house and it's mostly flat.

My overall race stats:
 - 101 out of 190
 - 14 out of 31 for my age group (30-39)

Right now, my goals are to work on my speed and train on hills. I would love to run my next 5K in 28 minutes or under. Hubby has decided to do the next one with me and we are thinking about running the Hair of the Dog 5K at Silver Decoy Winery.

I'm happy I have one 5K under my belt and am looking forward to many more. This summer I will also run at least one 10K prior to my half marathon in August. That's a lot of goals for the year but I'm determined.

Until my next run,
Renita