“I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days”.
(Ronald Rook)
Decided early to make my Walk into the Future about setting goals and then putting in the work to meet those goals. Very proud of my efforts so far in 2019 as I continue to cross things off my list daily. One of my ongoing 2019 goals is to run a half marathon under 2 hours. I’ve improved my best time twice this year for a total of 5 minutes faster than I ran in 2018. My best time of 2:08:21 (2 hours, 8 minutes, 21 seconds) was run at the 2019 Nashville Rock n Roll Half Marathon back in April. Very proud of this time and training used to get ready for Nashville. Again, my 2019 goal is to run under two hours, so still have work to do.
Miles, miles and more miles
Determined the best way to run faster was to increase my training program with additional miles. I had to put some thought into how this would happen considering I would be running during the summer in Florida. The heat and humidity can be unbearable just walking around so running would be an additional challenge. Set my running schedule to avoid the hottest times during the day—early morning runs allowed me to get out and back before the full heat and humidity of the day kicked in. Weekend runs started a bit earlier since I leveraged this time for my long runs. Learned quickly getting out and back before 9:30 am was ideal—anything past 9:30 am and the heat beats you up.
Logged 50+ miles in June using this training method. June also provided me with the blueprint on times to run, times to avoid and how to hydrate properly to pull this process off successfully. Increased my training miles in July to 70+ by running two weekday runs of 5 – 6 miles each and then having a long run of 8 – 10 miles on the weekends. Also, started carrying a hydration belt with Gatorade and water so I could replenish fluids while out for my run. Hydration belts are not the coolest looking accessory, but it is very functional when you need something to drink miles away from water.
I extended my training program and physical capabilities in August with a 100+ mile month. My two weekday runs were extended up to 8 miles each and my weekend runs extended up to 11 – 12 miles. My longest August training run was 12.65 miles. Long runs were done to get the miles in, didn’t try to hit race pace since I wanted to build up my running base without trying to hit a specific time. Ironically, my long run times were still better than some half marathons I ran a few years ago. Looks like I’m getting faster just by adding long runs to my training program.
Note: I still made it to the gym for my normal workouts and extra cardio. Running was the priority for run days, but I didn’t eliminate weight training, yoga or stretching sessions.
September is my taper month as I refresh my legs for the Philadelphia Rock N Roll Half Marathon on 9/15/19. I logged 20 running miles in September to complete my training program prior to heading off to Philly. This allowed me to mentally and physically get ready to run my best in Philly.
The best part of being this close to a race is I get to carb load—all the pasta and bread I want! 😊 This will help my energy levels during the race and keep me moving fast.
(Leg day on the Pit Shark)
Lessons learned
Mixed in hills, intervals and long runs into my training program prior to Philly. Felt I needed to incorporate more hills and intervals after my Nashville race. Believe these added programs will give me the endurance, speed and mental toughness needed to get under two hours in Philly. We will see! If not, the next race is 10/26/19 in Boston, Georgia.
You can follow my Philly progress using the Rock N Roll app:
Off to Philly and looking forward to my cheese steaks after the race and sightseeing in a new city!
How are you doing with your 2019 goals? What adjustments are needed to ensure you meet your written goals? Thanks!
“A goal is just an awesome way to force growth on yourself”.
(Deena Kastor)
Walk Into the Future 