Trying to Get Back on Track!

Well....after a week of bad weather, feeling sick, and rain (and broken treadmill), I feel so far behind! But, I went home this weekend and got some new shoes (!) and some tips from my brother.

So first, my new kicks are: Nike Dart IV Plus. I tested them out today on my run and they are super light and comfortable. They were only $40!

Second, tips from my brother, who is a seasoned runner. He runs races and does duathalons too. I asked him if he had any advice for training for a half-marathon, and he basically gave me a coaching session.

• Base training - running for time rather than distance. Apparently I've been doing it all wrong! You need to get your body used to having an elevated heart rate for long periods of time first. So, my goal is to run the marathon in 10-min miles, which turns out to be a little over 2 hours. So, I need to get my body used to running for 2 miles before I speed up. He suggests that I start at 30 min, and add 5 minutes at a time.
• Also, during base training, run very slowly and easy. Once you have finished base-training, you can begin speeding up your pace.
• Run at least 3 days every week, but make sure to rest 2 days every week too.
• After a long run, rest!
• Make sure your shoes are ship-shape, and if they aren't, replace them.
• If you suspect something is starting to get sore, take it easy! An injury is a huge setback.

So thats what I learned from him! Today I just ran slowly around the circle, and then ended up running some MORE when the spare key Claire gave turned out to not be for our door. Luckily her eye-dr appointment was only like 0.5 mile away from our apartment so it was no big deal!

Love,

Emme