Let’s set the stage: It’s the end of August. In the past two days the weather has changed from cool and crisp to oppressively humid. It’s only 7 am it’s already breaking 75. All around, a down right miserable day to run 13.1 miles. And a complete nightmare if it’s your first half marathon. Ever.
Enter the jogging gypsy, cardio queen, new shoes wearing, already sweating and not really caring, determined diva of the east: Me. Ready to run. Break records. Smoke the competition. and most importantly… cross the finish line.
Yadda yadda…let’s just cut to a hundred gels packs, water cups and miles later: It’s done. I’ve officially completed my first half marathon. A huge accomplishment and major check off the ol’ bucket list – excuse me while I just pat myself on the back *pat*pat*. At the end of the day, although my time wasn’t what I had hoped for, I did it and it actually felt good! That being said, it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine – it was hours of sweat, tears, stretching and prepping – but I learned SO much.
Before this summer, I never imagined that training for a race would be that much different than training for a sports season – I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life participating in competitive sports (specifically lacrosse), so really what’s the difference? A-fricken-lot. I always heard that I was fast, which to me was fast = good runner. Wrong. Well, half wrong. I was a good runner for short periods of time, but had little stamina and endurance for any run over 2 miles. So when I started my training, 4 miles was like a punch in the face. The first run was a rude reality check, this was NOT lacrosse. This was an entirely different type of run. So I researched, talked to fellow jogging junkies and found a program that worked for me and after 3 months of training these are my ten tips for training for a race.
1. Run
Yes. Believe it or not, this is important (go figure!). And believe it or not, I didn’t actually realize this until I started training. I’ve always been able to just go out and run a mile or two – regardless of how long it had been since my last run. However during training, if I skipped my 4 mile run, I felt it. My long runs were slower, my short runs were miserable and I felt like I was running through sludge. As long as I maintained a consistent running schedule, no matter how tired or unmotivated I felt, it made the next run that much easier.
2. Make a schedule
Do yourself a favor: go to Target, buy a calendar, write down your running schedule and cross off EVERY run you do. It helps to stay on track, plan your week/month and most importantly hold you accountable for your training. For my schedule, I would do 3 “short runs” during the week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and a long run on Saturday. This way I had Sunday to recover and Tuesday and Thursday were walk days. For me, my short runs were between 3-5 miles, usually starting low and slow in the week and building to longer runs near the weekend. Track to a race (or a couple spread through your training) to have something to work towards. Completing a couple 5K’s before the big race will help you feel confident and accomplished before tackling the beast.
3. Plan your long runs
Being competitive, I wanted to start with an 8 mile run and in my mind it was like: OK, I can run 5 so therefore…I can run 8. No. Just no. Don’t fall into the trap of justifying your miles – just because you can run 6 miles, doesn’t mean it is basically 10. It means it’s 6. Not 7. Not 6.5. It’s 6. Work your way up slowly because it’s a LOT of wear and tear on your body – building the muscle and stamina to run 13 miles when you’re not used to it is difficult. Accept it, acknowledge it and listen to your body, if it tells you to stop, then stop. If it tells you the run feels good, go with it. It’s 10% physical, 90% mental (at least in my opinion)
4. Be a star before you start
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. The mental game is as important as the physical preparation, if not more important! I heard somewhere that you can trick and train your subconscious mind into thinking a certain way. If you constantly tell yourself: I love to run, I love how it feels, I love the clarity it brings me – you will actually start to think that way. If you associate good feelings with running, your mind actually WANTS to run and looks forward to running (not just running, but any challenge). If you constantly tell yourself that running is miserable and terrible, your brain will begin to associate negativity with the activity and you won’t enjoy it – heck you won’t even want to do it. Stay positive, it’s your biggest hurdle and your biggest asset.
5. Train with the right equipment
Do yourself a favor and buy the follow things:
1. Running friendly headphones (I bought yurbuds and they are unbelievable). Find something that won’t fall out 3 minutes into your run and they actually stay in for the WHOLE run. Also, make sure they headphones have “next” and volume control buttons on the wires, it will make your life 10,000X easier
2. An arm band to hold your iPod/iPhone/musical device. Also helpful to buy a “belt” (which is a fancy 2014 way of saying.. a fanny pack for runners) to hold your gels and water bottles
3. Gel packs. Learn to love them, they are a life saver
4. A running watch or app that tracks your mile time
5. Good quality sneakers. More on the next bullet…
6. Find the right sneaks!!
I thought for the LONGEST time that I was a Nike girl forever, Free’s all the way. They were great shoes, don’t get me wrong, but I was buying new shoes every couple months because I was running through the foam soles. And at $100, that’s not a cheap purchase every 60 days! So I got fitted at a specialty store and found my new best friends (insert heart emoji). It was the best money ever spent and an absolute MUST if you want to go for faster, longer, better runs.
7. Stretch
I’m a huge advocate for stretching – whether you work out or not, stretching is key to a happy, healthier life. After I started getting into my longer runs (8, 9, 10 milers), my shins, knees and hips started aching… all the time. The game changer was when I went to the chiropractor, he taught me a bunch of fantastic hip flexor, groin and calf stretches. Stretching was key to my training. Also – try yoga on the down days or off days. It is an awesome way to give your body a break while keeping it moving while working through trouble areas.
8. Make a playlist
As silly as it sounds, find music you like and make a playlist! For the longest time, I would put my iPod on shuffle and just go running. About 15 minutes into my run, I would be pressing the next button like a maniac trying to find something I wanted to listen to. So I signed up for the premium Spotify and made a “running only” playlist (called light it up check it out, has a little bit of everything) – songs I ONLY listened to when I was out training. This is super important because it will keep the music fresh, fun and something to look forward to.
9. Buy clothes you want to run in
I’m not saying you need to do a complete wardrobe overhaul, but buy a few pieces you are excited to wear! I’ve noticed that whenever I go running in something cute, I want to run and run longer. I know it’s stupid, but it’s like an interview. You have to be confident, and how can you be confident if you aren’t wearing a kick ass outfit? Shallow and silly? Absolutely. True? You bet.
10. Have fun and watch your body change!!
Listen, when you get down to it, if it’s not fun and it doesn’t make you happy…stop doing it. Whether it’s running or something else, do what makes you a better you. If you’re not a runner, you’re not a runner, that’s fine! Who has time to be miserable?
If you have become a runner, congratulations and welcome to an awesome community! It unbelievable to watch your body change – whether it’s your stamina, physique or energy level – it’s truly motivating. Trust me, when I started running, I never imagined seeing 13.1miles roll across my running app, but last weekend it happened and it was an incredible feeling. I’ve noticed my body changing, I’m more in shape and I’m happier! I can only hope that training will do the same for you
Have fun – enjoy the journey – and keep at it!
D&D&D
Dine&Dash(&DIY) 