10 week half marathon training schedule +2

"This beginner half marathon training program assumes you have been running
consistently for at least 4-6 weeks and can run for at least thirty minutes without stopping before beginning the program. Do not run more than two consecutive days when
following this schedule." - MarathonRookie.com

10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule
Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total
1 3 Rest 3 3 Rest 4 Rest 13
2 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 5 Rest 15
3 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 6 Rest 16
4 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 8 Rest 19
5 3 Rest 5 3 Rest 10 Rest 21
6 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 11 Rest 24
7 4 Rest 6 4 Rest 12 Rest 26
8 4 Rest 5 4 Rest 9 Rest 22
9 3 Rest 4 3 Rest 8 Rest 18
10 3 Rest 3 Walk 2 Rest 13.1 Rest 21.1

Once again, I am following the 10 week training schedule as outlined by Brad Boughman on his marathon rookie website www.marathonrookie.com.

Prior to the Seattle Big Climb event, I had been running weekly increasing the # of running days to 3 and reached 6 and 6.5 miles. Unfortunately, I was foolish in rushing the longer runs and did not stretch out adequately afterward (and did so 2 days in a row!). As a result, I have subcome to a nagging glute muscle injury which keeps getting aggravated during/after each run, even following days to a week off from running. To remedy it in between runs, I have been religiously massaging the glute muscle/hip using the foam rollers at the gym and doing long 30 second stretches of the muscle.

For the most part, I either run on a trail with mileage markers or have a general idea of the distance I am running based on time. Last Saturday I ran on a new trail in Oregon which claimed to be 2 miles in length one way. I finished the 4 miles in under 40 minutes and was skeptical of the length so I ran further down the other side of the trail to total 50 minutes.

When I am uncertain of the exact mileage, I estimate a 10 minute per mile pace and run 10 minutes for every mile according to the schedule. Yes, it is possible that I am running greater mileage per run (especially on paved runs) but that is great come event day! As I discovered last spring, my race pace resulted in a better time than I had anticipated in practice (I mostly train on gravel paths).

This reminds me about a lesson I learned of achieving efficiency. I recall learning to become a scuba diver in the frigid water of Lake Superior in fall 1991. The air and water temps were so cold that we had to pour hot water from 2 liter bottles down our neoprene wetsuits to keep warm between dives. At times I could not feel my feet or my hands. Within a few minutes of dipping my hands into the hot water, they tingled and ached as if being pelted by a million needles. "What on Earth am I doing here?" I wondered.

Sensing our discomfort, our dive instructor touted that learning to become proficient at cold water diving makes you a better diver overall. In essence, it was our training so that later on we can have a more pleasant experience. And I have to say he was right! Following 10 years of cold water diving, I finally was introduced to warm water diving while on our honeymoon in central America. Coming from an environmental requiring lots of exposure gear and technical skill, warm water diving is like diving naked (in a good way)! We enjoyed 28 dives during our stay and this past August we savored 30 dives within 11 day stay in Cozumel.

I must tell you that due to the complications of NF2, diving in cold water is not as easy for me anymore and I am not as skilled. In fact, with the problems centered around my balance and the brainstem compression, I had to take 4 and a half years off of diving. When I started again and transferred from the pool to the real environment, it was MUCH more challenging sometimes resulting in tears and anguish with questions of whether I could dive in the NW anymore.

But........we kept at it and viewed our coldwater diving as "training" so that we could be prepared and enjoy ourselves on warm water vacations. I now consider myself a "handicapped diver". Yet, when we stepped into that clear blue warm water, I felt very comfortable and back in my niche.

So back to my training.....running a little further or on terrain more difficult helps to make the paved 13.1 miles of the half marathon a go a little smoother. That is why often training recommends a "tempo run" day where you run up and down hills to build your endurance. Earlier in the year I had started doing that but have held off since the glute injury as running up hills can make the injury worse. Plus, I engage in elevation hiking at least once a week.

What is the +2? I consider that my buffer zone. I like to allow a couple extra weeks to either ease more slowly into the training depending on how I feel OR reserve those extra weeks for recovery time in case of injury (which I did need to use last year due to an IT band problem).

So that's the plan. I have been keeping up in my second week of training with a 35 minute run Monday, 40 minute run Wednesday, 3-3.5 mile run Thursday, and today I am due for a 5 miler.

Happy Training! :D