Run The Rock: Time to Train

When my friend Charlie asked me if I would like to run the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon in December I couldn’t imagine saying no. I have always enjoyed running, even the days that I barely forced myself to put running shoes on I took them off feeling invigorated. A half marathon would be a great reason to start training again, and with fourteen weeks to train I would have plenty of time for a good program. So I had him sign me up and began searching the internet for a suitable training schedule.

After just two weeks of procrastination, as I began to fear that I might not finish the race and receive my 13.1 sticker, I began training on September 12th. Having spent hours over two weeks trying to decide on the best way to train and how to schedule my runs, two minutes is all that it took to find a basic training program online.

The first day I worked a double, leaving me only a little bit of time in the evening for a workout. Luckily it was scheduled as a cross training day, which I used as an opportunity for some weight training. Cross training, in my opinion is any non-running workout that will raise my heart rate for an extended period of time. That day I chose to do 45 minutes of circuit training, including jump rope, snatch,  bench press, and jump squats followed by a minute of rest, and repeat. The rest of my week was filled with running which you can view at www.mapmyfitness.com/profile/JLAdney/.

After the first week I am a bit disappointed with my pace and the amount of fatigue that I am feeling in my calves. I think this soreness in my calves is due to my decision to train and race in my Vibram Five Fingers. My expectation is that after another week my legs will be better adjusted and I will comfortably up my distance. Over the next few weeks my training will focus on rebuilding my endurance and starting to find a comfortable pace for higher mileage runs. My current goal is to finish in under 2 hours and 15 minutes, which allows for a 10 minute mile pace.

I need to find a comfortable and sturdy arm band that will hold my phone while on runs, what brand would you suggest?