It is that time of year again. The weather is warming up and the spring marathons and half marathons are starting. Before I had William I ran 1 marathon and then lots of half marathons. I really like the half marathon distance, because I could train, but it wasn't nearly as stressful or take up as much time as training for a marathon. That 13.1 miles is such a great distance.
I haven't competed in a half marathon or even run 13.1 miles since before I was pregnant. That race as back in October of 2015. I then got pregnant and realized I was pregnant in spring of 2016. At that point in time, I did not feel well enough to run 13.1 miles for fun. It would have been torture. I didn't sign up to run any races in 2016. I continued to run and work out at the gym until the week William was born (December 23, 2016). I took 6 weeks off running completely after William was born. I started back running and even did some PT to help with my pelvic floor. Through out 2017 I didn't run competitively in any half marathon races. I did ran a couple 5Ks and other < 6 mile races at the end of 2017. Now in 2018, I made the goal to run 2 half marathons (one in the spring and one in the fall). I want to get back into competitively running, but at this point in time I don't have the time to train for a full marathon. So that half marathon distance seems like the perfect compromise.
Finding time to fit in long runs can be challenging. Thankful, William does really well in the running stroller. He has logged lots of miles in that stroller. He is a great running buddy. The timing of runs can be tough. Sometimes during the week, I just fit in 30 minutes on the treadmill at the gym before picking up William, because that is all the time I have to give to training. On the weekends is when I fit in long runs. I prefer doing my long runs outside. I will fit in a long run on either Saturday or Sunday and then try to pair a recovery run on the other day. That doesn't always happen though.
I have been trying really hard not to push myself too much. I enjoy running and it is a stress reliever. It is easy though to get caught up in the mileage and if you can't hit that distance one day you can really beat yourself up over it. There is so much that goes into me getting out and running. I have to take William with me and keep him occupied and then of course run. But I also have to try to get my work done quickly that day to fit in that run. I have been trying not to over think it or stress too much about it. It is suppose to be fun and that is important.
Training schedule - If you have run a half marathon before then you have probably tried to follow a training schedule. I really liked this article from Runner's World about training and fueling for a half marathon. I haven't followed a strict schedule to prepare for this half marathon. I have run 9 half marathons, 1 marathon and countless 5K-6 mile races. I know how often I need to run during the week (4 days a week is a magic number for me) and then I need to do at least one long run (> 6miles). Before the half marathon, I need to do at least one 10 mile run. I have also have to stretch out and try to do yoga at least 1 time per week. This all worked well prior to having a baby, so we will see how it goes post-baby. I have been running with a running stroller, so I feel like also includes some strength training in with those runs.
Having a goal and working towards accomplishing it provides such satisfaction. I know that if I put in the miles (>20 miles per week) then I can get out there on race day and do well. I will keep you all posted on things go. My race is the Geist Half Marathon on May 19th. I have never ran on this course before, I know that there are lots of hills, so it will be a challenge. But I am looking forward to it!