Half Marathon Archive

Good news: One of the guys who is planning on running this with me found a training program for Half Marathons.

Bad news: It’s a 12 week program which means technically I don’t have to start training until December 27th.

Chalk one up for procrastination!

I am still going to run as often as I can since I do really need to be in shape.  I mean, the program is for beginners, but I still need to add a mile to my run at the end of each week for 12 weeks.  If I can get a jump start I think I would be better off.

This morning started off different.  I had decided that I was going to run outside again, but that I was going to go to Van Cortlandt Park and use the track.  Little did I know that there are zero lights at the park, so running at 5:30 was not an option… unless I wanted to get mugged.  So, back to the gym and on the treadmill.

Changed things up a little this morning.  I ran for 30 minutes and I will see if I can improve my distance within the 30 minute time frame.  I figured this was a little better than running miles and trying to add distance that way.  The new way I run for the whole 30 minutes whereas before I was stopping at 23ish.  I almost broke the 11 minute mile so that made me happy.

Day -137

Woke up at 5:00am

Gym at 5:50am

Ran 2.72 miles in 30.00 min for a average mile of 11.01.

Time to go: [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 20,  2011, 6:35 am est”]

Click Here for My Training Log

Today I ran outside for the first time since starting to train for the Half Marathon.  I figured I should get used to the cold, since the bulk of my training will be done in winter.  It wasn’t so bad.  You start out really cold, but then you warm up and the cold air feels good.  It’s almost like running in air conditioning.  Of course, when you stop, it’s awful again.  You’re all sweaty and then its cold and you just feel terrible.  I think I am going to start running straight into my building rather than stopping down the block and walking to my building to “cool down.”

The run felt really good.  I ran 2.75 miles and probably could have run more if I timed it better.  I needed to get back inside.  In the future I will have to get up and out a little earlier.  Maybe tomorrow.

Day -142

Woke up at 5:20am

Outside at 5:50am

Ran 2.76 miles in 32.50 min for a average mile of 11.53.

Time to go: [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 20,  2011, 6:35 am est”]

Click Here for My Training Log

Stayed up late to watch Giants/Cowboys on MNF.  Then Jack woke up from a post nasal drip cough.  Then he was up throughout the night.  Probably got less than 2 total hours sleep.  I was up at about 4:30 and when I didn’t go back to sleep by 5:30, decided to go to the gym and run.

It was kind of hard.  Maybe from not running in 3 days.  Maybe from no sleep.  Maybe because it was really hot in the gym.  Whatever the reason, it hurt.  I still had a good time, but I just felt terrible the whole run.

Day -145

Woke up at 4:30am

Gym at 6:00am

Ran 2 miles in 23.32 min for a average mile of 11.46.

Time to go: [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 20,  2011, 6:35 am est”]

Click Here for My Training Log

Today was a good run.  It didn’t start out good… but after the first mile, things started to feel okay.  I thought I was going to have to stop.  I had a headache and my body was just not feeling it.  But I soldiered on, and eventually felt better.

I ran the first mile at 5mph, the second mile at 5.5mph, then a 1/4 mile at 5mph and the last 1/4 mile at 6mph. 6mph is my goal.  That is a 10 minute mile.

Day -149

Woke up at 5:40am

Gym at 6:00am

Ran 2.5 miles in 28.30 min for a average mile of 11.24.

Time to go: [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 20,  2011, 6:35 am est”]

Click Here for My Training Log

The night before I slept for 10 hours and didn’t wake up for my alarm.  Jen had to wake me on her way out the door to work.  Last night I slept for 5 hours an was able to get up and run.  My body is freaking out right now!

On the plus side I realized I have been miscounting my time.  When I was running outside I would start the running app on my phone and go.  At the gym I start the treadmill really slow and then just walk on it while I set up my headphones, water, phone, and then start running.  So all this time I have been about a minute off with my total time because I have been including my setup walking.

Today I set up in a minute and only walked .1 miles, so I just ran to 2.1 miles and subtracted a minute off the total.  My new time was MUCH better.  More like what I was running over the summer.  It also helped that I didn’t use the incline.

Day -150

Woke up at 5:40am

Gym at 6:00am

Ran 2 miles in 23.45 min for a average mile of 11.52.

Time to go: [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 20,  2011, 6:35 am est”]

Click Here for My Training Log

I couldn’t sleep last night.  Finally I got to sleep and I dreamed that Don Draper mugged me at the new Yankee Stadium Metro North train station.  He only took my wallet because he didn’t know what my phone or iPod was. When my alarm went off this morning I hit snooze 3 times.  At 5:45 I was about to cave, but I forced myself out of bed.  A quick run around to get ready and I was at the gym at 6:00.

It wasn’t the best run, but it wasn’t the worst either.  I put the incline on 1 and ran the last half mile at 5.5mph.  In the past I had been running the last quarter mile at 5.5mph.  I’d consider that a win except that I ran the first mile at 4.5mph instead of my normal 4.8 – 5mph so the end results were exactly the same.

Day -152

Woke up at 5:45am

Gym at 6:00am

Ran 2 miles in 25.15 min for a average mile of 12.37.

Time to go: [fergcorp_cdt_single date=”March 20,  2011, 6:35 am est”]

Click Here for My Training Log