Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I even paid a large sum for this self-torture. My friend got me good! But in all seriousness, it sounded challenging and I was looking for a challenge. I definitely am telling the truth when I say I had never run before in my life. I could barely even walk/jog, as I call it, for 1 minute, let alone 13.1 miles. But since I am one of those types of people that sets their mind to the task and is always prepared, I quickly went looking for a training regimen.
Luckily, the half marathon I am running is the Disneyland Tinkerbell Half Marathon...and now you see why I signed up. Who doesn't love Disneyland? And Tinkerbell? And a cute medal? And running with wings and a tutu? Since it is organized by a very, very, very large company, wouldn't you know that they have a training schedule made by a former Olympic runner. Thank goodness!!! Saved me from having to motivate myself to run that far on my own.
It starts out slowly, having you run two 30-minute runs and then a 3-mile jog at the end of the week. Every end-of-the-week run slowly increases in length, so that by the time of the race you can run 14 miles (even though the race itself is 13.1 miles). It looks and sounds daunting, until you buck up and get yourself out there.
I already had my running shoes and they are ABSOLUTELY fabulous! I am so in love with them!
(Asics Gel Noosa)
I also had a few outfits since I already go to the gym and do yoga, so all I really needed was a really good, no, GREAT playlist and motivation. If there's one thing I cannot do without, it's music. I get into my head too much as it is, so just running at nothing for even just 5 minutes would give me ample time to talk myself out of the task.
With my music in hand and my handy dandy app, Runtastic, to record my distance, time, and speed, I hit the pavement running, pun intended.
I've been training since mid-September, so it's been about a month, month and a half, and things are going just peachy, and I mean it! While it was a little tough in the beginning, I've managed to run 7 miles (at this point in the schedule) without walking. Who knew? Can't say that I didn't know I was capable, but I wasn't absolutely positive it was possible for me.
A few things I've learned already...
1. You definitely need a training program. Whether it is provided by the race you are running or one you find on-line, through a training group, or a friend, you need a plan and a solid one at that. I feel that, especially for beginners, this plan I'm using can be used for any half marathon race, or really, any race 13.1 miles or less. It is very doable and very to-the-point. Plus, I'll trust a former Olympian runner any day of the week. Tinkerbell Half Marathon Training Program
2. Nutrition is key. In order for your body to work right (and this pretty much pertains to every day, not just when you are training for a race or something else physical), you NEED to eat the right foods. I capitalize NEED because it is absolutely necessary to give your body the right fuel to perform to its utmost capacity. I realized that when I was running, I would start to get tired halfway through. I usually run one 30-minute run in the morning and I was not eating breakfast. I know, shake your finger at me, but I was afraid that if I didn't get out there right way, I would NEVER get out there. However true for me it was, it wasn't smart. The other runs would be in the afternoon, after work of course, when EVERYONE wants to run. NOT! Plus, living in The Valley, it has an average temperature of 95 degrees around 5pm. Ugh. I was even more tired for these runs. Luckily, the Disneyland race website also provides nutritional tips, which I decided I needed to take a look at. In the end, I decided that for me, a piece of Ezekiel bread, almond butter, and a banana would give me enough fuel to complete my runs without feeling that energy deficiency. Tinkerbell Half Marathon Nutrition Program
3. Music is a necessity. A good playlist can get you going in the beginning, push you through the middle, and keep you going at the end when you just want to stop and rest. It doesn't really matter what type of music it is, as long as it motivates you and keeps you enjoying your run and focusing on completing your goal, not how hot it is outside, how your legs feel like they are going to fall off, how thirsty you are, how much farther you have to go, or how impossible the distance may seem. Obviously, motivation is going to be different for everyone. A friend of mine loves to listen to books on tape - especially Hunger Games. She says the intensity of the story fuels her energy. I get the intensity of the story, but I would find a shady spot somewhere along the way and sit to listen to the end. Others like to jog with a buddy and chat, or gossip, along the way. Again, very interesting, but not interesting enough to get me through miles and miles and miles of the same terrain. But whatever floats your boat, or more aptly, moves your feet.
4. Check in with your body AND motivate yourself mentally. During my jogs, I realized that the negative and/or lazy voice in my head was telling me that I was in pain, that my body couldn't take any more, couldn't go any further, that it was true that I wasn't a runner, like I'd told myself for over 15 years. Well, what I said to myself was SUCK IT UP AND GET OVER IT! I checked in with my body multiple times during my jogs and realized that that "pain" that I felt, which was just mild discomfort of doing an activity that my body is not used to, was then same at the very beginning of the jog, as it was in the middle of my jog, as it was at the very end of my jog. Then I would tell myself that I was okay, that it hadn't been any different in the beginning as it was in the moment, and that I didn't have that much farther to go. I'd give myself incentives as in "you can have some water once the song is over," "you can walk once the song is over," or "you can walk and have water once the song is over." Then I would push it to the next song, and then the next song, until I was done with my run. It actually works if you MAKE yourself listen to yourself.
5. Keep it steady. Although you may feel really enthused and motivated at the beginning, it is important to slightly hold yourself back a little to keep a steady pace. In my opinion, only if you are going to be running a long distance, it is more beneficial to keep a steady pace through the whole race versus going fast in the beginning just to tire yourself out for the hardest part of the whole race, the middle to the end. The end is where you really need to tap into that energy and use it to push yourself, especially if you've been running for 10 miles and you've got 3 left. It may not sound like a lot after you've completed so much, but that will most likely be the longest 3 miles of one's life, or I can pretty much guarantee it will be the longest 3 miles of mine!
For now, that's pretty much what I've learned. Oh! And I've learned that I can run 7 miles without stopping...pretty impressive if I do say so myself. This week, it's going to be 8 miles...
I've also learned that I am a runner. I can pretty much do what I set my mind to do. Some tasks or activities may take a little extra work, extra time, or extra help to figure out, but inevitably, with persistence, I can get through it. So, if you have wanted to do something that you have already told yourself you couldn't do, kick that negative thought right out of your mind and get to it! Only you are standing in your own way, so GET OUT OF THE WAY and get moving!
-It is sold out for 2014, but take a look at the website, the races, and the training programs to see if it is right for you! It never hurts to be prepared...
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