In the past week, I have learned that even in nasty weather, I'm going to have to run outside if I'm going to train well for the Georgia half marathon. Last wednesday, the only day that it wasn't raining last week, I chickened out because of wind.
I read an article on runner's world about running when the mercury drops. One tip was that even if it's ridiculous weather (cold and/or rainy), make yourself go outside for at least 5 minutes, and if it's terrible, you can turn around and go back inside. I've been blessed to have amazing sunny 50+ degree sunday afternoons for long runs. I hope and pray that this trend continues...and also for sunny 50+ degrees on race day. That'd be fantastic.
Another note is that during this training, I'm learning to push myself again. My time goal for this half marathon (13.1 miles) is 2h15m. My last time was 2h21m. If I can run at just over a 10min/mile pace, I'm confident that this can happen. However, my long runs so far have been hovering around 10:30min/mile pace, so I've got some work to do. I rememeber 2 years ago when I first started running 4x/week to stay in shape, a 4 mile run was a huge feat for me. These days, not so much. I feel like I hit a plateau for a while. Now, running 13.1 miles at a 10 minute pace will be a huge feat.
I'm toying with the idea of a marathon later this year. I plugged my data into the runner's world training plan maker extraordinaire (that last part was mine), and it told me that if I train from now until november, with proper speedwork and tempo workouts, I can run a marathon (that's 26.2 miles, people) at an 8:50 min/mile pace. Seriously? Now, it is a computer it does not know my body like I do, but I'm convinced that even 9 min/mile for a half marathon would be my max level. Maybe I shouldn't place limits on myself like that.
I was hugely encouraged last week when I started reading through Ryan Hall's website. He's the current US half marathon champion, and more importantly, a believer in Jesus. I've yet to figure out how to use my running time to focus on Jesus. If I start praying when I am running, I am inevitably distracted by that huge hill coming up or my pace, you name it. Any fellow runners out there who have suggestions?
The weather is something that always changes my mind about a run outside. I can't figure out if I'm easily discouraged or lazy but I love the 5 minute idea. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteRamblings of a Small Town Girl
Thanks for commenting, Kayla! A few months ago, I read an article on RunnersWorld about Elizabeth Hasselback, who is a runner (a really fast one at that!). She is a wife, mother, and what I imagine to be a very demanding job. She said in the article something to the effect of "If I keep waiting for conditions to be perfect so I can go running, it will hardly happen." I put that one in my pocket, for sure.
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