Palisade training

Official training for me starts on Monday for the Grand Valley 1/2. I'm not sure why I feel like it is such a big deal. It isn't as if I haven't been going to the gym and running. Maybe it is because I have taken the time this year to write down some goals and in order for those goals to happen, one must train for them. I have been running long enough and had enough disappointing finishes to know that you can't just pray for a strong race, you have to train your butt off and pray for it.

Perhaps I'm also a little nervous because I have decided to try a new training plan for myself this time around. Before, I have always had someone tell me how to do things and when to do them and this time I am a little more on my own. It will be good for me, to push myself, not rely on others to keep the pace but learn to feel it all on my own. I have taken a training plan from Hal Higdon for an advanced runner (which I question if I'm even qualified for) then I tweaked it a little and then another coach/friend tweaked it again for me. This time I'm including tempo runs, which quite frankly, scare me. They sound hard and intimidating and did I say hard? On those runs I will have to run with someone as I usually don't push myself like I could/should. And instead of going by miles on my long runs I will be going by time. I tried this method once before and it didn't work out so well. However, there is this thing, called consistency and that may have been part of the problem. I'm aiming for a 1 hour 50 min 1/2 marathon time. Grand Valley is a hard course so I will need to train hills and flats alike. I'm excited, yet intimidated by the schedule. One day at a time though. Yesterday I read an article mentioning how to focus your time during marathon / 1/2 marathon training. I'm still learning. This is probably part of the reason I haven't signed up for a marathon, I can barely get my training for a 1/2 in let alone doubling the mileage.

I'm excited for this race, as it has been since last August that I have been in 'training.' My last couple of 5k's have been a little disappointing just because I hoped for more and when you aren't working on turnover and speed and hills you don't have great races. You just race. I remember trying to remind myself that it is off season, I will be fine. And you know what, from a year ago my 5K is faster...just not my fastest. I guess I do understand that there will eventually be a time when I won't be working on getting faster, instead working toward staying the same. For right now I'm going to hope I'm continuing to get faster, it is kinda motivating.