2/21/11

1/2 Marathon Training: 12 Weeks and counting..

Hi friends! I hope you are all enjoying your holiday Monday (If you didn't get the day off I'm sorry and I dedicate my extra sleep this morning to you!). There is something to be said for a mid-winter long weekend, even if the provincial government basically just made it up and called it Family Day. I, for one, am not complaining!

In honor of this not -so- special day I kept busy by:
  • Fending off weird stomach troubles that had me (and The Boyfriend..thanks hun!) up half the night
  • Postponing my planned long run and instead taking a slow 4km walk instead
  • Foam rolling some achy muscles (that sucker hurts!)
  • Giving myself a mini- makeover, going from this:


















To this.





































I'm a home hair colour girl all the way. Truth be told I have never, ever had my hair professionally colored and I have changed my hair colour a lot. (How's that for a little random info for ya??)




  • Putting together my long awaited 1/2 marathon training plan


(Click to enlarge)

The Details:

Weeks until Race Day- 12
Runs per week- 3 to 4
Cross training sessions per week- 3 to 4
Rest Days- 1 "active" rest day (ie: yoga or walking)
Max distance for long run: 22km
Max. weekly distance: 47km
Taper timeline: 1 week

Additional information:

I will be in sunny Cuba from April 8-April 14th. Luckily I am travelling with very active friends (including bride-to-be Cynthia) who will motivate me to visit the hotel gym a few times during the trip, although training will definitely fall back during this time.

In addition to the training I will put added emphasis on stretching and foam rolling (daily), sleep (8 hours daily), good nutrition and hydration (2L+ daily)

As always, I am prepared to adjust the plan as necessary to avoid mental and physical burnout. Mondays currently include strength training but can easily be converted to rest days as required.

My end goal is to PR at this race but ultimately I want to stay strong and healthy through this training and finish the race with a smile on my face. Its my hope that this plan will get me there.

And that, my friends, was my Monday...fun stuff huh??


So tell me me, what did you do today? If you had the day off how did you make the most out of your long weekend? What do you think of my training plan? Any advice? 



17 comments:

  1. I actually had to work today, so no extra sleep for me. It did take me 20 minutes longer to get home from work today (doubling my drive home) because we got so much ice-AND because of this I missed yoga. So that's a little sad.

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  2. Omg lady your training schedule is badass. Good luck!

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  3. sounds like a great day off!
    love the hair, you look great.

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  4. Looks like you have a strong training schedule planned. I am getting ready to run my first half of the year next weekend and I really did not have a plan this time around...eek! Hope you are able to keep motivated on your vacation.

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  5. How fun that you're training for a half!!!!

    As for me, there have been complications with my stress fracture so I spent a good chunk of my day trying to lay low.

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  6. I love the combination of running and yoga, what a great way to achieve balance. I may try that :)

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  7. I think you have a solid plan. Flexibility is key. I am definitely a fan of lower weekly mileage with more quality runs...and I never forget to rest. Happy training! I'm sure you'll be great!

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  8. Woohoo! Great plan :) Let me know if you want a running buddy for some of those runs!! :)

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  9. Wow! Your hair looks amazing with your eyes! Good choice! I'm a blonde and it terrifies me to think of highlighting my own hair because of the horror stories I've heard. If I had dark hair, I would be a total color changer though!

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  10. Love your hair, looks gorgeous!

    Also love that you made a training plan in excel, I do the same thing :)

    Happy training girl!

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  11. Hair is lookin' good, lady!

    I think your training plan looks great! I'm terrible with training plans. I try to get a set amount of miles or a set amount of days in but I always end up getting busy or don't have enough time. So I just squeeze whatever I can in during the week and try my best to do a longer run on the weekend. I should really prepare better.

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  12. Love the new hair color- it looks fantastic! I can't believe you've never had it professionally done- WOW! I'm impressed :)
    Your half training plan looks really good too.
    I really need to start form rolling- I probably need to pick one up soon, especially with the increased milage I've been adding!

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  13. I love your half plan--so organized; color codes and everything! I am going to add yoga to my training--my stride feels a bit shortened and tight.

    You hair color makes your gorgeous eyes pop even more!

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  14. Wow, love your hair!!! so pretty! I tried dying my hair once and totally messed up! But I think putting darker colors would be easier than trying to create blonde highlights! ha!

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  15. What color is your hair naturally? It looks gorgeous!

    I'm so jealous of your vacay in Cuba- I'd love to see some sunny beaches soon! Although is it sad that I didn't know Americans could travel to Cuba? (don't laugh at me...)

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  16. Your half marathon training plan sounds great and well thought out! Hope your stomach is feeling better...that is no fun. On the bright side, your hair looks beautiful :)

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