Half Marathons 101

I'm so excited to finally be DOING the things I talk about! Now that I've got my first half marathon under my belt, have experienced what it is to actually RUN one, I have a list of things I both need to improve upon as well as learn more about.

Things I have Learned:

1. A training plan isn't really just a guideline recommendation "if you have time or feel like it" sort of thing. It's a plan that needs to be followed (if not perfectly, at least remotely) if you want any approximation of success!
2. Nutrition is just as important as putting in the miles. If you don't put good fuel into the tank, you're going to get crappy mileage.
3. If you don't follow #1 & 2, all sorts of bad things will happen. Leg cramps. Less than stellar performance. Worse yet: INJURY.

I know this because I didn't stick to my training plan. Life got in the way, and I didn't recover in enough time. If you went through my training log, you wouldn't even believe me if I told you I had a plan! And despite sporadic efforts, I've not gotten my eating completely under control. I really need to get serious about my runner's diet.

So lessons learned. Today starts my next 12-week training cycle. Conveniently, Monday's are my rest day. I couldn't work out today if I tried - my body is pretty beat up from yesterday.

Goal: La Jolla Half Marathon (running for the Triple Crown!)

I do have another half marathon in two weeks, the Surf City Half Marathon, but this is a very flat, fast course. That event was supposed to be my full marathon attempt, but wisely, I took their very kind offer to transfer my full marathon registration to the half for just $5. Pride swallowed and done. (Reality IS reality.) I knew I wouldn't get the miles in! It's wise to understand and respect one's limits. At this point, I'm not even sure I want to attempt a full marathon... 13.1 seems like more than enough. But let me also say that I know myself. Once I feel comfortable at 13.1, I'm going to have to push to the next level...

That starts with being better prepared. Focusing on the Triple Crown Series, I just looked up the course maps (specifically the elevation maps) for the first two races: Carlsbad Half Marathon and La Jolla Half Marathon. While I felt that Carlsbad had some exhausting grades, La Jolla appears to have some brutal HILLS. 0-420' at Mile 6?? 0-150' at Mile 12??? I am going to need to be very committed to training on hills this time around, and very committed to sticking with the training plan. I have a gym membership, I will use it! After La Jolla, I will be running the America's Finest City Half Marathon to complete the Triple Crown series.

These three courses are a good combination. Of the 3, Carlsbad is the flattest. La Jolla is the monster, and America's Finest starts high, 3 miles of downhill to flat until mile 12 where you climb about 200'. With that in mind, I was driving today and saw a street near me that's at a 9% grade and has a dirt trail. I see many repeats of this hill in my future.

Armed with a plan, I'm ready to do this thing right this time.