Back Into Training Mode

After running the Redwoods Marathon I ran the Turkey Trot 5K a couple weeks later. Then I took a break from actual training. I was still getting in maybe 6 miles a week just for the heck of it and I was concentrating on spinning and swimming. I came back from CA wanting to see what other races I could do. I was thinking of a half marathon while my husband was pushing me to do a full marathon. I wasn't really into running a full by myself. I wanted him to run with me but he had signed up for the 2010 Wisconsin Ironman so running a marathon with all of his other training would screw him up.



I finally was able to talk myself into it and signed up for the Madison Marathon in May. It's been three weeks of training and so far so good. I am following the Hal Higdon Beginner's Marathon Plan again but this time doing all the weekly runs. During my last marathon I had tweaked the plan a little bit so I wasn't running 3 days in a row. This time I am running about 9 miles in the middle of the week and then a long run on the weekend with 2 days of cross training. It's been hard running 3 days in a row after coming home from teaching. I've felt pretty good and have even been able to do some of my weekly runs outside which is much more preferable than the treadmill. It depends on how much snow/ice is on the roads. As far as my long runs go, I had a really great 6 miler my first week and then last week I headed to the arboretum for a 7 miler through the woods. It was really beautiful; there was a light snow falling and wild turkeys roaming about the woods. Tomorrow is my 5 miler and I am running with a local group for the first time. I would rather run with or around other people than in solitude.


I thought without my husband as a running buddy that I would be more inclined to walk and run at a slower pace, but I've been using a heart rate monitor that I got for Christmas and it really comes in handy. I try to stay in my zone for the entire run.


After the marathon I will need to step up my swimming and biking because I also signed up for the Chisago Lakes triathlon in MN. I will be doing the sprint triathlon while my husband does the Half Ironman.