Planning

A big part of successful running is planning.  Whether that's planning the day's meals to planning to bring running clothes to work to planning for one race to planning for a year's worth of events, the daily training runs and events definitely go better if you've got a plan. 

I've consistently been pleased with Hal Higdon's training plans for pretty much every distance I've ever raced.  I particularly like that he has various levels of plans at each distance.  I just print up the appropriate plan, figure out the race date and work backwards from there to put the plan on a calendar.  I use Yearly Calendar Maker to design a custom and free calendar that I can then print either in color or black and white.  You can see the result on the 2012 Training Calendar tab on this blog. 

If you have any planning tips, I'd love to hear them!! 

2012 Race Schedule

Yesterday, I mapped out a training plan for Joss and I to follow for the majority of 2012.  If all goes according to plan, and it usually doesn't, we'll be running the Shamrock 15k, the Helvetia Half and the Portland Marathon!!  I used an online calendar program to design a fun calendar with running pictures of us and filled in each day's workout based on Hal Higdon's Novice and Novice 2 plans for each event.  I've used his plans in the past and I like them. 

In the past, my workouts have generally been 90 to 100% running based and I've decided that I need more cross training in my life.  So, through Shamrock, I'll just be running three days a week.  I'll be biking two days a week and doing yoga on Mondays for the duration.  Once we start training for Helvetia, I've upped the running to four days a week and reduced the biking to just one day. 

Last night, I ran another nice two miler with Ty and Onya and then did a 20 minute yoga on-demand that was running geared.  It's been way too long since I've run two days in a row and I have to admit that it felt amazing!  My calves are pretty tight and sore today but in that good way that makes you feel alive.  I think I'll try for another two miles tonight and then an on-demand ball workout (if such a thing exists). 

6 miles and it felt so good!

I ran six miles today - my first run since Austin!!  I had thought going into Austin that I'd be running again right away but I actually think that taking a full week off was a good idea.  Today's run was refreshing...  if slightly painful.  I am running in new Fingers and they were rubbing a lot on both achilles and I feel like I might have a blister on the arch of my right foot.  I think I'll take a few weeks to switch over and use my old Fingers on alternating days until the new ones don't hurt. 

Here's my tentative plan for Vernonia:

2/28 - R, 6, 3, 6, R, 12, R
3/7 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 14, R
3/14 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 16, R
3/21 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 20, R
3/28 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 10, R
4/4 - 2, 3, R, 2, R, 2, MARATHON!!!

Any comments or thoughts?