I have decided that it is time to run my first 5K race…again. I have run several 5K races in the past, but they were years ago. I found one for this upcoming weekend. I have yet to actually sign up for it, but I must admit I am very excited. Years ago, when I was running after work on a daily basis, I used to run 3.1 miles in about 28 minutes; however, when I started racing the adrenaline kicked in. I would typically knock about 5 minutes off of my time during the course of a 5K race. It will be interesting to see how things go. Slow and steady is my goal, but most importantly, I am bursting with excitement to be back in the groove again. And of course, running a 5K race is all part of my long-term goal of running a marathon.
Archive for the ‘Marathon Training Schedule’ Category
Running My First 5K Race – Again
Sunday, July 12th, 2009
Starting From Scratch
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009I started training for my marathon a few weeks before I started this blog; so, I want to get everyone caught up to speed as to my marathon training schedule so far. I know there are plenty of marathon training schedules on the web, but I needed to start with the basics. I knew I could get back into it and I also knew I couldn’t do too much too soon – for fear of an injury. Plus, I’m not planning on actually running my marathon until April 2010 – so I have plenty of time to train without damaging my body or losing my confidence. For the past few weeks, I have been slowly trying to get into a running routine, hoping to re-train my body to run 3 miles without stopping.
The first thing I did was commit to train for a marathon. My husband and I agreed that I would be dressed and ready to go when he got home from work. I would then tag out and he would play with our two children. Luckily, our kids adore their dad. As soon as he walks in the door, all focus is on him – so my escape is pretty easy.
My current running schedule is pretty straight forward, too. It is almost like I am training for a 5K race instead of a marathon. I set up an 8-week schedule to get me used to my new routine. So, I run three times each week - Tuesdays, Thursdays and then either on Saturday or on Sunday. For the weekends, whatever day I choose not to run on, we typically go for a family hike in the mountains.
Although the first week was a little hairy – I did it. I ran or ran/walked for 1.5 miles on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The next week I picked two days, Tuesday and Saturday and added another ¼ of a mile. So, 1.75 miles on Tuesday and Saturday; but still ran 1.5 miles on Thursday. My goal is to gradually make it up to 3 miles by mid-July.
This evening I am due for a 2.25 mile run. It is a little daunting – but if I take it slow I will finish it. Just one foot in front of the other, right? And, I know that when I run on Thursday, it is a bit of a reprieve in comparison at 1.5 miles. I’ll keep up with my training schedule as it happens from this point forward - till then - happy running!