A Little Motivation

Me and my husband at the end of the 1/2 marathon last weekend.


Last weekend I finished my 3rd half-marathon. And it was tough. Although there were definitely more hills than I had planned for, the main problem was that I hadn't trained properly. [On a side note, it was my husband's first, and he pretty much rocked it - I knew he would though!!!]

Having completed more than a handful of events starting with 5Ks and sprint triathlons, over the years I've worked up to 10Ks, several half-marathons, and an almost Olympic distance triathlon. Each of these events I train for: I have a schedule that I try and follow as much as I can. So I know what it feels like to have trained properly, and now I definitely know the after affects of not training properly.

This past summer when I finished my 2nd half marathon in Chicago, I felt awesome. I finished with my best time and had little to no soreness afterwards. Two days later and I was at an aerobic gym class with my friends.

Me and my Notre Dame roomies at the end of our 1/2 Marathon in Chicago.

Not this time around. With the holidays and excuse after excuse, I really just did not keep up with my training. I went on my long runs but other than that went on maybe 1-2 more runs during the week. Let me tell you, this is not the way to do it.
During this past race, I could feel the muscles in my legs resisting, and for several days afterward could only hobble around. Not because running that distance is truly that hard, I had just not prepared by body properly.
Anyways, I'm motivated to go again. Time to pick out a new event and train for it.

In case any of you out there are considering signing up for a 5K, or any other event, I say DO IT! If you give yourself enough time to train, you'll be amazed at what you can do. Most plans require 8-12 weeks training. I really only started doing these events after I graduated from college - 7 years ago now.

I never plan to go further than a 1/2 marathon, but I do want to complete a half-ironman triathlon. But first thing is first, and I need to look for an Olympic distance triathlon first.

Me at the start of the 30th Annual Callaway Triathlon: 1K swim, 30K bike, 8K run

In case any of you have been thinking about it, I thought maybe this encouragement would help you just do it. Because you can. Here's some links I've found helpful:

8-week training plan for a 5K: Couch to 5K running plan.

8-week training plan for a Sprint Triathlon

8-week training plan for your first 10K

And there are so many more.

To find events check out Active.com or SetUpEvents.com

One accountability training tool I used before was dailymile.com where you can keep track of your training, time, and how your workout felt.

Anyways, right now my belly is full of yummy Mexican food - and since I can't seem to lose the 10 pounds I've gained since my husband redeployed it's time to look for my next event. One I will TRAIN for properly.

Let me know if you sign up for any events! They are a lot of fun, especially if you can get friends or family involved!