Meet Me HALF Way

My training has been going pretty well. As per my bargain with my legs at mile 21 in the NYC Marathon, I have been smarter. I haven't put on as many miles as I had planned, but I also haven't sacrificed my strength training to do so. I'm averaging about 2.5 days a week at the gym. I'm not forgetting my core.

I gained 5 pounds since January. And I'm very happy about that.

I lined up three half marathons for the beginning of 2010 and am training accordingly. I haven't done a run longer than 12 miles; I will not do one longer than 15 until July. I have not and will not over extend my mileage as I had in the past. The first race, the Manhattan Half, was in January. Amanda H. and I ran that one together splendidly. We set an honest goal of an 8:50 min/mile pace and achieved 8:48 min/mile. This was a great entry race for the season and kept us both dedicated to our training. Our Saturday morning runs set a great foundation for me, for this season. Thanks Amanda!

Coaching for TNT has been great, but it did take some adjusting. I've found a good weekly rhythm. Our group training sessions serve as my easy runs, sometimes speed work. I generally do not perform the given workout because I am there to assist the participants. Getting the long run done has been a bit of a challenge, but again, I'm happy that I haven't sacrificed strength.
[caption id="attachment_135" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="I found a burst of speed at the end."][/caption]

The NYC Half is this Sunday. I aggressively stated my expected finish time would be 1:31. When I signed up I honestly didn't know where I'd be. In fact, I'm still not sure. But on February 28th, I ran the Al Gordon Snowflake 4 miler at a personal best pace. Still, I don't know what this means. This Half will serve as a test of my fitness. Can I PR? That would be a sub 1:37ish, better than a 7:24. Can I reach 1:31 which is a 6:57 min/mile pace? I'm not going to even try. I'm going to be smart about this. Is my fitness level as good as it was last May when I PRed? What should my target pace be? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode...

Seasons

I've decided to continue my participation with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's TNT program. But this season I'm doing something a bit different- I'm a training captain for Team In Training, rather than a participant. It has been a great experience so far. Not only to I get to run, and get to tell people what to do, but I get to tell people what to do about running! In all seriousness, it feels great to take on the responsibility and share what I know (some things learned the hard way) about running. Everyone has it in them to make it across the finish line of his or her endurance race. Just some guidance is all I offer. Big Thanks to Coach Lisa (my first TNT coach) who took me into her team of coaches and captains.
[caption id="attachment_129" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Brave New Runners: Summer Season TNT... in the Winter"][/caption]

We are well into the Summer season of Team in Training and only now is it finally feeling like Spring. I hope to be done with my running tights until next winter. I don't want to wear gloves or under armor any more. No more wool socks; no more earmuffs. I had a stare-down with my tights last Saturday. Because of my recent trip to France, I hadn't worn them in a while. Still cold last week, I opted for shorts regardless. I was going stir crazy. That morning, my tights won. I donned them once more. But it HAS to be the last time.

Today is an absolutely beautiful day, as was yesterday. Still haven't been out running in the sun yet- Sunday was my rest day and today I'm scheduled for the gym. I was planning on running on the treadmill for convenience, but maybe I'll duck out after my strength training and go find the Hudson River bike path. Yes, that just may be the most brilliant idea of the day...