- It's suggested that you start at a comfortable speed. This doesn't mean it can't be challenging, just something you know you can do. If you'd like, try out your comfortable 30-minute run a few times before getting started.
- The breakdown for the workout is a semi-aggressive way to approach this. If you need to, break each mile down in 0.2 miles (or even 0.1 miles), that is okay! You'll still progress and get faster! You may also want to start out with the breakdown below, but as you get faster, make smaller changes.
- Feel free to repeat any of these before moving on to the next.
- Warm-up with about 5 minutes of walking or light jogging before starting the workout.
- Don't forget to stretch when you're done! Check out active.com for some great post-run stretches.
After the Pittsburgh marathon and a well deserved week or so off from running, I was ready to get back in the game, yet I was lost without a training schedule. I didn't want to start yet another training program, but I wanted to be able to keep running and progress with my speed. While I value speed workouts, I don't like to do more than one/week, so I invented a little game for myself called HOW FAR CAN YOU RUN IN 30 MINUTES? My weekday morning runs are typically on a treadmill, where it's very easy to control my speed. Below is a breakdown of my workout, which I do 2-3 times/week. I go up in total distance 0.01 miles almost every time I do the workout. That might not sound like a lot, but that's about 0.1 miles/month and a whole quarter of a mile in less than three months! Notes about this workout: In 4 months, I went from 3.30 miles to 3.60 miles. Even better, I'm noticing progress in my longer run speeds too! Post below with YOUR progress!
1 Comment
Let's back up to last November. I had trained all summer for my very first marathon - the Philadelphia Marathon. I wasn't an experienced runner or racer, having only started running more than 3 miles about a year prior, with only 3 races under my belt. In the weeks leading up to the race, my friends and family kept asking me - do you feel ready? My answers were varied, but in reality, I just wasn't sure. I was advised to "trust in my training", and I did just that. I didn't miss a training run, I learned how to properly fuel and hydrate, so I was going to have an awesome run, right? While I don't know exactly what went wrong when race day came, I did learn that trusting in your training was not enough. During the marathon, I had a few things happen between miles 15 and 18 that I never had happen before and consequently, wasn't prepared. First, I had to pee! In all of my training runs, that had never happened, so somewhere between miles 15 and 16, I stopped to take care of that. There were a few seconds in that port-o-potty where I literally had to talk myself into getting back out there and running 11 more miles. I was never really good at stopping and starting during my long runs, so I started to get nervous. Somewhere around mile 18, I started to feel a pain in my Achilles. I had been very lucky during all of my training and never really experienced any injuries. I had no idea how to handle it, and with each step I was afraid that it would be the one where something snapped. This all came after I was supposed to meet up with my husband around mile 14 to switch out water bottles (and of course see some familiar faces), yet he wasn't there. Somewhere between mile 18 and 19, I just started to walk. Of course, I promised myself it would just be to assess the pain, and as soon as I felt it was okay to run, I would start again. Which I did. For about half a mile. From that point on, I was half running and half walking to the finish line. At one point I was running along with a pacer group, and although my original goal time was no longer a possibility (yes, I know, first time marathoners aren't supposed to set goal times), I set a new one right there. I just had to keep up with this group for about 4 more miles. That didn't last long, and I soon fell behind the group. No matter how disappointed I was during those last 8 miles, crossing the finish lines was still an amazing experience. I was able to ride that "high" through the rest of the day while celebrating with my friends and family. But when I got home that night, I was replaying those moments over and over in my head. I just couldn't figure out how an injury-free and seemingly perfect training went wrong. Over the next few weeks, I asked around and talked to runners who were more experienced, but in the end, I decided that as a runner, you'll have good days and bad days and my marathon was just a bad day. Feeling like I had some unfinished business, I signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon the following May. I followed the same training plan (a mixture of Hal Higdon's Novice 1 & 2) and added speed training once/week. Although training in the winter months offered new challenges, once again, I had a great training. I lined up at the start line, this time with a little more confidence and experience, but in reality, I didn't feel any more "ready". I knew one thing - I wasn't going to stop! The Pittsburgh Marathon ended in success - I saw my friends at the exact places we planned, and the only time I stopped was in the last few miles to walk through an aid station and get something cold to drink (by this point in the day, it was starting to get warm and I was getting a little overheated). Confident I was going to finish without the struggle I experienced during my first marathon, I was able to start running again without even thinking about stopping. I even noticed that it actually hurt more to walk than it did to run. I finished my second marathon 10 minutes faster than my first. Mentally, I was in a much different place than I was back in November, and it felt amazing! Over the next few weeks, my friends and family asked me, "Which marathon are you running next?" The answer? I'm not sure. While I had definitely caught the running bug, I needed a break from all of that training. I had other goals to focus on (like being able to do a pull-up), and I knew that I just needed a break. One thing I learned during all that marathon training was that I REALLY LOVE the half marathon distance. It was a distance that was challenging, but didn't require as much prep or leave my body feeling broken when I was done. I decided to focus on some speed training, and I signed up for the Philadelphia Half Marathon, which is coming up THIS November. The best part about training for this is I'm not really following a training schedule. I still run about 4 times/week, but if I don't, I'm okay with it. I've been trying to focus on speed because I want to do more than finish this run - I want to race it, which brings me to the thoughts I had during my iPod-less run.
Without the pressure of a training schedule or a weekly mileage goal, I am able to dictate my training on as "as-needed" basis. I can go out and run a 5k because I just don't feel like going for a long run, without worrying about it ruining my training. I can decide to run a fast 10 miles because I haven't had a "great" run in a while. I have confidence as a runner, which I didn't have at this point last year. I know that I can run 13.1 miles, which eliminates so much of the anxiety that goes along with a first time marathon training plan. Physically, my body can do what I want it to do - I've done it many times before. I've even done it pretty close to the goal pace I set for myself. So when I line up at the starting line in November and someone asks me if I'm ready, the answer will be, "ABSOLUTELY". Am I going to trust in my training? Sure. But more importantly, I'm going to trust in myself. I'll trust that I'm going to run at my own pace no matter how quickly or slowly the people around me are running. I'll trust that I won't start to slow down when I feel tired. I'll trust that I'm going to take in the atmosphere of the event and enjoy myself, because that's what this is all about. Have you ever had a disappointing race? Do you feel like a different runner now than a year ago?
Notes about this workout:
Warmup Do each for for one minute, as fast as you can:
Resistance Training, SET 1
Cardio, SET 1
Resistance Training, SET 2
Cardio, SET 2
Challenge Burpee pushup challenge - 8 push-up burpees, increasing the number of push-ups with every rep Core
Stretch What did you think of the workout? I love great workouts that you can do with no equipment - running outside and body-weight exercises are great examples. No matter where you are, you can do these workouts, leaving you with very few excuses for not working out. I was able to do some outside running and hotel-room exercises while I was in Austria and Germany for two weeks, but by the time I got back I realized I REALLY missed working out with other people. As you know, I'm a group-fitness fanatic, but sometimes even being in the gym with other people is enough interaction to motivate me to work harder and get STRONGER! For this reason, I bring you today's 'Gym Rat workout' for Fitness Friday! If you have this equipment in your basement, well then - you beat the system... Otherwise, get to the gym and SWEAT! Notes about this workout:
Repeat the cardio section followed by the resistance section:
How did you like this workout? How many rounds did you do? A few days ago, after a half marathon training run with my husband, he said to me - that last mile, it was my head that pushed me, not my legs. It was a thought I was very familiar with and had after many training runs over the past year! In the running world, everyone talks about their "mantra". You can search #mantra on Twitter and Instagram and you'll find endless posts by runners sharing their own mantra, typically accompanied by a picture of a gorgeous trail or the tops of their sneakers! Stephen Walker, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Boulder, CO says, "Repeating choice words whenever you need to focus helps direct your mind away from negative thoughts and toward a positive experience." Personally, I like to rely on music and scenery to keep me going during a run, but there are definitely times where I have to talk myself into keeping up with my pace and not slowing down or even worse - stopping to walk. So what is it that I say to myself that keeps me going? I ask myself two questions: 1) Are you in pain? & 2) Can you breathe? If the answers are 1) No, I'm not in pain, and 2) Yes, I can breathe, I then tell myself there is no reason to slow down or stop. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that the definition of "pain" changes when I'm out for a 20 mile run - "pain" is no longer just my legs hurting, but a type of pain that will change my gait or running form, which might be the sign of an injury or lead to an injury. There are times when my mantra will help me get through the next ten minutes of running, but there are other times when 30 seconds later, I'm asking myself those two questions again. The one thing that is certain is that it always keeps me going. But "mantras" aren't just for running, are they? Surely they can help you in all fitness-related activities where you're trying to push your body beyond a point where it has been before! Do you have a workout mantra?
Three months ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and even though I lost most of my pregnancy weight, I still have the dreaded “10 lbs” to lose. I will be honest and say I don't go to the gym enough, but I get bored with just using the treadmill or elliptical. So when Groupon had an offer for 10 fitness classes at a local dance studio, I bought it. Why not try Zumba? I had never taken a Zumba class before, but it sounded like fun, and I like to dance, so I thought I'd give it a go. Fast forward to last Thursday. I called the dance studio beforehand to find out what I needed to bring. “A lot of water and towel. You will sweat!” (she didn't lie!). I was also told that the particular class I wanted to come to was Zumba Sentao or, as it was described to me, Zumba with chairs. I was intrigued. Walking into the class I was nervous, but the instructor obviously noticed she had a few newcomers and explained Zumba Sentao. It incorporates some Zumba dance moves and with traditional fitness moves, like squats, lunges, crunches, planks, and chair-dips. She said for a first time Zumba student (that's me!) it was a good introduction to Zumba. Okay, here we go! The music pumped loudly as she got everyone on their feet, standing in front of a chair. We started with basic dance moves, that even I, with no formal dance training, could follow. Then we moved into chair-dips. My triceps were feeling the burn! A little more dancing and then working on our core. Then some more dancing that incorporated squats and lunges. And let's not forget about the chair planks! The hour moved quickly, proving to me that even know I was working hard, I was having fun too. The overall atmosphere was relaxed and I could tell that all the women were enjoying themselves, even though they were complaining about the twenty pushups the instructor made us do at the end of clas. All in all, I really enjoyed the class and will be going back again. I agree with the instructor that it was a good introduction to Zumba. None of the dance moves were complicated, so even the most novice dancer could follow right along. I recommend Zumba Sentao to anyone who hates “working out”. It never felt like a typical workout and the combination of cardio and strength training kept it interesting. I feel like I accomplished a lot within the hour! Have you ever tried Zumba Sentao?
My friend Jackie and I took the hour-long fitness class this past Sunday - WHAT A BLAST! When we arrived, we traded in our sneakers for some trampoline shoes - these shoes were the ultimate high tops! We started out the class with a 10-minute warmup, where we jumped around on our own personal trampoline. Once we were warmed up, we all lined up on one side of the giant trampoline area and did some drills up and back on the trampolines. We "rounced" (a mix of running and bouncing) and we bunny-hopped, and while we were waiting for our turn, we did some strength training exercises off to the side. We finished up the class back on our personal trampoline where we did some full-body intervals. By the end of the class, we were super sweaty! I definitely felt like I got a great workout. Do I think I burned 1000 calories, like they advertise? Absolutely not, but it was fun and offered a great variety to my fitness routine. I'd definitely go back! While taking the class, I suspected I was using a lot of core muscles to control my jumping, but the next day my quads were SUPER sore!! Have you ever been to an indoor trampoline park?
Notes about this workout:
Summer Fling SET 1Summer Fling SET 2
Summer Fling SET 3
Summer Fling SET 4
Stretch What did you think of this workout?
Post below and let us know what fitness gadget or app YOU are using? A few weeks, ago, I posted about running on Kelly Drive, along with some gorgeous pictures of the Schuylkill River. I don't get to run Kelly Drive often - I'm more frequently found a little further north on the Schuylkill on the Schuylkill River Trail. If my run is long enough, I wind up west of Norristown, towards Valley Forge, which also provides some gorgeous views, but most of the time I'm running through Conshohocken, which is mostly just trees and train tracks. Although not the prettiest of trails, I enjoy the familiarity and comfort of knowing every twist, turn and mile marker! While the Schuylkill River Trail doesn't provide the best scenery, I've seen my fair share of oddities while pounding the pavement. There are always other runners, bikers, walkers (with and without dogs), but below is a list of some of the other things I've encountered.
What is something unusual that you've seen on a trail run/bike/walk? |
Jillian [FitYaf]fitness enthusiast. Archives
February 2015
Categories
All
To my readers, please note this website and blog is for educational and informational purposes only. For medical advice, dietary restrictions, and/or medical diagnosis, and before beginning any diet and/or exercise program, please consult a doctor or healthcare professional.
|