The Road to Nashville (A Runner’s Diary)

It’s that time of the year again! As some of you may or may not know, about 2 years ago, I got really serious about my health, and became enamoured with running. Since that time I have run about 20+ races, including 2 half marathons!

Posing with one of my best friends, and “sole-mates” after completing the “Baltimore Half-Marathon”. Behind these smiles, are legs that no longer have the ability to walk!

 

This spring, I will be attempting my 3RD Half-Marathon in Nashville , TN. The Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon is a part of the Rock N Roll Marathon Series, and is well-known for being an incredibly fun and entertaining race!

This race is particularly special because I will be running it with a few of my awesome sorority sisters!

The only downside, I am in a HUGE runner’s slump. I haven’t raced since November, and I haven’t gone on a solid run over a mile since early December. I’ve decided to write weekly blog posts leading up to the race day to hold myself accountable, and to track my running progress. And so begins….The Runner’s Diary.

For training, I will be using Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training Guide, as I did for my first 2 half marathons. It’s perfect for beginners, and includes running days, as well as weight lifiting, and rest days! I have the app on my phone, and I get daily reminders and tips for my training! In addition, I will also be using Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Workout for weight training on days that I am not running. I also joined Golds Gym (highly recommended) and I can’t wait to take advantage of the facility!

From experience, I know that there will be missed days due to lack of motivation, skipped work outs, and with the weather the way it is in the DC/MD/VA area, I know that the snow will make it difficult from time to time. However, my hope is that I can break this running slump, and hit a new PR in April!

Follow my race progress, and who knows? Maybe you’ll be motivated to get out and run a half marathon too!

 

WEEK ONE:

This week is the hardest week! It’s the week you have to pull yourself up off the couch, and really push yourself to get moving.

Day 1 I attempted Day 1 of the BBW, and could only make it through Circuit 1 once. I’m way more out of shape than I thought! I have also gained 8 lbs, so I really need to get back on track! Today I logged a comfortable 1 mile run.

Day 2 I’ve never been so sore in all my life. I rested today! I’ve also started adding more fruit to my diet, and caffeine is no longer a part of my diet.

Day 3: Despite how sore I still am, I made it to the gym for abs and arms day. I accidentally stumbled into a random fitness class called “Pound”, which is a drumb based work-out class! In Pound, you exercise by hitting drum sticks on the ground, in the air, all while working out your arms, back, abs, and legs. It was super fun, and a great paced class considering how much I was STILL hurting!

Day 4: I still haven’t been able to get any of my runs in! I went on a short run with one of my high school girls that I coach, and did some lacrosse in the evening. Doesn’t seem like much, but it beats sitting on the couch and doing nothing! Plus I’ve already lost 2 lbs.

Day 5: I coached basketball and lacrosse tonight; so I got in some running, but yet again, I had zero time for the gym. Uh Oh,  this could become an issue in the future. I didn’t have the healthiest of dinners tonight, because I was having a rough day, and needed some comfort food. This happens, and it’s okay, as long as I don’t make a habit of doing it all the time.

Day 6: Heading to the gym today! I am going for a 3-mile run, and attending a Zumba class with my neighbor/gym buddy/fellow teacher extrodinnaire! Having a gym buddy is always excellent motivation to get my ass to the gym! She holds me accountable, and I love getting to catch up with her!

 

Goals for the end of next week: My hope is that I can make it through Circuits 1 and 2 (twice each) and circuits 3 and 4 (twice each) by next weekend. 

B