How did I train for my first half marathon?

I've been asked several times just how I train for 1/2 marathons. The very first one I trained for I followed a program put together by a friend in the Hendersonville Running Club.  The plan is based on the runner being a beginner.  You can modify and change as you need.



One of the things I did after my first marathon and once my intervals decreased was to modify my mid-week runs. If my long run on Saturday is scheduled to be 8 miles I split up the miles during the week so that they equal a total of eight miles. That way I'm running 16 miles that week.  As you get stronger and able to maintain a minimum weekly mileage make sure that half of that is your long run on Saturdays or whenever you decide to do your long run.



The following schedule is for your long run mileage only. Whatever interval you plan on running for your long run is what you should run during the week. The weekly runs should be the time to push your intervals making the amount of time you walk shorter and shorter. Use your long run as your "practice race" leave it all out on the road.



This is a 17 week plan. If you already have a base mileage down just find where you are at and adjust from there. As well as working on increasing your mileage you need to cross train.  I have also included the helpful information that was passed on to me. I did not come up with this plan it is just what worked for me.



Weekly schedule recommendations are as follows:



Run/Walk Weekly plan

1 long run)

2 base runs per week of 30-40 mins (3-4 miles) (treadmill: +1 mile)

2 easy (Cross Training) days per week of 20-30 mins



Recommended Cross-Training (on non-run/walk days)

15-20 minutes of Core Exercises (2-3 times a week)

Spin, Pilates, Walking, Stretching, Zumba…



•Minimum weekly goal is 3 days of Run/Walk.

•Ideal weekly goal is 5-6 days of activity. (1-2 days of rest)

•Begin the program at easy Run/Walk Intervals, then advance gradually to 5/1 Run/Walk Intervals.

•Run/Walk Intervals are not rigid. Shorten 1 minute walk breaks if HR has recovered and trainee is no longer breathless.

•If you are forced to skip/miss a long run, then try to get your long run in as soon as you can.                                                                      



Long Run Schedule:

Week Number	Long Run/Walk Distance (miles)	Races to consider As you build mileage consider running 5 or 10ks to get use to race day
17	3 (1/2 Intervals)
16	4 (1/2 Interval)
15	6 (1/1 Interval)
14	5 (2/1 Interval)
13	7 (2/1 Interval)
12	6 (3/1 Interval)
11	8 (3/1 Interval)
10	6 (4/1 Interval)
9	9 (4/1 Interval)
8	6 (5/1 Interval)
7	10 (5/1 Interval)
6	6 (5/1 Interval)
5	11 (5/1 Interval)
4	6 (5/1 Interval)
3	12 (5/1 Interval)
Taper
2	8 (5/1 Interval)
1	13.1 Race Day

Tapering is your friend. It will keep you fresh for the race but also let your body get the rest it needs prior to your race. If you are consistently skipping your walk breaks then you should try to eliminate them all together. Listen to your body and walk when you need to.





FCR

One More Step, One More Mile, One More Finish. ©







  

 

  

    




 

Winner! Winner! Swiftwick for Dinner!

As you all know we did a March Madness Give A Way! We were giving away three prizes BUT as life happens and spring training gets in the way we only received one entry. We so loved this entry because of the answer to the answer to the first question.
We so loved this answer that we decided we needed to give this Lynne a pair of socks that she would love so  much that even her dogs would leave them alone.  So from one Lynne to another please enjoy your Swiftwick March Madness gear! 


To Learn more about Lynne please check out her fantastic blog about running and being a single parent of two large dogs On The Other End Of The Leash


1. A picture of you and Swiftwick socks. hint find a retailer near you.

Please don’t disqualify me for not having these socks.  I’m a single parent of two very large dogs who are eating me out of house and home.  Plus they eat most of my socks anyway.

2. A picture of you running in a race or finishing a race.

3. The best running outfit you own

 This is what I wore for my first marathon in Vegas.  Still my favorite shirt.

4. How do you carb load?
I like the Mac ‘N Cheese at the Hard Rock Café.  I’ve eaten it three times now before racing in the Denver Half and Full marathons.  It has chicken and white cheddar.  Yummy!

5. Your biggest no no for race day. (remember be creative)
Remember your Body Glide!  I ran into a pharmacy along the race course to find something to relieve some chafing I had going on.  The chafing was being caused by the other no-no – DO NOT wear something new on race day!  Thank goodness for Burt’s Bees!

6. Do what moves you.

  Yes I’m one of those people who dress up their dogs!  This is Jersey Girl.  She passed away last year from lymphoma.  She was the greatest at playing dress up.

7. Confirmation for your next race showing your name and the race (on this picture only can you blur out all other information)
The 13th Flying Pig Marathon | Sunday, May 1, 2011 6:30 a.m.

Search Results Name Age Gender City State Country Category Day, Lynne 42 F Colorado Springs Colorado United States Marathon powered by P&G

8. Your favorite running shoes.

I just changed over from the Nimbus to the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 12.  I’ve tried every shoe though.

10. Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Back in 1993, I got married on St. Patrick’s Day.  I’m not Irish and neither was he.  It just seemed like a fun thing to do on a Wednesday.  We went to the Justice of the Peace, got married, had Pizza Hut and celebrated at the local bar.  Nice little wedding day.  Divorced 375 days later!

LAST DAY TO SUBMIT ENTRIES FOR THE MARCH MADNESS CONTEST

In case you missed it here's the link and the rules March Madness Contest !

I hate have SWAG that I can't give away!

Life, and three months of non running......

It's been a really weird year. I haven't really felt my self. Well it has finally come full circle. Seems like I've been out of step all year. Just not quite my self.

I just couldn't quite figure it out. For many years I have tried to not take any non essential medications. Treating things naturally if possible. If your body it sick it's built to fight off some illnesses. If you have a stomach bug let your body get rid of it. If you have a cold, rest and vitamin C and mom's chicken noodle soup.

There are things that you need to get medications for but our bodies are amazing machines. When fed well and tuned up it will tell you what it needs.

A couple of weeks ago I started having lower back pain that could not be relieved via chiropractic care, so I went to the doctor. I ended up having an upper UTI still up in the kidneys, more liking just festering there and not getting better. It has probably been a systemic problem for most of this year, causing me to feel off.

The doctor put me on a really strong antibiotic to get rid of the infection. Unfortunately I had a sever life threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotic. My face and lips swelled up and had trouble swallowing. It was terrifying. We got to the ER and they gave me an epinephrin shot, a quick acting steroid shot, and another antihistamine.

Let me tell you the epi shot was NO joke. It seemed to fire up every muscle in my entire body at the same time. The purpose is to move what ever it is causing the reaction out of your body as quickly as possible. It speeds up your heart and makes your system work hard. For the next three days I felt like I had run a full marathon TWICE! I slept and and slept and rested.

Monday I went in for a follow up and also found out that I am B12 deficient. This from lack of feeding the body correctly. So today is Wednesday and I am finally feeling amazing.

The kidney infection and other problems lingering in my system from the infection cause a significant weight gain of almost 15 pounds in just a few days of water weight. I have now lost all the sick weight and feel so much better.

I am not released yet to return to Art of Strength  or running. I am feeling, and looking so much better.

When all is said and done.

When all is said and done, what is the purpose of Diary of a Fat Chick Running? 

It's a question that has been on my mind recently. Is it more than just a place to motivate myself and others and help to keep me accountable for my weight loss and fitness level? 

I've been thinking about what it really could be. As someone that has battled weight issues most of my life, and endured the bullying and teasing that comes with it, I want this to be more. 

The one thing in my life that I never saw myself as was an athlete even playing tennis in high school I never really felt like I was part of that group. 

After spending the last year working with Hendersonville Running Club and the great people there and of course Swiftwick and all my friends there. Not once have I ever been looked at as something OTHER than an athlete. It's a really nice feeling, it's a really nice defining point. Not being defined by size, style or weight but being defined by the effort that you give. 

I was having a hard time at the end of the 2010 races season. I had put a ton of pressure on my self to compete in 4 long races my very first year of running. Afraid if I didn't have that carrot out in front of me I might just fall of the road and never return. 

What I ended up doing was pushing myself and my body beyond what it was capable of.  But even when that happen the group of people I surrounded my self with never said I shouldn't have done it. Nope they said well next year modify your plan do something different. Never once did someone say well your just not cut out for endurance running. Not once did someone say your too heavy.

Through out the year towards the end you could hear me calling out during a race "Big girls do it better" and "Big girls eat hills for breakfast"  I truly mean that. I think it takes even more effort and stamina to move a body that is 200+ pounds 13.1 miles then it does to move an "average" runners body that far.

We have to train differently our fluid and fuel needs are greater. We tackle a race differently, and we run for different reasons. Some to lose weight, some to get motivated to lose weight, some to support friends and family in their endeavor to get fit and healthy. Now mind you I'm not a dietician, or a trainer or a health professional. I just have a good team behind me that helps me to and be better. 

I'd like to hear your stories. I'd like to give you a forum where your story can be heard and listened to with out stigma. Having a hard time lacing up and getting out the door? Need some extra support? I hope to make this space and soon the new website a place where you can do so. I'd like to connect the community and the world together so that not one FCR or FDR (fat dude running) is doing it alone. 

FCR 

One More Step, One More Mile, One More Finish. ©