You’ll hear me say this many times, but I used to love the treadmill. In my first five years of running I really only ran outside during my semester abroad in Germany, when there wasn’t access to a gym but a beautiful park full of running trails was less than a mile away. Now, I run outside unless weather prevents me from doing so. For someone who once ran a half-marathon on a treadmill, now anything more than a short three mile run feels like forever on the machine. However, running on the ...
Training Tips
How Fast Should You Run and Half Marathon Training Recap
One of the most common questions for runners of all levels is about what pace to run at. You may be starting to run and wonder how fast you should run. Maybe you started a training plan and need to decipher what “tempo run” and “5K pace” and “easy run” all mean. Knowing what pace to run at is important for all runners, not just those aiming for a time goal in a race. Different paces produce different physiological results - an easy paced run will improve aerobic fitness, long runs will increase ...
Valpo Half Marathon Training Weeks 3 & 4
August flew by so quick. Suddenly I am about one third of the way through my training, and less than a month from our wedding! Half marathon training weeks three and four required lots of flexibility in scheduling my runs, especially with the stormy weather we have been experiencing around here and our recent trip to the hot and humid St. Louis. However, I still managed to get in most of my miles, especially in my key workouts. Week three was probably the biggest ...
5 Small Goals for Half Marathon Training
My disposition lends well to following a training plan. I have some sort of Midwestern type-A guilt complex, so skipping or shortening a workout (unless due to injury or illness) never sits easy with me. My family and friends all say I am the most disciplined person they know, in part because I have no problem waking up at 5 am to go run 7 or 8 miles before the sun rises. I have an odd love for numbers (probably because I am the child of two engineers and engaged to one), so I revel in analyzing ...
Valpo Half Marathon Training Weeks 1 & 2
Half marathon training weeks one and two set my training for the Valpo half marathon off to a successful start! The first week of my training went quite well, especially considering the stress in the first half of the week (I left a desk job that I just started - it was not the right fit for me). This week left me feeling very confident about my race goals and very excited for the rest of training. I love training - the schedule, the sense of accomplishment and little victories, the ...