Yep, I think I'm going to train for a half marathon. There's a really lovely one down in Palo Alto during my month-long winter break and it's small (250 people). No hills. Great views of the Bay Area. Lots of open space. I figured it might be a nice first half marathon. In 2010 it was an absolute mess due to torrential downpour but last year it was crisp and clear. So we'll see how the weather is this year. But I'm really excited about it!
Training: the make/break-it factor of this whole thing. I've never had a gym membership before, so I've never made an effort to check my pacing or do speedwork or any technical running stuff. But having access to a treadmill at college opens up a world of possibilities! Like maybe actually doing real mile repeats at a 8:25 pace. There's a 10-week plan in one of my old Runners World magazines so I know EXACTLY what I should be doing each day! And it still leaves me time for spinning and yoga classes and swimming (which I don't do now but might try).
Isn't it beautiful? And completely doable too!
So that means thaaaaat I gotta get better at fueling my body. I've finally found my ideal pre-run snack (spoon of peanut butter and half a banana) and post-run breakfast (overnight oats are my new best friend) but my energy levels crash around 4pm on days I run. So my challenge will be finding food that will keep me going later in the day. I'm going to experiment with smoothies because they're ideal for eating in the middle of my afternoon classes without being completely obnoxious and I can make them super duper yummy. Plus, they'll help me incorporate fruits (and some veggies) into my diet continuously.
I can't wait for mine to arrive sometime next week:
Favorite smoothie? Ever ran a half marathon?
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