Tuesday, June 30, 2020

I just needed a moment...

Last week was rough in my world, as it was in so many of yours. Did anyone else just need a moment? I was not blind to the very real possibility that the New York City Marathon would be cancelled. I was not prepared for the tears. Not because of the race, but because it was just one more thing.

Here in New York, gyms have no reopening date. I realize for many, this is just an "adjust course" type of thing, but the gym is also my place of employment. No, I don't pay my mortgage with that money, but I do contribute to my household, and with Bill also out of work, we need to be back at work in whatever capacities possible. 

The cancellation of New York also means the likelihood of Wine and Dine happening is getting smaller and smaller. I won't give up all hope until they make the official call, but the writing is on the wall. I keep telling myself: they will make the field smaller, they will allow deferrals, it's already the smallest race, it's all the way in November. We have all of our plans done. We will probably go anyway just to get away (unless we are still in quarantine on either end). I'm changing course as to why we were going and running all the races (clearly 40 races won't be happening with fall being cancelled). I'm just sitting here, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Then there's the whole training thing. I had penciled in my plan a few weeks ago. I'm supposed to start today. I haven't even wrapped my head around rewriting 6 months of plans, let alone letting go of the A race marathon that was supposed to be my easy slide into the Dopey Challenge. Now, I have to figure out how I'm doing Dopey. 

So, if you need a moment, take it! Hopefully I'll be back soon with new plans, new races on the calendar, and feeling hopeful again for the future world, post-quarantine!

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Tips to Create Your Own Training Plan

I totally get it! Not everyone is ready or able to invest in a running coach (but if you are, I happen to know of a GREAT one, cough cough). When you've got your registration, the next thing that usually comes to mind is, "Oh crap, I have to train for this thing!" At least, I hope you are starting to think about training.

Coach Google has TONS of free training plans. runDisney has official training plans. If you're new, though, where do you even begin? What happens if you miss a run? What if you want to start training early? Help! Don't worry, I got you!

The insipration of this post came from many questions in all the runDisney groups, followed by some really good and REALLY bad advice. If you're new and asking those questions, I think it's safe to say that you probably don't know which is which. Oh, and by the way, that's OKAY! We were all new once, and you learn by asking, doing, asking again, reading, watching, and experimenting. Before you know it, you'll be dishing out advice (and hopefully it'll be the good kind)! 

Tip #1: Work backwards from the race date.
I'm a total paper/pencil planner type, so I will print calendars, work backwards, and design my plan from end to beginning. 

Tip #2: Add in holidays, special events, travel, or other races. 
After putting those on top of the plan, you likely will have to move things around. This is where it gets a little tricky. You really need to be sure you give yourself enough rest, especially in the taper weeks leading up to race day. You also don't want to increase your weekly mileage by too much. A good rule of thumb is to increase by no more than 10% in a week. 

Tip #3: If your plan doesn't start yet, build a base!
I see this the most--people have no idea what to do when the plan they have chosen doesn't start yet. I've seen some crazy suggestions out there! Here's my simple formula for base building: take the number of days per week you will run during the training plan, and work up to that number of days. Don't worry about mileage. This is also when you can add some speed training to help your pace. 

Tip #4: Be flexible, but don't try to "make up" your runs.
Life happens. Accept that some runs just won't get done. The worst thing you can do is try to double up or make up those runs. Like Elsa, just let it go! It's the overall commitment and quality of your training that will get you to the finish, not any one, single run.

Tip #5: Stay the course.
You may be tempted to see another plan, see another runner's posts, Google again, or just wing it and want to change things up. Plans are designed with purpose and build systematically. Stick with your plan. Don't bounce around. If you follow the plan, you will be successful! 

Best of luck on your training! 

Don't know where to start? Here are some links to get you going:
Hal Higdon plans: https://www.halhigdon.com/

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Global Running Day

Today is Global Running Day. We are also in the middle of chaos. Nothing in life lives inside a sterile vaccum. Today is a day I would usually get out, run a few miles, throw up a few hashtags and connect with my fellow runners. As I sit here this morning, I don't even know if I have it in me. Live is heavy right now. This blog is about magic, Disney, the fun of running, but I don't live in a bubble. 

So today, I will run. I will run heavy. I will think and reflect on what I have learned and the many things I still need to learn. I will run fueled by stress, by sadness, by worry and by the weight of my own responsibility. 

Global Running Day. Becuase "Happy" just doesn't seem to fit this year.