My Approach to Training



My Sunday Shoes



My 2012 goals center on RUNNING. I have lined up 5 half marathons. Goals for which include, running 5 half marathons (2 down, 3 to go), running a half in under 2 hours (CHECK 6/9/2012: 1:55:53), running a half in with 8 minute miles (three more chances), and getting a friend to run in each one (2 fer 2).

GET MOTIVATED

We all have our own motivators. Mine range from the typical to the borderline insane. Playing competitive organized sports my whole life provided me with many that are loosely applicable to much of my life.

First: Avoiding being yelled at; being a kid/teen/young adult this was/is not always an easy task. Sometimes you just want to throw rocks at the person using the porta-crapper next to the field. Besides goofing off, not getting yelled at also includes doing what you are supposed to be doing and doing it RIGHT! Even though I have no coach following me around and watching my every move, I still use this as a great motivator at work and when sailing. Being publicly scolded is fucking embarrassing. Especially if it is something you have done 1,000 other times.



That is One HUGE PUSSY



Second: Ensure you don’t come off as being a giant pussy. (Yeah I am a woman and I use that word in a derogatory way.) If you have made your goals public by spouting off about them constantly (MOTIVATOR) and then you puss out, you look like a giant idiot. To make sure this doesn’t happen to me I actually follow my training schedule and if I am falling behind I shut my trap about my interim failure to avoid being embarrassed by my lazy-ass-ness.



Makes Me Feel Accomplished



Finally: The feeling of success. Walking away from an endeavor with a finished product is amazing. Whether it is a medal, a PR, rock hard abs, or what have you, coming away from a long drawn out process with a check in the “W” column feels friggin’ fantastic.

STAY MOTIVATED

#2 from “GET MOTIVATED” pretty much covers this.

HOW I TRAIN

I’m not an expert. I speak from a buttload of personal athletic experience, book learnin’, and interweb research, so that basically gives me all the authority of a Certified Individual.



Hal Higdon's Intermediate Training Schedule

I started running half marathons using “Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training Program.” In the past I have used a mix of the Intermediate and Advanced levels. I take the simple layout designed by Mr. Higdon and create calendars using a template I found in EXCEL. (I am a huge nerd and constantly use Excel to organize my life.) I start from the date of the race and fill in the days backward until I reach the current date or the race that came/comes before. Beginning 2012 I had every workout through December on a calendar; that doesn’t mean it didn’t/won’t change, but having a plan is half the battle.


How I Nerd Out



There are many purposes to these calendars. I keep them up to date with conflicting activities; typically this just means moving around a rest day to free up time for other random happenings. Another purpose is to make use of #2 from above. On my calendar each day I make an X. There are 3 possible colors: Purple, Black, and Red.

              Purple means I did the prescribed workout. One Point. If I had a great session or did something I deem magical I’ll often doodle something extra or add a smiley face.

                Black means I did not do the prescribed workout.  ½ a Point. Whatever I did deserves half credit. (The activity was physically demanding and worthy of being considered “work.”)

                Red means I flaked. ZERO Points. Be it due to a last minute scheduling conflict or just being lazy; RED is BAD. Having that mark on the calendar makes me feel like shit.

 To further the usefulness of the calendars at the end of each month I tally the “points.” Add them up and divide by the number of days in the month, record the percentage and then POST THAT SHIT! It is easier to let everyone know how well you did as opposed to how big of a slacker you are. The question is: if you can’t keep a promise and work hard for yourself who will you work for?

(**I realize I am a mid 20’s, completely single and childless, but we all deserve to be selfish when it comes to our overall health and well being.)






POST THAT SHIT!!!

To hold myself responsible I post a picture on the ‘Facebook’ (old person voice) at month end and pin up the actual calendar at my work desk. If I get a “high score” it feels good. Should the results be sub-par it will, at the very least, shame me into completing future workouts.



Not Training Tools



Some people might argue that this is too much negative reinforcement. I say, “You can shove it.” Rewards are not acceptable for doing things I should have been doing in the first place. If I have an extra good workout that is what the doodles and smiley faces on the calendars are for. Doughnuts and Candy are NOT training tools. 

HOW I REST

Easy to Use

Learning to run isn’t that hard. In fact, you probably knew how before you could crap in a toilet. Learning to rest issss…a bit more of a challenge. I honestly still don’t know how. I build rest days into my program, but when resting I often feel like I should be doing something. My body needs time to recover, but I don’t know the BEST way. I need to pound into my head that cross training is not the same as rest.

After a race I take a week or two off. In my current cycle I am on the 3^rd week without running. It’s a bit longer and feels weird, but I can tell I need the mental break in order to gear up for my next training period and achieve the goals I have outlined for that race.

PAIN and INJURIES

A huge part of rest in athletics is related to injuries. If you are hardcore you sacrifice your body. Scrapes, cuts, and bruises are no reason to be held back from competition. A sprained ankle? Let’s get that taped up and GO! Got a scrape? Rinse it with water and pack some dirt in there to make a quick scab. In college my coach would ask, “Are you hurt or injured?” Sometimes the line isn’t clear.



A Few Blisters Won't Stop Me



When I am in the heat of competition or in the middle of a run I am able to block that part of my mind. I don’t feel those kinds of pain; the ONLY thing is being faster/stronger and making the mark.

After the game/race is a different story. For whatever reason, getting my ass up off the couch and walking up the stairs is harder than putting in a 10 miler. It is up to each individual to determine their threshold for pain. Mine is high, often to a fault. I don’t pay attention to signs of overuse injuries. One day it may come back and bite me in the ass, but for now I’ll keep powering through.



We all know that you are supposed to have fun when running or playing sports. It was engrained in us as children (to make losers feel better.) My sure fire way of having fun is to WIN. I know I won’t cross the line first, but if I leave with what I came for (a medal and a PR or…?) then I won. Other people’s approaches to achieving goals may be a little more laid back, but I don’t have time for that shit.

TRAIN TO WIN.