It’s finally 2020 and the Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon Weekend will be here before I know it. If you are training specifically for this race, you know that we are in week 4 of the training plan! Yikes! This training cycle has caught me completely off guard. Thankfully, runDisney had a post on their Facebook page to remind us. Starting a training plan one week before Christmas is definitely not an ideal time. So, how did I do?
As you can see, I got off to a pretty good start in week 1. Although, I didn’t complete the workouts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The runDisney post came up on the Tuesday of week 1. So, I wasn’t prepared to get out and stat. Instead, I completed workouts on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Being flexible with your workout days is a big key to getting in all the miles. Each workout was a run on the treadmill. I walked the first 5 minutes and then completed intervals of 30 seconds run (at 5.5mph) and 90 seconds walk (at 3.5mph). These workouts would have been easy for me a few years ago. However, they taught me just how much out of shape I am right now. Each workout pushed me. As hard as this comeback tour is for me, I was proud of what I did in week 1.
As great as week 1 turned out, week 2 was a total bust. It was Christmas week and I just wasn’t into the idea of working out on any day for the week.
Week 3 was supposed to be a bounce back week. Just like week 1, I scheduled the treadmill runs for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Since I had week 2 off, I knew I couldn’t just pick up where I left off in week 1. I debated over how much time I should go for on that first workout. The first 30 minutes went better than expected. So, I kept run/walking all the way to 40 minutes. I used the same warm up and run/walk ratios as in week 1. That first workout was hard, but I made it through! The second run on the treadmill was my worst in quite some time. I walked for 5 minutes. Then, got into my run/walk intervals. However, I only lasted a mile before I gave up and walked it out. In order to make this time on the treadmill worth it, I upped the elevation. Even though I didn’t make it 3 miles of run/walking, this workout wore me out. I wasn’t feeling well on Saturday night or on Sunday. So, I decided to listen to my body and take Sunday off. I also think it’s time for some new running shoes. The pain I felt on Saturday was something I remember from when I’ve needed new shoes in the past.
The first 3 weeks are behind me. I’ve got so much work to do. This comeback stuff is hard. I have all this head knowledge of what my body used to do for me. It gets confusing when the “easy” workouts of old are so difficult. That’s what 2 years of time off does, though. You lose conditioning. I’ve been reminding myself of this during these first 3 weeks. There’s no time to panic just yet. I wanted to do something hard and this is just that. However, each new week brings new hope. I know that if I keep working I’ll get there.
Let’s go week 4!
I’m training for the same race, and had similar challenges starting up training during Christmas. Good for you for sticking to it!