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!
Why I runDisney 
I’m training for the same race, and had similar challenges starting up training during Christmas. Good for you for sticking to it!