7 weeks to go: half marathon training update

I’m one of those people that is either going full speed or not moving. I don’t have any gears in between, which doesn’t work very well when coming back from an injury. My mind says “slow down” and “gently increase mileage” and my body says “sprint up this hill,” “pick up the pace,” and “no need to walk.”

I know I should be running at a much slower pace and mixing in walking to decrease the stress on my body (which has been very clear in the past that I was pushing too hard too fast), but once I put on my shoes and I get outside, all of those rational thoughts fall away.

But I know that the only way to reach my goal of finishing my half marathon in October is to slow down and learn to be rational while running and take preventative measures like walking even if I feel great when I’m running. And all of the hills along my long run beach route sure do help make walking seem like a great idea.

Part of getting myself to let go and slow down is to run by time instead of miles. I’m following a modified version of Lululemon’s Sea Wheeze training guide, and three of the four weekly runs are by time. This mean that when I’m walking I’m not focusing on how many miles I have left and how long it will take, instead I am still outside doing what the training guide told me to do, moving in a forward direction for a specific amount of time.

Mixing in walking has actually made my runs more enjoyable, and now that I have finished a nearly 7 mile run, hills and all (something previously thought impossible) I’m feeling stronger and more prepared. Now I just need to make it through my 8 mile run next week.