Half Marathon #2

I love working out! Any type of working out! I love to be active. I would much rather throw a football, go for a run, do some hiking, or lift weights than sit on my duff and watch TV. When the TV's on, I find myself wondering what I could be doing that would burn some calories rather than letting them all accumulate. It is true I have a hard time staying still, and I really dislike TV. If I could be outside all day every day being active, I would! I love it! I especially love running. There's something about feeling the wind on my face and the warmth of the sun and enjoying God's creations while sweating my guts out! I love it! I especially love running trails in the mountains where I can enjoy the rocks and greenery and have time to think. I also like that it is an independent sport where you can see your personal improvement. Your growth depends on your self-motivation and determination to progress. It's a way you can check-mark an accomplishment each day, especially if you beat your time from your previous workout.

I ran the Hobble Creek Half Marathon last August and had a fabulous experience. It was so rewarding to train hard for something and to follow through. I made a goal last year that I would run at least one half marathon every year, and hopefully some day graduate to a marathon each year. Well, in August it will be a year, which means I only have a little over a month left! I have started training for the Green River Half Marathon up here in Wyoming. I'm really excited about this one because it's on dirt trails instead of a paved road, and you get to see wild horses running beside you-- hence the name, "Run With the Horses Half Marathon." I also like the idea of being held accountable for my decision, so I've decided to blog my total mileage each week. That way, you can put some pressure on me to make sure I get all the miles in I'm supposed to each week! Feel free to check up and ask if I'm still on track!

Here's my training log:

DATE DAILY MILES WEEKLY TOTAL
July 14-19 8 mile run, 4 mile run, 5 mile run, 4 mile run 21 miles
July 21-26 8 mile run, 5 mile run, 5 mile run, 5 mile run 23 miles
July 28-Aug 2 9 mile run, 5 mile run, 5 mile run, 5 mile run 24 miles
Aug 4-9 9 mile run, 4 mile run, 4 mile run, 6 mile run, 3 mile run 26 miles
Aug 11-16 10 mile run, 4 mile run, 5 mile run, 6 mile run, 3 mile run 28 miles
Aug 18-23 3 mile run, 3 mile run, 5 mile run, HALF MARATHON (13.1 mile run) 24 miles/ RACE DAY

Report for July 14-19: I ran 18 miles this week, but needed 21. I missed a day of running because I drove down to Utah and didn't have time that day. I'll try and put the extra 3 miles somewhere else.

By the way, if any of you are runner lovers out there, http://www.runnersworld.com/ is where I got this training log. Look for SmartCoach on the front page. You type in all of your information for a recent race and how hard you want to train, and it spits out a computerized schedule for you that fits your goals! It also has you train with speedwork and tempo runs to help get your times faster.