We are back and we are continuing on our road race 5k 10k Half Marathon, why you should do one? And today is all about training for it. So let’s get to the basics.
Why do you? What does training have to do with signing up for one? Other than the obvious? Signing up is a commitment. Now, I committed to that, so I gotta commit to training for it. I gotta train. Right? You have to be ready. Have you ever signed up for an Ironman triathlon and then just went out and did it? I’ve actually never signed up for an Ironman. But you can’t imagine, setting a huge, monumental goal like that, and then not having a follow-through plan, I guess is my point. Right? Correct.Â
So how do you find a training plan? It’s so easy. Internet. They’re everywhere. So when I did my half, I remember looking at all the different plans and they were free. They were free plans. You can pick your skill level. Are you a seasoned runner? Are you a walker? And then you could even pick your workout frequency. Do you want to go three days a week? Six days a week? How often do you plan to work out ? They would customize the plan and give you a schedule. You select a two-day-a-week plan and you are doing six or seven miles, a day. But there’s something to those plans in particular, right? I mean, you miss a day. Do you double up on the second day? I don’t remember what the plans teach. But I would recommend not doing that. Some of the plans are dynamic. And they will alter based on you missing a day. And then some of the plans are obviously on paper. And you’re not going to go oh, I doubled up. I think what you are talking about is the difference between a paid plan and a free plan. Premium versus me, me and mine hung on the fridge. It was not dynamic. Okay. Well, there’s nothing wrong with those is why I agree. But you got to understand that those plans are going to be more restrictive. You miss a day. You pretty much just skip the day and move on.
So what should people look for? So they’re doing this wonderful free training plan? And life happens? What’s going on? They’re getting illnesses, they’re getting body aches, they’re getting pains, they’re getting their heart rates elevated? What’s to that? I mean, you’re listening to your body, right? I think there are a couple of elements here. I think we tend to take that physiological experience and go, I’m gonna take a few days off, which might be the proper thing to do. But I think it goes back to what we kind of talked about under motivation and accountability. It’s really about an honest assessment. Is it an excuse not to work out that day? Are you really hurting and you’re concerned? Yeah, you don’t want to have some mysterious leg pain? Is it soreness, you need to ask yourself if this soreness is typical soreness. If you’re unsure, maybe give it another day. Right? Give it another day before you go out and do something crazy, because the worst thing you can do is hurt yourself. Because then you’re out of commission.Â
I think heart rate is important. I’m a fan of tracking the heart rate during the workout. We’ve talked about heart rate monitoring plans as well for the run/walk. If you missed that podcast go check it out. That’s great. It’s how to use it to go from walking to running. It’s really good.
Don’t cheat and stay on track. We’ve talked about that a little bit. Again, if you’ve got a plan that’s not dynamic, you have to catch up. I’ve known people that didn’t train properly, and then two weeks prior to the half marathon, they start trying to cram. Which isn’t good. The body needs time to recover. It needs to be able to go through its cycles and grow and get stronger. So good segue a little bit. Taper, right? Tapers, right before the event. Now hopefully your training plan has that built into it. The week before your half marathon you’re focusing on stretching and nutrition.
Most of what we call the junk miles have already been built. In fact, if you’re doing a half marathon (13.1 miles), you’re never even supposed to do 13.1 miles in one sitting during your whole training program. Most plans will take you up to about 75-80% of that number and then on game day, you finish it off. That’s right. Many people might not know that.
One of the biggest things, I think when you’re training, and it goes back to one of our prior podcasts. gets someone to do the event with you and train with them. Big fan. It’s that accountability aspect. And it’s really cool to cross the finish line with somebody else. Whether you do a destination event or one of your local community events, it’s like hey, let’s go get the banana or Let’s go have a beer afterward. There’s some friendship, there’s a community. You did something together with somebody.
So to recap, we’re short on time. Get a plan. They’re free. They’re everywhere. Like anything else in life, listen to your body. Record your heart rate, and record what you’re doing. Be honest, in your assessment. Get a training buddy. Don’t hurt yourself, because then you’re out of commission. Yep, I love it.
Tomorrow, I think we’re going to talk about pre-race prep, you mentioned that taper week. We will get into what’s involved in that taper week, especially the day before, the two days before. What to expect what to be ready for. Questions, comments, concerns, criticisms. Do you want to see what Jerry looks like one day or Juan Machado? The International extraordinaire? Email us at Snackcast@Yes.fit. Thank you for tuning in. Stay moving. See ya.
