Workout Wednesdays

Hey all.
In an effort to extend the proverbial olive branch of running, I will be starting to blog on Wednesdays specifically about workouts, nutrition, and all other things running.  For post numero uno, here's one of my favorite running workouts, Race yo a*& into shape.  Here goes nothing...

Running sucks.  It hurts, you sweat, smell kinda funky, miss out on drunken parties because you need to wake up early and run a race or workout, go to bed at 9 pm, and the list goes on and on....BUT there is one awesome part of running- RACING.  I love races. Granted, at least 24 hours before the smallest local race I am a hot mess and ready to vomit, I just love getting to a starting and finish line.  It is just the best feeling in the world to know that no matter what happens, I ran my butt off and left it all out on the course.  Sometimes races don't go as planned, but a crappy race is better than a great run on a treadmill or boring run on a road any day.

One great thing about races is that for the most part, there's a zillion of them to choose from.  You can also strategically plan races of various distances to prepare for a goal race.  For example, I am planning on making my big race of the year the Harrisburg marathon.  In order to meet my goal of qualifying for Boston (3:35 or lower finish time), I am planning races accordingly.  This weekend I raced a five mile that was moderately hilly, and I ran the mile splits approximately 1:15 faster than my marathon pace.  My next race will be a 10k that will again be about a minute faster than MP (Marathon Pace).  I plan on following that with a 5k and long run (15-20 miles) weekend, then a weekend 'off' (AKA lower mileage), a half marathon at 30 seconds per mile faster than MP, a 5k at full speed and long run weekend, and then my last weekend of super long (20+ miles).  Getting to marathon time is great, but being well-prepared with shorter and faster, but also longer and slightly faster is key.

Another thing races offer is the chance to try new stuff.  A new outfit? Great! New pre-race dinner? Go for it- I always stick with a gigantic vegan burrito, but you do you... New kicks? All you homey. Try new combos of stuff in races you care a little less about.  It can make the difference between dealing with the same old, same old, and learning something new about your running and yourself that you may not have known before.

Happy Hump day and stay tuned for more Work out Wednesday posts!