Running is Fun! Right...?

So my ultimate goal for this blog is to update you in "real time," or it would be more like "real days" about my workouts. Meaning that I want to be able to write about the workout I did today, describe how it felt and describe any modifications I had to make in order to track my rate of success.

However, I don't want to discourage any newbies from reading my blog because there are still helpful tips here for you too! I want to share with you what workouts I used when I started this journey to give you a real idea of where I am with my training.

I'm going to be honest and tell you... I absolutely hate running.

Whaaaaat?

Yes, I hate it. I've heard of this magical zone where running stops hurting and just becomes "freeing" and "fun" but I have not hit that point yet it my training.

It may be the competitiveness that I just always push myself too hard, so it hurts. Or it may just be that this is the first real athletic challenge I've done since high school, where everything used to come naturally, so it's hard. Or it may just be that I will never like running!

Don't get me wrong, I want to like running. It's free, it's an awesome workout, I suppose it's "healthy", and there's all these awesome running events. Plus, I just want to be the bad-ass that says, "Yeah, I ran 26.2 miles, I'm awesome." 

I have had moments where I felt like I could run forever, but they were quickly diminished with the first wisps of wind, or slight incline of the pavement.

So be comforted, it isn't just you! Or maybe it's just me...

Why am I doing this then? Quite honestly it's been a goal of mine since the first track season I ever participated it: to learn to love running. Surely running 26.2 miles will force me to do that, right?

Anyway, the following is a summation of my workout history to catch you up to my current running program:

I first started out with the workout plan that can be found here for free: http://skinnyms.com/running-program-for-absolute-beginners/

Don't be fooled by the title guys, men can do this workout too!

This was the first "beginners" running workout that I've found that is actually for beginners!

The first 2-1/2 to 3 weeks of this program has you walking. Just walking. Anyone can do this workout. In fact it was hard for me to do this workout because it had me walking for so long (oh, the competitiveness)! Don't try to skip though, because I did and HELLOOOOO SHIN SPLINTS. That was fun.

So after recovering for about two weeks (thank you, elliptical) I got back out and finished this workout up to the point where it has you fully running a mile. I have taken it from there to incorporate my own schedule and training to make it my own because quite frankly, running 5 days a week is hard. Especially for someone new at running!

My modification to the schedule looks something like this:

Monday- still strength training; the 30-min circuit at the gym
Tuesday- Run
Wednesday- Interval Training (will discuss more about this later!)
Thursday- Run + strength training
Friday- Rest
Saturday- Distance Run
Sunday- Yoga

Granted, I am not always 100% on point with this schedule, but this is what my ideal schedule is and what I aim for each week.

My strength training involves several different elements (gotta keep it interesting!) including the 30-min circuit room at my gym, or any combination of the workouts listed on the dailyhiit website I mentioned in my first post. Sometimes, I even make up my own, because I'm fancy like that! Ultimately I aim for at least 30 mins of good, solid, strength training, mixed with intervals of cardiac activity (i.e. jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees, jump squats).

I have two versions of interval training: the first is for speed training and endurance, the second is to improve distance. For the speed and endurance training, I do a medium distance running the entire time, varying my speeds from jog/walk, light run, fast run. I do this with an interval timer which is a free app on my phone - I'm all about anything free! For distance, I choose a long distance for my over-all goal, and choose an increment to run and an increment to walk. This weekend, in preparation for the 10K, I will choose a distance of 6.2 miles, and will walk/run in .50 mile increments (now that I told you, I have to do it). I chose this based on the fact that I haven't ran all week to let my legs rest, and also because I don't want to burn myself out before the race; I'm only up to running 1.5 solid miles currently. This will give me a chance to be more realistic as to how I will run the 10K as it is a month away and I am not as far along as I hoped I would be at this time.

Yoga. I am a huge advocate for the incorporation of yoga in your running workout. I got a "Yoga for beginners" workout DVD from Walmart while I was still in college (in my attempt to "get back in shape" one summer) that I use on days where I don't have the 1-1/2 hours (or endurance) that Yoga-X from the P90X workout series calls for. There are also several free videos on YouTube that will work too. Here are some advantages yoga has for runners. Personally, it helps me prevent any running injury by increasing my flexibility and has actually helped my shin-splints during a flare up a few times!

We've all heard the childhood song, "the foot bone's connected to the leg bone, the leg bone's connected to the hip bone..." Well it's all true! Which is why I've incorporated several different types of exercises to prevent injury and increase strength, because running alone just won't cut it. Your muscles strengthen at different paces, and this typically causes injury. So always try to mix it up! 

Whew... this has been long winded. I'll leave you with what I hope to accomplish this week in my workouts with the inclusion of the 21-day-challenge from the dailyhiit.

Today: Dailyhiit challege day 11
Wednesday: Run 1.5 Miles; Dailyhiit challenge day 13-Rest Day (yes, I'm moving the rest days around to fit my needs-make a workout your own!)
Thursday: Dailyhiit challenge day 12
Friday: Dailyhiit challenge day 14- Rest day
Saturday: Interval Run (distance) 6.2 miles; Dailyhiit challenge day 15
Sunday: P90X yoga; Dailyhiit challenge day 16

I will let you know how today's workout goes when I do it later!