If you’re new to running and you’re planning a half marathon in your near future. Check out Disney’s half-marathon training program (this came to me courtesy of my pal, Leslie, who is training to do her first half marathon in Disney World in February). They’ve got you training for 22 weeks – almost six months. I think this is a great program if you’re starting from scratch. If you started NOW, you’d be ready for a half marathon in April or May.
And what should you eat while you’re training? This is a tough one. I subsribed to the “eat normally until after the race and then eat french fries” school of thought, but the truth is, I feel better when I stick to pretty lean protien and eat plenty of complex carbs during training. On race day, I like a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana. Water, of course, is crucial, and gel and sports drink are important during the race for me. But check out Marathontraining.com for some advice from those who know what they’re talking about. My pal Sharon (whom I’ll be joining for her first half marathon in Disneyland this January) asked me if I knew a good nutrion/eating plan for new runners. I don’t. But now I’m looking for one.
What do you have for us readers? What are your training programs? What are your nutrition tips?
Well I still don’t have my computer up and running, but I will leave some of my own feedback! I’ll start with nutrition, since it will be most likely shorter and what not to read. My nutrition has always been under the philosophy that I don’t like to pass onto others when they ask. I know that I have (or had I’m trying to do better with eating) one of the worst diets in the history of the world. If I didn’t run, I would surely be about 500 pounds. Over my running career I often ate whatever I wanted with the presumption that “I run so much I can put whatever into my body that I want.” Not true. This became so apparent to me when this past September I was house sitting for a family at my church. They know I’m no gourmet chef so left me an assortment of pizza and pizza pockets with little else. Well I had at it and crashed after a week of eating solely this. Terrible for you. I will look forward to updates that you give on nutrition, because I am obviously lacking there. As far as race morning goes, I am a lot better there then I am on most other days. Leading up to the race it is mostly rice and pasta for me, especially the night before. On race day I wake up and get myself a nice big bowl of oatmeal. I have a can of pineapple, and a glass of orange juice as well. Water as always is a key for breakfast too. During the race I learned very quickly in my first one (well around mile 15 the lesson really sank in) that I needed more water (and better training) on race day. For beginners especially I think this is key. Take water at every station. If you don’t think you need it you probably do. You do not have to drink the whole cup, but a little at least to keep you up energy wise. The electrolyte drinks help too, typically I will alternate or take both if they are offered at the pit stop.
As far as training goes, this too I do by the seat of my pants, even though I have offered structured training plans to others that have gotten them to race day without a problem. My problem is I don’t often have people to run with. Especially during training for my first marathon. The long runs are the big important runs. It is why I crashed at mile 15 in my first marathon, improper training. I didn’t have a lot of go to then for my training plan, I was the first of my running buddies to go after it save Michael, whom it never crossed my mind to talk to, and not many of my friends were willing to traverse 20 miles on a given day to run with me. So for those runs, having someone who is willing to go with you is so important for reasons more than just having someone to run with. If something were to happen to you out on the run by yourself you’re that many miles away without a lot of help around. I absolutely must run with a cell phone here in Cheney because I typically don’t have long run partners still. So I carry my phone just in case I need to badger my roommates out of bed to come pick me up. Walking is completely okay. I know that some runner’s will say it isn’t but it is. It’s totally fine for one to walk during their long run or the race. It almost got me a PR in my second marathon in which I had no training at all. Taking a day off if you are not feeling well is okay as well. Now this one you have to be careful with and know the difference between what not feeling good is like in terms of soreness, an injury and being too sick to run. The rule is for sickness anything above the head you don’t run. Soreness and injury are harder to figure out. What I was always told was that soreness feels better after a few minutes of warming up. The “pain” you’re in is your muscles getting used to a new kind of motion. Injury does not get better with a warm up, in fact it intensifies, take it from someone who has had many injuries over a short running career.
Well that’s a concise post Cami. Doesn’t look like it right? Might have more, but I need to get ready for class! Hope I’ve helped some! Hope Bill and you are doing well!
Great thoughts, here, Brandon. I think a lot runners eat what we want and train by the seat of our pants. It just goes to show that we’re ALL in progress, trying to do what’s best for our bodies and doing it imperfectly much of the time. And the whole issue of listening to the body and trying to figure out when to rest is a tricky one, too.
You bring up an importan issue here for some of my readers: Where and how to get those long runs in safely. Do you do an out-and-back route? Find a safe three-mile loop and do it seven times? Or run in one direction and beg someone to drive 20 miles to pick you up? I hope others chime in with solutions to this. Here in Bellingham we have a ton of safe, well-traveled trails, but that may not be the case everywhere. Thanks for your comments, B!
Always here for input! For me I have been thinking a lot about the repetitiousness of the sport we call our own, and when I have time I’d love to do a blog about my thoughts, but here it is. Here in Cheney, a small town with very few places to turn to for runs, I do the same thing over and over again. Now I have always been warned against it. Never do the same thing, the same time, week in and week out. Of course I hardly ever listened to that, especially here in Cheney. The town is 5 miles around. 5.4 miles if you start at my place, get to the main road, and run back around the loop to where I started, then back on up to my apartment. I do this loop I would estimate twice a week, minimum. Of course shorter loops that I do (hardly do I go much shorter than 4 though) incorporate the same loop, just shorter or longer. Long runs get more difficult for me especially in the winter. There is a trail that is 4 miles long from end to end, a typical out and back for me that I get 9 miles in when I do that run. I have loops that take me along the same routes week after week, altering them to get in 10 to 17 miles. You are right though how do you do it safely? I run tall and rest on my ability to get the job done quickly. Sure I have called for help a few times, but being smart about my training the last year has allowed me few instances where I have had to do so. Would it be easier to always have a training partner for me to run with? Definitely. Do I have one, not that is willing to go on my long runs every week. So until I find someone who isn’t intimidated by my “speed (because that is truly a problem I face)” I will continue to run my runs, with a cell phone attached to the hip. It’s good to have friends that love you, and are willing to pick you up when you’re at a low point when you need them.
Curious as to your virtual training plan! I don’t think you and I are running any races together next year (Coeur D’Alene, Seattle Rock and Roll, and Missoula fulls for me, plus maybe Spokane Half, Skagit Flats full (possibly), and San Fran full), but if you wanted to be a virtual training partner of mine I am all for it! I’ll still fly by the seat of my pants mostly for training, but if I can hold steady at 10-13 miles for a long run per week through the end of the year I think I’ll be back to form!