It's been a long time since I've been motivated to run more than six miles. I think my body needed the unstructured running, but my mind was starting to play tricks on me.With the craziness of teaching a new grade level and subject this year, I have been focusing so much energy on my new job and the boys, that I was starting to burn out (and it's only the first six weeks).
Finally, I decided that it was time to focus a little on myself. And the best way to do that, is to sign up for races and come up with a mileage spreadsheet. I'm going to use Hal Higdon's Novice 2 and sub out the cross training with one more running day. I believe I will top out with 45 mpw but most weeks are right around 40.
The race calendar is as follows:
Sunday, October 30: Stonebridge Racer's Halloween Hustle 15K (Mckinney, TX)
Thursday, November 24: Ft. Worth Thanksgiving Day 5000 1/2 marathon
Sunday, December 4: Dallas White Rock 1/2 marathon
Saturday, December 31: New Year's Eve Full marathon (Allen, TX)
Sunday, January 1: New Year's Day 5K (Allen TX)
Saturday, January 21: Wee Chi Tah Trail 1/2 marathon (It's a DUEL weekend!)
Sunday, January 22: Wee Chi Tah Trail 1/2 marathon (Wichita Falls, TX)
Sunday, February 26: Cowtown Full marathon
Saturday, March 24: Grasslands Trail 1/2 marathon
Sunday, April 15: Big D Full marathon (Dallas, TX)
Saturday, June 16: Grandma's Full marathon (Duluth, MN)
After this, I will have to see! Gets pretty damn hot down here and the training hits the treadmill...not a lot of races in TX, but maybe I can find a few not too far away.
Eventually I would like to bump the mileage up between 60 - 70 mpw, but I think I need a couple more marathons under my belt. I would also love to get in a day of swimming, but I'm not sure if I am ready to commit to the monthly gym membership. We will have to see what life brings after the hubby is done with grad school. That is sure to make a little more wiggle room :)
As far as clean(er) eating goes, I am trying to eliminate most sweets. I consume FAR too many on a daily basis and would like to eat mostly whole foods during the week and then have a cheat day on my long run day.
Before I took a week to rest two weeks ago, my legs were starting to always be really dead, and I think first off I was over trained, but also, I wasn't eating well. I have the mindset that coffee and candy is a healthy diet and can totally be satisfied on nothing healthy in a day!
I am getting back into more salads with lots of healthy fats from nuts along with the protein the nuts add, I am going to get in more yogurt, eggs, and meat.
Fruit and veggies also need to be amped up. It's not like I don't enjoy them, but I got into a bad sugar cycle of craving it all the time and then giving in...just repeating the vicious cycle.
Today was my first long run in a really long time. 12 miles. It went great! Wish I would have signed up for the Tyler Rose half next weekend now that I know I could have made it! I ran it's debut last year and the town was beautiful and the course was great. It was the first time I broke 2 hours on a 1/2. Just don't know if it's in the cards this year.
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