On the Run

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My "running habit" hasn't exactly been habitual. While I had planned to run my first half marathon in 2014, that did't happen... mostly because life did. I'm undaunted, though... there's always next year. With that in mind, I'm making plans for my running schedule, and putting the half marathon on my 2015 goal list. Problem is, I need to start preparing now to be ready for next April!

Do you have some scheduled, disciplined habits as part of your power pantry lifestyle? I know how tough it is to keep at regularly planned exercise, and fun-time and quiet time, but all are essential to our wellness. Life gets in the way, expectations go unmet, and yet another year flies by without achieving that essential thing that we anticipated. The best thing to do? Get right back on the horse and start riding again.

I'd also say not to wait for making a New Year's resolution. To me, there's nothing special about the change of December 31st to January 1st that it deserves the distinction of rejuvenation and renewal. Better to ride a wave of innate, gut-level inspiration into a new endeavor and let it lead us into what gives us energy.

I'm using some recent inspiration to launch into training for my first half marathon. The event is held in April, and it takes a good 12 weeks to prepare, so I've got about 2 weeks before I need to get started on my running schedule. I'm going to use something like this great beginner-runners schedule to prepare: 12-week Half Marathon Training

I'm sure you have something in the back of your mind that you're really itching to accomplish. Why not put it down on paper or commit it to your goal list, and get started? When you look back in six months, I know you'll be glad you did.

By the Way

If you'e an aspiring runner, a good rule of thumb for training is about one week of running for every mile of the event you're planning to run. For a true first-timer, you may want to double that kind of time frame for your first 5k (which is about 3 miles, so that would yield about a six week training period). For the most part, though, a graduated running schedule is what will build endurance and lung capacity to get you across the finish line of your first big event. Good luck!