New Running Plan

This week I could have been spotted sitting on my couch, rubbing my hands together in glee as I scour the interwebz for the perfect half marathon training program. Did I mention this yet? Spring will be half HEAVY. Like, all of the halfs. ALL.OF.THEM. Anywhosits, I started looking for a training program to start up pretty soon, because I tend to fall off the wagon otherwise, but then I started to realize that would mean I was training for the first half marathon of the spring for 16 STRAIGHT WEEKS. News flash: 18 weeks almost killed me when training for 26.2.

Hmmm.

I've had three non-race running goals in the back of my head for the last couple of years, so I started tossing those ideas around.

• 1 month running streak
• 60 mile week, 6x10 mile days (I don't know why this sounds so "fun" but it does!)
• 1 mile time trial

Well, a running streak doesn't sound like much fun at the moment, and I know that it usually takes me a month to recover fully from the marathon, and I need to have rest days as options if necessary.

It will take me quite awhile to work up to a 60 mile week, and it doesn't make sense to attempt six, ten mile runs during our time of year with the least amount of light. I do think I can factor this in to my spring training session though! Hopefully....

Which leads me with the time trial! "Back in the day" I was a miler before I became a sprinter, and I loved the mile. I think my best time was a 6:07 or a 6:17. Since then I've raced one mile a couple of years ago at the end of a 5 mile, 5k, 1 mile challenge. I was wiped and came in at 7:14 on a very downhill course. Hmm....

Time trial it is! I plan to keep my weekly mileage in the 20-30 mpw range and reintroduce speedwork back in to my training! I think a short term speedy goal will help me get excited about the speedwork. Plus, if winter rears its ugly head, I can always do a treadmill time trial if absolutely necessary (although I really don't want to).

Even better than a one mile time trial, is

a 30th birthday mile time trial!

Might as well start off my 30s with my fastest mile so far!

I might try to convince some friends to join me (especially if the weather is nice enough to do it outside!), although most people are probably stuck working the day after Christmas (womp womp), but they'd have to let me win! jk. kinda.