Progress: I kicked up the miles this week, logging 15.1 miles for Week 3, bringing my total to 36.1 miles for the month. It was amazing to see the miles add up to and beyond 26.2! I've really pushed myself this month to get faster, too. Even though I've officially completed my marathon, I plan to keep logging and reporting my miles here for the rest of the month, in anticipation of my next 5K on June 1st.
Finding Time to Run: My running routine changes constantly. I'm a stay-at-home mom, but because we homeschool, I still have to work around our schedule. What kind of teacher would I be if I went out for a run instead of teach a math lesson? (A pretty popular teacher, actually!) Sometimes the weather gets in the way. Snow, wind, rain, humidity and intense heat can all affect how long or far I run, or if I run at all. (I don't have a treadmill so all of my running has to be outside.) I have to ask myself questions like, "Should I run if I have a cold?" "Should I run if my kids are sick?" "Should I run in the morning when there is more traffic on the road?" "Will cars be able to see me if I run this close to dark?"
As a runner, I've learned to make a general plan for the week, but be flexible about executing it. My ideal plan is this:
- Monday-- go for a 3 mile run
- Tuesday-- rest
- Wednesday-- go for a 2 mile run, focusing on speed
- Thursday-- rest
- Friday-- rest or go for an easy 3 mile run
- Saturday-- go for a long run (5-6 miles)
- Sunday-- rest
I'm trying to figure out a plan for running in the summer. Like I said, I don't have a treadmill and I'm a wimp about the heat. We live in a severely humid area of the country which makes it even more dangerous to get overheated because sweat is not evaporated from the body as quickly. I'm considering getting up to run a few mornings a week before Brian leaves for work, but that would mean being out of the house by 6:15 am which will take discipline. I'm not seeing any other way to do it, though, and taking a break for the summer would steal any bit of momentum I currently have going.
Any runners out there have advice for summer running?
When I started running again last summer (early August), a couple of friends and I would meet at 8 pm and run together after our kids were in bed. I really have to find a running schedule that works again. I haven't run in over a month :-P
ReplyDeleteI don't mind heat, but I'm a total wimp about running in the cold, and living in Pennsylvania we have plenty of cold. I used to have a treadmill, but it died, so my running is now limited to the summer months. Hubby leaves for work at 6:10, so I usually have to get up around 5 if I want to get a decent run in (and be able to shower afterwards) before he leaves.
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this series. I'm enjoying it. I'm the opposite of you though...was a runner in high school and even did 2 marathons in my pre kids days. But with little ones I have different priorities now. :-)