Only a few days to go...

On Sunday it's judgement day, the day of my first ever half marathon. I'm feeling anxious, nervous but also excited about the upcoming challenge. I've not set myself a target finishing time - anything below 3hrs is great - it would just be amazing to be able to finish. Of course, I've had doubts in my abilities because of bad runs in the past, but all I can do is try my best.

I've come across a inspirational tweet by my mentor Dean Karanzes the other day...

Tapering off

In the last week I've been tuning down my training runs and taking on lots of carbs - in runner's terms I've been 'tapering off'. Basically, it means you give your body enough time to recover and re-energise before race day. Experts say, you should eat approx 400 to 700 gr of carbs a day, that can be pasta, potatoes, rice, porridge, beans. At the same time you should reduce your intake of fats and protein (remember my 'Nutrition basics' blog post a couple of weeks back). Even though I love my carbs, I didn't feel great eating so much of it. I started feeling bloated and today, my stomach just didn't feel right. I hope to be better tomorrow… Also, I've started to hydrate my body with at least 1.5 litres of water a day. I'm not a big drinkers, so that is a hard undertaking for me.

MyASICS training plan

Since I've launched my running blog, I've done a total of 38 training runs and ran a total distance of 227.6km. Even though I didn't completely follow the MyASICS training plan that I laid out for me (77runs/546km), I feel confident that I'll at least manage to complete my half marathon goal. It will all depend on how I feel on race day.

My training progress

Race day preparations

For race day I've prepared…

• My running clothes and shoes
• Water bottles with electrolyte tabs at hand
• adjusted the padding on my running earphones to ensure a tight fit and
• post-run snack, consisting of bananas, energy bars and chocolate milk shake.

Tomorrow I'll update my running music playlist with some new tunes and will try to keep my mind busy. This week it's been worried about the wearer forecast. It's been hot and sunny, just like it should be in June and at the beginning of summer. However, for my first half I'd want anything else but hot weather. But it seems like the weather god might be listening to me…

So wish me luck - I'll see you on the other side ;) Good luck to all runners taking part in the #Southendhalf!

65 runs and 538.5 km - my training plan

In preparation for my half-marathon I'm been browsing the internet for a well thought out training plan. Depending on commitment and budget, there are literally hundreds available online for a one-off fee. As an amateur runner my budget is fairly limited. Also, I'd like to be able to adjust my plan to my busy lifestyle and log runs on any device at any time.

Through the Runner's World website I've stumbled upon the MyASICS online training app. The MyASICS app offers to log runs but also to set up training plans from 5K runs to full marathons. The only catch is your run has to be at least four weeks away from date you set up your plan (which makes sense for any beginner, unless you're mad). MyASICS is also available as a smartphone app, which allows me to track my runs on the go and keeping trace of my performance and progress - which I personally find very handy. Sounds all very promising, so let's give it try…

myasics.co.uk

I select my appropriate parameters and MyASICS does all the work for me. I can then adjust the number of runs I'm prepared to commit to during a week (3).

The MyASICS app tells me in order to complete my half marathon with the suggested time of 2:24:59 at 9th June I will run 538.5 kilometres in 65 runs. That sounds a bit harsh, I'd rather not think too much about it…

myasics.co.uk

MyASICS also advises me that my training comprises of 7 phases, starting with the pre-conditioning phase. In the pre-conditioning phase I will work on my overall fitness and then gradually add speed and distance to my training. The next phase - Balanced Training - is only 9 runs away. As a novice to all that jargon, I'm be happy to go along with it. My first 5K jog is scheduled for tomorrow, let the training begin!