In june, it will be time for me (and my sis and my cousine) to run Linköpings first half marathon. It will be my 4th official one and I feel like I want to run it under 2 hours. This is kind of a challenge for me right now but I have a plan! Well, Nike-coach has a plan for me.

I’ve been running regularly since the end of 2009 and I’ve had help on my way earlier: a running club in Eskilstuna and some company were the best ways for me to get inspiration and keeping on running. Since I moved to Linköping, I haven’t run with any club (no motivation to find one…) and I had company on sundays, my friend H, but she has other challenges right now. I just dream of running with her again soon! So you get my troubles: I need some new inspiration in order to train running normally until june. 

My sister tipsed me about the Nike app, with a runner coach. There are several programs, for both 5, 10 and 21K with for each three different levels. Each program for the half marathon are on 12 weeks. I counted that I had the time to make 2 programs until june (plus-minus some days) so I decided to start with a beginner and to achieve my training with the intermediate. I will tell you week for week how it is going.

Week one

• day 1: run 4,83 km. It was all snowy outside, so the pace was not very high (5,59 min/km). It did not feel very challenging, but I know that the hard work is coming, so I’d better enjoy this short runs.
• day 2: run 6,44km. I ran this one at the gym. It makes it easier to controll the pace. On average, I ran at 5,42 min/km, with peak at 12,5 km/h. I made some exercices for the stomach and the back afterwards, always good to sweat.
• day 3: Cross-train. I just jumped over this pass. Maybe not that serious but whatev’
• day 4: rest. L O V E L Y
• day 5: run 4,83 km. I ran this one outside, the snow has smelt, but it was windy as hell. I had an average pace of 5,48 min/km, which was a little higher than the previous time, but mostly because of the dissapearing of the snow I guess.
• day 6: run 6,44km. I made this one at the gym and tried to accelerate progressively. I had an average pace of 5,29 min/km, which was the fastest of the week and this pass was by far the hardest as well.
• day 7: rest. L O V E L Y

At the end of week 1, I felt pretty good, with my 22,54 km in my legs and a green check on the side of every planned pass. I feel that one of the big coming challenge will be to find the time to make it during my working weeks. I have kind of a lots of travels that are planned, I will need to plan with patience.

My weight, at the end of week 1, is about 65 kg. Why do I talk about my weight suddently? This is very simple: when I ran in Paris, I had 1h57 on the half marathon and felt lie I was flying around during all this time. I had a very low intensive preparation time and ok, I was 4 years younger. The biggest difference was that I was about 5 kg lighter and I think there is a lot in these 5 kg. I need a lots of energy to move them and I would like to get ridden of them for 1) having easier running sessions and 2) been able to put on some dresses that are too little at the moment.

 

Week 2

• day 1: run 4,83 km. I ran this one at the gym, with an average pace of 5,25 min/km. I feel that I am far away from keeping this velocity during 2 hours, which is what I need to do if I want to run the halfmara under 2 hours… Well, Just keep on the work…
• day 2: run 8,05km. I missed the goal… with 3 meters! I thought I had to run 8,01 km, so I ran 8,02km to be on the right side, but no! Anyway, it took me 46min and 1 second, which is much more quicker than the last time I ran this distance outside. Ok, ok, last time, it was with snow and ice but don’t tell anyone!
• day 3: cross train. I decided to give my blood, as I do every 4 months or so. Worked well!
• day 4: rest. I was actually very tired this day, maybe because if the activity of the day before: ones get weaker with 0,5L blood less.
• day 5: run 4,83 km. After a long negociation with myself, I took a morning run. It lasted 4,2km and not 4,83 but I felt that it was enough. I actually think that the long pass from the day after is too short, so I authorized myself to take a shorter run on day 5 in order to run a little longer on day 6. It was so dark and so uninspiring to run the day 5 that I was really happy to be home. It was a slow run as well, mostly because of the giving-blood activity.
• day 6: run 8,05 km. The weather was horrible (snow and rain and ice on the ground), so I postponed this activity to the day after.
• day 7: rest. Oh no, no rest! I drove M to the station for his travel to Ljungby, and I took the direction of the gym. I was not the only one having this idea: it was full of people with good resolutions for 2015. After a little while, a running place was free, so I ran 5 km in 27 min. Then, I had to let someone else run, so I waited maybe 3-5 min and ran 5 km more at 29 min. So at the end: 10K in 58 min, which I am kind of happy for.

At the end of the week 2, I have 26,97 km in the legs and my weight is 64,1 kg. This was not really according to the plan from Nike, but not that far either.

 

Let’s see how week number 3 went next tuesday!