My Half Marathon Training Plan

Yesterday I woke up at 6:30 am, planning on going for a run. Planning to, until I heard the rain and looked outside and saw it was still dark out. There are some very quiet neighborhoods nearby that I can run in, but I have to run on a narrow road with no shoulders to get there, and visibility isn't that great, so I'm kind of worried about cars seeing me, especially if it's still dark and it's raining.

So instead of going for a run, I put in an exercise dvd and did a 20 minute workout.

Last night I rethought my half marathon training plan. I had planned on running in the mornings before Mr M heads off to work, but since it's only September and the mornings are already getting darker, I don't think that's going to be a good solution for a fall/winter training plan. Summer, yes. Winter, no.

There's 14 1/2 weeks till the half and I found a 9 week half marathon training plan on RunnersWorld.com, so I have 5 1/2 weeks to build my mileage base before starting the training plan. While my original early morning training plan is out, I think my new one should work.

Monday through Thursday mornings we do schoolwork, with extra activities Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons (we leave right after lunch each day). No activities Wednesday afternoons and Friday is reserved for fieldtrips and other fun stuff.

The training plan calls for 4 days of running with 3 days of rest each week. After looking over the schedule, I figured out a schedule that should (hopefully) work.

Monday

get up early and run on the treadmill (looking on craigslist now) before Mr M leaves for the day

do schoolwork as planned before lunch

Tuesday

get up early and do an exercise dvd before Mr M leaves for the day

do schoolwork as planned before lunch

run around with the kids at soccer practice in the evening

Wednesday

first thing in the morning after Mr M leaves go for a run with LMS in the stroller

come back and do schoolwork, continuing after lunch if needed

Thursday

get up early and do an exercise dvd before Mr M leaves for the day

do schoolwork as planned before lunch

run around with the kids at soccer practice in the evening

Friday

first thing in the morning after Mr M leaves go for a run with LMS in the stroller

then do fieldtrip activities

Saturday

first thing in the morning go for a run without LMS

come back and run around with the kids at soccer

Sunday

rest day

If I'm having an off week, I can skip the dvd workouts and get a little more sleep, and my training plan won't be disrupted. Soccer ends the middle of October, just before the 9 week training plan starts, which will lighten the training load a little. In the meantime, the soccer really is a great workout- playing keepaway with the kids gives some good sprinting opportunities.

It does change the school schedule a little (specifically on Wednesdays), which I had hoped to avoid, but I couldn't figure out any other way to fit the training in.

And here's another reason to change the schedule:
Mr M was leaving for Scouts this evening when he saw a bear (the same one as before?) walking through the trees in our yard. If that bear has decided to hang around the area I'd rather not make his/her acquaitance while on my own.

I especially have no desire to have a run-in with a bear in the early hours of the morning. I carry pepper spray, but I don't carry bear spray. Maybe I should....