Okay so it's been a while yes...and the readership [more than my mother it seems] is getting antsy about a post so I figured I better jump on the saddle [pun intended] and get things going. This past weekend I was totally sick with a case of food poisoning. I know...you're all thinking 'What the hell from Alex? You live a really clean lifestyle and your diet is squeak clean?". Well...yes and no. Yes, I like to think I live cleanly and that my diet is that good but in truth, I have an awful tendancy to overeat, especially on cooked foods AND EVEN MORE SO after an intense workout.
And so extreme hunger + extreme fatigue = overeating of cooked foods. Too much to digest, too foreign to my body which resulted in some problems. These problems led to a weekend sitting on the comfy chairs of my gym, watching the PGA championships, dozing in and out of sleep, wondering how the hell people can watch golf for so damn long and thinking about how badly I want to get back out and run / cycle again. In short, it sucked. But I'm back and I'm able to stomach the sight of food now and can finally hold meals down. In fact, last night I had a nice hummus salad with some 'cheeze' pizza and this was fine. So, with a fresh new intestinal track [gross] and a renewed sense of being [now that I can kind-of-run and kind-of-cycle] let's get to that reader question.
This person asked me if 95 days [approx 14 weeks] is enough time to run a half-marathon given an active training base of 3 times weekly cardio and tennis thrown in for good measure. First off, 95 days is definitely enough time to do this so YES! The other good news is that you're not starting from your couch, YES! And finally...and really, the best part of all, this person is VEGAN, Double YES [YES]! In short, running 4 times a week at varying lenghts and intensity will get you there. But follow through is a must! As with diet too...I get tons of people who always start strong but for whatever reason, they cannot follow through. And I hear excuses all the time too...I digress. Below is a decent sample running routine using that 4 times per week training. As you've probably guessed, there will be 3 days off from running. I'm going to assume most people have the most time on the weekends and so the longest runs will be on the weekends. Starting from Saturday....
Saturday: Run easy 4 miles, Think 'slog' pace [get it! SLOW + JOG = SLOG]
Sunday: Long run of 8 miles, light pace. [you should feel tired but strong enough to walk]
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Hill work. Find a hill or go to a gym and incline a few % and run for 3 miles.
Wednesday: OFF
Thursday: Speedwork. On a track or treadmill, run 3 x 1 mile repeats at race pace with 5 minutes rest between each sete.
Friday: OFF.
Each week, increase Sunday's run by 1 mile, Tuesday's workout by 1/4 mile and Thursday's workout by a 1/2 mile. By race day, you'll be able to really kick butt in the half marathon and hopefully say I got you there and we'll both me on the front page of NY Times. But really, this routine is good enough to for the avid fitness individual.
Run hard.
Triathlete means 3 sports...you're running and cycling but what's the third-watching golf, eating, or swimming? Bring a pair of goggles to Ala Moana beach some afternoon and you can swim with my highschool kayakers. Then you'll be a triathlete in the traditional sense.
ReplyDeleteOuch! Let me see if I can pick up the remains of my ego and confidence and try to write something about that.
ReplyDeleteI meant the feeling is like a triathlete. To feel sore and ill must be what it's like to finish one. Getting a harsh reader comment comparing my athleticism to a high-schooler...well, that's gotta be right on up there with Ironman sensation. =)
And while I admit, I may swim like a high-school girl, I like to think I can fit into her pants better than she can =)
Was not intended to be an ego buster...you're a professional runner...you've got plenty of confidence and skills to match. And it's girls and guys many of whom are approaching their athletic prime. But their coach can still kick their butt ;). We'll just leave the pants comment alone.
ReplyDeleteAlex,
ReplyDeleteThis was so helpful! I am really ready to start training now, today I ran and played tennis, but tomorrow I will start the formal training. I think its going to be hard but really fun and worth it, definitely. Thanks again for all the help! =]
Sorry for the late response... the internet in my dorm decided to not work at all for a few days.
I will keep you updated because I know I will have questions and need advice sooner than later lol. Also, I made my version of your "Green Smoothie" and it was deliciousssss.... that and guacamole are officially my two favorite things to eat.
Aloha!
ReplyDeleteAlways happy to help =)
Let me know how that goes for you and I'll be sure to throw in my new green smoothie recipe that is really chocolatey. Suuuuper good and really good for you of course!
Yep, Guac is very tasty isnt it and so simple to mac. Avo, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeno and lime juice. Boom. I like to chop zucchini up very thinly and use that as my 'chips'. Super good. That or get some spinach...wonderfully healthy and you won't miss the crunch...promise.