Time to get real: Training for my first Half Marathon

Finishing my first-ever 10K (The 40th annual Dexter-Ann Arbor Run back on June 2nd) was a mixed bag. On one hand, it was a GREAT accomplishment. A year ago today, I HATED running. I ran/walked one mile in like 14 minutes, and I thought it was miserable torture to run 1 mile, let alone a 5k. I had completed other 5ks in the past few years, but overall I was overweight and overfed!

Fast forward to Sunday, the day of the Dexter-Ann Arbor 10K, and look at me now! I've run FIVE 5ks, one 5 miler, and one 10k race in the past eight months. I was able to run the entire 10k without stopping (minus quick water break jogs @ 2 stations). Hot damn that is some fine progress!!!

The other side of the coin is that I am currently pretty far from being able to run the 13.1 I've signed up for in October. As I crossed the finish line at my first 10k race, in addition to "Woohooo!!", my other thought was "Dang, that wasn't even half of a half marathon!". This is OK- I've worked hard to get to this point, and I know that progress is incremental. But something I was reminded of this weekend is that You can't expect to reach your goals if you don't put in the specific training needed.

For this 10k, I was hoping for a time of 53:00- that was my 'dream' time. BUT I didn't really have a specific plan on how to reach that time until a runner friend from college reached out on facebook about 2 weeks before the race. While I had been running regularly (6-10 miles a week), it just wasn't enough speed work to get me to my goal time.

In the spirit of informed goal setting for the Freep National Half-Marathon, I have three goals.

Goal 1: Finish the Half.
Goal 2: Finish the Half without walking
Goal 3: Finish the Half in under 2:00 hours.

Goal 1 is very achievable now- I know that I'm currently at a fitness level where I could run/walk a half marathon. Goal 2 is something that I need to train specifically for, and right now, Goal 3 is a shot in the dark.

That being said, I'm putting together my training plan so I can be as prepared as possible. I'll share that in the next day or two as I finish it up! I know that regardless of what my first-ever Half Marathon experience is like, it'll be MUCH more rewarding if I feel like I've properly prepped for it!