Coached on...

I met with Zoe, a running coach, at Starbucks a few weeks ago. She gave me a bunch of pointers and a plan to get me half-marathon ready by September. I scribbled all this on a Starbucks napkin that I have been shlugging around for weeks now. Really!

Hey! I have an idea....why don't I copy it here and then it won't get lost!

Her tips:

• Read Chi Running (I ordered it and have read some) It has some useful advice!
• "Running is just controlled falling" Lean forward at your ankles!
  
• Run with empty toilet paper rolls to keep hands loose. Graduate to potato chips when I feel I've got it and can run without crushing them
• Arms: elbows back, thumbs up, don't cross mid-section, keep low
• Chin: With hand in thumbs up, rest your fist on your chest. Your thumb should be just touching your chin
• Sprint for 100 steps during long intervals
• Hill work once/week: Run up, walk down a few times. Stay on the balls of your feet and use short strides
  
• Check out for a running coach with Tim Kelly at Village Runner (Roadrunners)
• Get good shoe fit from James Johnston @ Athlete's Foot on W. Sahara. He will know more running coaches to get in touch with on my side of town.

My Plan NOW:

• Continue intervals: Run 12 min/walk 2 min, Run 5 min/walk 2 min (sprint 100 steps in middle of some runs) for 30 min 2/week
  
• Long Run on Saturdays! (See long runs below)
  
• Hill work 1/week
• FOCUS ON WEIGHT LOSS!

The Long Runs: (she called this tapering up to a race, but that term doesn't make sense to me me...doesn't tapering mean getting smaller, not bigger?)

• June 7- 3m
  
• June 14-4m
• June 21st-5m
• June 28th-3m (5k weekend MM)
  
• July 5th-6m
• July 12th-3m (MagicMile)
  
• July 19th-7m
• July 26th-4m (MM)
  
• Aug. 2nd-8m
• Aug. 9th-5m (10K weekend MM)
  
• Aug. 16th-10m
  
• Aug. 23rd-12m
• Aug. 30th- 8m
• SEPTEMBER 6TH-HALF-MARATHON-13.1m

*Edited schedule on 6/4/09 to use MM from Jeff Galloways's training site that uses the run/walk approach that often use. Run 2min/walk 1min/repeat :)

WARNING: IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING!

My running coach asked me to take a photo of myself in a tank top & bike shorts every six weeks. To which I replied..."I don't own bike shorts (eewww)". She made me reconsider and take a trip to Ross for the benefit of seeing is believing. Since the weight isn't changing much these days, it feels good to see the difference.

Mar. 29, 2009

May 21, 2009

What do ya think?

I'm shrinking...check that waist compared to my last post!

My Boot Camp tour has ended and I was actually sad to not have to get up at 4:30 am to drag by butt to Southern Highlands. Instead I now put myself up for ridicule and abuse from my fellow teacher friends if I don't show up at the gym. This method was working well until the overindulge myself "Mother's Day (Uh hum...WEEKEND) Bender". Yowsers!

I am on a serious weightloss mission for the rest of May. In June, the "real" training for my Disney Half-Marathon begins.

Has anyone ever done a cleanse while running and working out? It doesn't sound like it would be healthy...What do ya think?