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 :)