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 :)