Marathon training is on my mind again…Well, half-marathon. The TCS New York City Marathon, in November, planted the seed. Actually, running a half marathon by the end of the year was on my list of goals for 2024. But life happens and time gets away.
So here I am, STARTING on my running goal at the end of the year, which is essentially when I SHOULD’VE been running 13.1. In previous years, I would just call it a wash and decide to start in January. Not this year, though. I decided to focus on this overdue goal at the end of the year. The internet calls it a ‘Winter Arc’: self-improvement trend that involves using the last few months of the year to refocus, set goals, and establish healthy habits. My Winter Arc includes laying the groundwork to train for a half marathon.
Half Marathon on the Calendar
Race training, just like any other, is done with a goal in mind. I’ve added the San Francisco Half Marathon to my calendar. If I’m going to get back into running, might as well make it a runcation. Why not? A race is always a good reason to travel.
The half marathon will be held on July 27th, 2025. It boasts of the unique experience of running across the Golden Gate Bridge, sweeping views of the Bay, Sausalito, and Cavallo Point. Of course, I’m sure there will be a swag bag with a T-Shirt and some other goodies. I’m looking forward to collecting race swag again. And we can’t forget about that ubiquitous, free banana at the end. 😆
Training
The last race I ran was the 2011 Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Louis Marathon. WOW…I cant believe that was 13 years ago! This feels way overdue. Often, I think back and ask myself how I let myself stop running. But, I’ve decided not to do that anymore. I’ll focus on what I WILL be doing going forward. And that is to train for this half marathon in July. I won’t be shooting for a specific finish time. I just want to finish the race.
The plan is to start with Couch to 5K the week of Monday, December 30th. Then slide right into half-marathon training. It’s about 30 weeks leading up to the race. This gives a bit of buffer if I need to repeat weeks. I just need to make sure I stick to the training plan. I have a habit of not being flexible, which inevitably leads me to scrapping plans altogether. So that will be my biggest challenge…Remaining flexible.
So those 30 weeks will not only consist of half marathon training, but also stretching my flexibility muscle. Wish me luck!!
