Half Marathon Training Schedule

With my first half marathon a few months away (holy cow), I'm trying to buckle down and adhere to a set training schedule. That being said, I have decided that I'm also not going to beat myself up if I have to skip a day or cut a run short. Also, if I feel like running a little farther than planned, then I'm going to do what I damn well please. So there. This is about working your way up to the half marathon mileage range, not an exact science as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks to Vanessa at See Vanessa Craft, I found a training plan that I think will be manageable for someone like me with a schedule so busy it's just silly (hello training, Junior League Provisional year, Ronald McDonald House Young Professionals Society, blogging, modeling, babysitting, dog mom-ing, and Etsy crafting... oh yeah, and I work). It's also a great plan for beginners. If you're running in the Disney Princess Half, today is week 1, day 3 (Wednesday) for us.

Don't forget to add strength training! I'll be posting my strength routine/tips shortly. Happy Hump Day!

Vanessa adapted her schedule from this one at halfmarathons.net. This is hanging on my fridge to keep me honest!

Blending to a Better Bod

Detox, cleanse, torture, insanity... whatever you want to call it, cleanses can be really intimidating and downright scary. I highly suggest trying Dr. Oz's 3-Day Detox Cleanse if you're new to cleansing like me! Before I really start my regimented training schedule for the Disney Princess Half Marathon, I wanted to try it and it was so much easier than I thought it would be. Still definitely not easy, though. I was shocked that I wasn't ever hungry, but cravings for someone with a sweet tooth like mine were vicious. With a little resolve, you can get through. Plus, we know a little about mind over matter as runners, right?

My take-aways:

• My grocery bill was about $90-$100, not the $16/day that Dr. Oz estimates. That being said, I also had a ton of leftovers post-cleanse.
• This is not about weight loss. It's about jump-starting the path to eating healthier. Get off the dang scale.
• The lunch smoothie is pretty bad. Not gonna lie. It's really, really chunky. I started thinking of it as a gazpacho and eating it with a spoon which kind of helped... kind of. It also made the equivalent of 2 smoothies so it was a lot to choke down. I mastered this smoothie on day 3 (of course) and I think the trick is a little less celery with a little more liquid.
• The breakfast and dinner smoothies were GOOD! Just don't add too much lemon or cayenne. 
• I never had the snack smoothie... just wasn't hungry! Isn't that amazing? A good cleanse is not about deprivation and this one definitely doesn't leave you feeling starved. Just make sure those Oreos are well hidden in your pantry or else you'll feel like they've grown eyes and are staring you down at about 9pm every night. Stay strong.
• Make sure your blender is large enough. The ingredients themselves start out bulky before you begin blending so you'll either need to chop them up or blend a few ingredients at a time then add more, especially for the lunch smoothie.

Have any questions about this cleanse and my experience? Leave a comment below!

Baby's first 10k

Ok, so this is intimidating. I'm a fairly outgoing and personable gal, but something about putting my thoughts in writing for all to see (read: judge mercilessly) makes me want to crawl under a rock. This fear is compounded by the fact that I'm doing something I never thought I would actually do: run a half marathon. I thought I'd write it on my bucket list and give it about as much thought as I've given the other items on that list: exactly 0 minutes. I'm thankful this bucket list item has come to life and hope it pushes me to check off a few more, though!

Any runner out there knows the odd mix of camaraderie and competition in the running world is enough to make Regina George seem genuine (for those that don't get the reference, you can't sit with us). BUT, it's real. In a race, you mark your competitor, try to keep pace, and ultimately push yourself to cross the finish line before her, all while rooting her on and hoping like heck that she finishes well too. At least I do, I'll admit it. It's messed up, but it's fun! 

Before the OrthoCarolina 10k Classic with my high school sweetheart/training partner, Skylar.

This is a no BS sport and your success or failure ultimately rests on you alone. No one drops your perfect pass or lets a defender get to you, it's just you, your two feet, and the ground. Having people around to tell you that voice in your head saying "You've maxed out, let's just walk a little" is a big fat liar makes all the difference in the world. My training partner and I give each other grief (she knows my Nike+ activity better than I do myself), but we also give each other goals and guidance. We just raced our first 10k together and finished with 1 second between us. At one point she turned to me and said, "One more mile. You know I'm about to make you cry, right?" Now that's a friend.

Mom, dad, and Ali, my cheering section.

2 injuries, 91% humidity, 6.4 miles, 0 breaks, and 64 minutes... Then 5,867,465 crab legs at brunch.

Army captain bars from my godfather. My family calls me Captain- I'm a tad OCD when it comes to organization.

In February I will be running my first half marathon and will blog my training journey here. I will also raise money along the way for a fabulous organization, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a nonprofit that raises money for suicide prevention. Donate here.

Finally, I recently lost my baby brother and will dedicate my training to his memory. He was one of the fittest, most positive people I have ever known, and I like to think he keeps the big fat liars away while I'm running. Thanks, bro.