Hey Y’all! Welcome back to Falling In Love With Fitness! I can’t believe this is my final blog post! Today, I will be reflecting on my half-marathon training and sharing how I am wrapping up my training block!
The Beginning
11 weeks ago, on January 19th, I started my first-ever training block to prepare for my half-marathon. In the past, I had never followed a real plan leading up to a race. At this point, the only other race I had ever done was a 5k last May, and I didn’t see a need to follow a plan just for 3 miles. Looking back on my training plan, I recommend using one regardless of the distance. As someone who was new to running, following a plan allowed me to take the guesswork out of it. I personally have loved using the Nike Run App. There truly is a plan for everyone on this app, and there are also many different training plan platforms that you can use.
Set Backs
This journey has definitely not been easy. There have been so many ups and downs throughout the process. In week 6 of my training block, I ran my first 8-mile long run and pulled something in my leg. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was a little sore after the run, but I thought it was normal. A few weeks went by, and I continued following my training plan. Every week, I was increasing my distance, and every week, my leg was starting to hurt more and more. It wasn’t getting better, and I was starting to get nervous.
Last week, I went to run the longest run on my training block of 12.5 miles. I got almost 3 miles into the run, and I had to stop. From the moment I started running, I was in so much pain. There were genuine tears in my eyes. The pain was unbearable, and I knew if I didn’t stop, I was just going to make it worse. Even though my training plan said I had to run 12.5 miles, I listened to my body and took some time off. I was so scared that this would undo all of my progress, but if I want to run this half-marathon in 2 weeks, I need to recover. I have taken the past week to rest, get medicine, and slowly start running again. I may not be at 100% yet, but I am taking care of myself and continuing to move forward.
Finishing Strong
I am officially 2 weeks out from my first half-marathon, and I can not believe it. It feels like just yesterday when my longest runs were 4 miles, and now I am running over 10 miles for long runs. During these final weeks of training, my biggest priority is staying in the moment and enjoying the process. I remember in the beginning being so excited to make it to the end and complete my goal. Now looking back, I truly want to soak up these last 2 weeks because it’s the only time I will be training for my first half-marathon. I am so excited for race day, and can not wait to cross that finish line!
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