So. I came back from the six weeks at home–in which I logged a steady two weeks of running and then got sidelined by two feet of snow, Death Flu 2013, and the week of craziness around my sister’s wedding–with the firm intention of getting my ass in check. LITERALLY. (As in, it was all over the place and strength training and cardio were to be done like my life depended on it, with the purpose of getting properly back in shape–and fitting into my old pants, regardless of whether they are still in fashion or not).
Last week, I did great. I did Monday Zumba, Tuesday and Wednesday runs, Thursday Zumba/Zumba toning, plus two days of the 200 situp challenge (which I started pre-wedding madness and then abandoned when my stomach ate itself during flumaggedon).
THEN, I saw that the TTUTA 10K was going to be held on February 23 this year, as opposed to its usual January slot. And I got to thinking. And I realized that I can’t leave well enough alone. Scratch that–I can’t leave TERRIBLE enough alone.
You see, the 2011 TTUTA 10K race kicked my ass all over the place. I said I would never ever EVER do it again. I told you I’d be tempted in future and that I needed to be reminded not to do it by all of you, my lovely readers, because I have the memory of a goldfish. I wasn’t tempted last year because I was a pregnant beached whale, but this year…. You know where this is going.
Therefore, because running up a mountain with the sun in your eyes and traffic in your face at 4 p.m. on a hot day is quite possibly the world’s worst idea ever, I made up my mind: I’m running this year’s TTUTA 10K.
I will most likely embarrass myself all over again. I may well be among the last through the finish line again. I’ve no doubt this race is going to royally suck again. But I’m going for it because it’s the only race on the panorama so far this year, because I’ve clearly lost my mind, and because I need to prove to myself that it is as ridiculous a course as I remember it being. I’m also running it because my husband–who knows me too well for his own good–said I’d regret NOT doing it more than I’d regret doing it. Unless I got dead from a car on that mountain, of course.
Oh, and I’m also running it because I got it into my head while I was tipsy–after two drinks on Friday night, lightweight that I am now–and you all know how I love to make crazy running plans when I’m intoxicated.
Clearly, these are great reasons to run, no? (Feel free to shake your head at me here).
Now, for my training plan. I started “training” on the sly this week, to see how I felt about structured runs, running with the stroller if necessary to keep up with the plan (which is partly why I was so exhilarated that it worked so well earlier this week), and throwing training into the mix of everyday life. If it felt too much, I gave myself permission to bail, shame-free, having not told anyone except Mr. Man, the baby, and my rum-filled pineapple cocktails on Friday night.
Well… A week of training has gone by and I’m raring to go! I have just over three weeks to train and up to the start of training, I had maxed out at 3.5 mile runs (fine, ONE 3.5 mile run… two months ago). So here’s the deal this time around, with the operative word of this plan being “loose” and the goal being to train and run it. (Please note that I didn’t say I’d run it curse-free; I’m sure my mouth will need Lysol after the race, so runners near me, beware)
I’m planning on running three to four times a week, one of which will be a long run (4 miles, 4.5 miles, and 5.5 miles) and the rest of which will be between 3 and 4 miles in length.
I’ll probably run Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays (and a Saturday or Sunday if I decide to run four days a week). I know I can stick to the weekday running, and three days a week is what I usually run when I’m training; I’d love to go for four (because this is also about kick-starting the whole “getting back in my pre-pregnancy pants” thing) but I’m going to be realistic and not set myself up for disappointment if, with a ten-month-old baby and carnival season and a semblance of a social life, it doesn’t happen.
Because I know my knees need some attention in the form of strength training and I hate running with wobble, I’ll be going to Zumba/Zumba Toning on Thursdays and doing another strength training workout (either Core Fusion or some kind of barre workout) once or twice per week, for a minimum of two strength training days, hopefully three.
I’ll also be doing serious ab work (sigh), sticking with the 200 sit-up challenge, where I’m in the middle of week 2 now that I re-started it. (Damn, it hurts to think I was already at the end of week 3 before the sickness/wedding craziness set in! Oh well). This will happen three times a week–most likely on the same days that I run so that I don’t forget to do it. I despise ab work, but it’ll improve my running and my posture–and my belly needs telling.
Anyway, this is the plan. Let’s see how it goes. Right now, excitement is HIGH for this race and this plan–as it is for finally, after much too long, getting my hands on some new, well-deserved race bling.
