Training for 2013

2013 is my year for racing. I will be racing all different distances. I will be running anything from the 5k distance, to 13.1 and 26.2 and I will also be doing my first triathlon in September at the Women's Triathlon Festival in Sacramento. Some training plans that I have found effective for running events are the Nike Running Race Coach plans for 5k, 10k, half-marathon and marathon distances. You can check them out on the Nike Running Facebook page.

The great thing about Nike Running's race training plans is that you can choose your plan based on distance and your goal. Whether you are a beginner, want to get a PR or want to lead the pack, there is a plan for everyone. You can download a pdf or add the plan directly from their page to your calendar, that way you never have an excuse to skip your workout. I did a personalized training plan from Marie Purvis last year and I loved it. I got my first marathon PR and the plan was great for keeping me on track, constantly improving and injury free.

This year my number one goal is to conquer the marathon in under 4 hours. To achieve this I will need to stay focused and stick with my training plan. I will rely on my training partners in town, my running club, and most importantly my #SistersInNike Crew for support. Since triathlon is completely new for me, I will be searching for training tips and sharing with you what does and doesn't work for me. Do you have any tips for training? Let me know what they are, I'd love to learn from you all!

Training for Greatness

This week has been one for the record books. I have put in a lot of time running, training, and working on finding out the right mix of food to properly fuel my workouts. I am just finishing up week six of Nike Women's Marathon training and have 9 more weeks to go. I haven't missed a workout yet and I hope to keep up that consistency.

This week was a hard one, Monday I had to do my workout on the treadmill, 7 miles, and they were tough to grind out. Luckily, the Olympics were on TV while I was running and was able to push myself harder in my workout while watching track athletes dominating their events.

Tuesday was NTC and then Wednesday I had to do hill repeats 6 times. I slept through my alarm and had to run the sprints after work. It was 100 degrees outside and I had to run them anyway. I almost skipped them or pushed them to a later day, but when I thought about the Olympic athletes that train every day, my #SistersInNike and the Nike Women team, I knew I had no choice but to push through the heat and do those hill sprints! They were incredibly hard and I was sweating instantly, but I am proud of not letting myself skip. It's this kind of attitude that will get me through the Nike Women's Marathon at my goal pace of four hours.

After learning from my mistake Wednesday, I woke up Thursday morning and went for an early five mile run before the day heated back up to 105F! Today I did taekwondo and Leah Kim's Yoga Routine. I feel so much better after stretching out my muscles and relaxing my body. I got to try out my new yoga mat, a thicker one than I had before, and absolutely love it. It is so much easier on my body, especially my knees.

Saturday is my rest day and then Sunday I plan on tackling 15 miles! This will be my longest training run yet and I hope to run it well. I'm aiming for 2:10. It is also Nike's day to "Find Greatness." I am pledging to make it my most active Nike Fuel day yet and have a goal of 12,000 Nike Fuel.

How will you "Find Greatness" on August 12? Run, bike swim, skip, jump, box? Any movement counts. Get out there and help us make this the most active day ever!