Now that my half-marathon is over and I didn't injure and/or completely embarrass myself ... at least I don't think I did??... I thought it would be a good time to evaluate my training plan - what worked and what didn't work.
First of all, though you wouldn't have known it from reading my training logs on beginner triathlete, I did actually have a plan. I was using an amalgamation of Hal Higdon's novice half marathon plan and the Fleet Feet beginner's half mary. Both were 12 weeks in length, with Hal's culminating in a 10 mile long run and the Fleet Feet culminating in a 12 mile run. I knew that with my sketchy running background (I've only been running regularly since mid-February and my most comfortable runs were in the 3 - 4 mile range) I would need some structure. All of this was well and good in theory, but let's face it, I'm not known for following the plan. Anyone who's known me in school knows that no matter how much I plan on writing that paper early, or studying in advance, it just never happens. I'm the quintessential last minute crammer and since it's always worked for me (though caused a fair deal of stress) I've never learned my lesson. I guess a Jenn motto would be, "Why do today what you can put off til tomorrow?" So I suppose my "plan" was doomed from the beginning. Especially when I decided to make a major career change and move to the other side of the country right smack dab in the middle of this plan. I really believe though, that had I followed the plan I would have been looking at a 2:36 half-marathon ... but whatever, I've got my whole life to be faster!!
I did manage to get in some long runs with my longest being 10 miles, actually the long runs were just about all I did. I'd do maybe a 3 or 4 miler and then a long run on the weekend. Definitely not following the plan.
And how about pre-race?? There's the whole idea of tapering because in theory you should be training really super hard and then resting the week before so your body is pumped up to get out there. Of course my whole training period was a taper, and the week before my race???? DIDN'T. RUN. ONCE.
I did however attend a golf outing two days before the race. Golf outing you say? I didn't know Jenn could golf! Well, Jenn can't golf. Despite spending money on lessons with golf pros in the 90's, purchasing a set of clubs in college and torturing my brother and friends by making them take me golfing ... it clearly was never meant to be. I accepted it and moved on. Instead I sat in a golf cart and drank beer. Yes, that's right - two days before my big race and Jenn is loaded on Bud Light on the 13th hole of the golf course in Mt Vernon, IL. And following the golf outing?? Margaritas with a Jimmy Buffet tribute band, followed by a late night session of catch up with an old friend over cabernet and cigars ..... yes, cigars I'm that cool kindof chic.
The day before my race? Dehydrated and slightly hung over, I chose shopping at the Galleria with my Mom and friend Kristin.
So in the end, I pretty much ignored the training plan, abused my body the two days before the race, and really didn't do anything right. But like everything else in my life, the "cramming" seems to work and the universe has yet to bitch slap me for it. Will I ever learn my lesson?? I'm guessing that if at the age of 33 I haven't learned, it's just going to be what it's gonna be.
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