June Goals

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There aren't any strict running goals for June. As I've mentioned previously, my training doesn't start until July 1st. June will pretty much just mark the winding down of my conditioning program and a renewed focus on training.

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Stay Motivated

For this month I hope to stay charged and ready for what lies ahead. The last week of June I feel like I should cut back on my running distance, although I haven't definitively decided yet. Any running program starts off slow and then gradually increases.

So when I start training I'll go from 3 months of pretty adequate intensity to suddenly starting from zero and then climbing back up. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Of course I don't want to lose fitness but I don't want to push myself too much either.

What I'll probably do is just incorporate an extra day of weight training into my routine to maintain the intensity. Then juggle things as needed once training starts to increase in mileage.

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Rest Better

Another thing I've been thinking about for June is to switch one of my long runs from the weekend to the week. Once Saturday hits I'm so exhausted from running and working that the thought of waking up early yet again doesn't appeal to me.

Instead of missing a day of running, or being inadequately rested for the following week, I think running on Friday will be perfect. All my days will stay the same except I will do a low-intensity run on Monday (switched from Friday) and my Saturday long run on Friday.

That way I will have one day of the week where I can sleep or simply not have to think about running or work!

What are your goals for the month ahead?

Conditioning Program

Here it is finally, my current running schedule:

Initially I set out looking for something that would keep me in shape until I started training again. I, roughly, know when I want to run another race (in the fall...more on that later) so I just needed to coordinate it with training.

This program lasts about three months and has me running five days a week.

I like it because one of my goals this time around was to increase my running frequency. There's an option of cross-training one out of the five days and I use it as I need it. I don't want to do too much and injure myself before I even start training! So I'm very mindful of how my feet and legs feel.

Another reason why I like this program is because it's not focused on distance. It's focused on endurance, which is measured in minutes. I run for a set time period and don't concern myself with miles (or km where I am!) at this point.

Each week I increase my time by roughly six or seven minutes (an increase of about 10%). I do two, shorter, less intense runs during the week along with one day of fast running. The fast run can include tempo runs, fartlek, hill repeats etc. So far I've only done fartlek but I plan to start hill training this week. I also continue to weight train three times a week.

Right now I run: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday but once the school year ends I'll run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday because I prefer to have a rest day before the long runs on the weekend.

I've been on this program since March and I feel good. I plan to start training in July so I'll let you know if this kept me in shape. So far so good.

Beginner Runners Part 2 -- Start off Slow

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Out the Door

• Run at a pace that is slow enough to not completely exhaust you and fast enough so you are getting a workout. On a scale of 1--walking, and 10--sprinting, try running at a 6.
• Don't do anymore than 30 minutes for the first few weeks. If you can't run 30 minutes now do a combination of walking and running for a total of 30 minutes. Work up to running a full 30 minutes. Once you make that goal, keep that up for a few weeks.
• Pay attention to the advice in Beginner Runners Part 1, Daily Fitness Tips on stretching, and pre and post run snacks.
• Don't forget your watch and your motivation music!
• Notice where water fountains and street lights are placed just in case you need water or run at night.

Establish a Schedule

• This is one of the most important things to sticking with running: establishing a schedule.
• Record your runs. Write down the date you run, the time, how long you run, where you go and what you feel like after each run. These journal entries will become useful as you build more stamina and add on miles. Plus, it's always nice to document your progress for added motivation!
• Repeat the same route these first few weeks or until you can run a full 30 minutes.
• Run the same days every week, or try to.
• Plan out your week and remember it doesn't matter if you swap days. It is important that if you plan to run 3 days a week, you run 3 days. As always, listen to your body. If you need a rest one week, do another activity instead of running like biking, swimming or pilates.
• Set a goal everytime you run. Whether it's distance, speed, laps around a track, or running until your mp3 playlist is done, meeting your goals each time will help you stay positive.
• STICK WITH IT!!!! 

As always, it is always better to have friend or partner come with you. Especially until you gain that confidence to venture out yourself. I was lucky and had a friend who would come with me a couple days a week when I started out. We would run on an outdoor track 

and run at our own paces. But it was nice having someone to warm up with and stretch with. Plus, we'd talk afterwards when walking back home. However,  

DON'T BECOME DEPENDENT! 

This same friend no longer runs with me. So I go out alone. I'd love to have someone with me but if I waited for that I'd never run!

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