This week I started training for the Disneyland Half-Marathon on September 4th!  I’m really looking forward to this race because it’s my first Disney running event!  My cousin Heather pretty much only runs Disney events so now I get to see what the hype is about.  :) (Just kidding Heather)  Heather is of course running this race too!  I couldn’t have her come to California and run a Disney race without me!  I’ll be running on behalf of CNS – check out my page here.

I’m actually really looking forward to this race.  I have decided that after trying to overcome tendonitis and IT band syndrome, and not to mention moving across the country that I will not be running the Chicago Marathon.  I am sad about that but their is always next year.  I just don’t want to over do it and really injure myself.  I’m excited to focus on half-marathons for a bit.  It will give me a much needed opportunity to improve my speed.  (I do need to run a 3:35 marathon if I ever want to qualify for Boston – that’s an 8:12 pace!)

My goal for this half-marathon is to finish in under 1 hour and 52 minutes.  My reach goal is to finish in less than 1 hour and 50 minutes.  I’m training for the 1:50 time but I’ll be happy if I can just finish in under 1:52.  I’m following the Ryan Hall Half Marathon training plan.  Meredith and I used this training plan last summer when training for the Boston 13.1 Half-Marathon.  I cut significant time off my marathon last time and it was a great base for training for a marathon because it goes up to 16 miles.

Week one is going well so far!  Interval training went well – I ran 8:20 or 8:13 intervals and felt great!  I did my 4 mile tempo run at half-marathon goal pace – so I ran it at 8:20 min miles on treadmill (too hot and humid to run outside yesterday afternoon) at a 1% incline with a 1 mile warm-up and cool down.  It feels awesome to have 3 of my runs done (the 10k on Sunday counts as one) and to have done all 3 so fast.  Today and Monday I also did weights and tomorrow is my cross-training day – spinning.  Friday I tackle 10 miles bright and early with Meredith.  It feels good to have a plan again!