9 Weeks for 13.1 Miles

I've been thinking today about my next half marathon.  It's on March 2, 2013 and will be here before I know it.  Looking at the calendar, I have about 9 weeks (excluding some holiday time) to get myself ready for 13.1 miles.  I need to make a plan and stick with it.  I trained for my first half in about 6 weeks, so I know I can do it.

Step 1:  Get back to running at least 3 times each week.  Since the cold weather and holiday time has arrived, it's been much more difficult for me to run regularly.  I recently bought a punch pass to the Rec Center.  So between using that, weekend runs, and my treadmill (if I have to), I should easily be able to get in the miles I need.

Step 2:  Plan how far I'm going to run each week.  I will probably start out with about 3 miles twice a week and then a longer run of 6 or 7 miles on my weekend run.  Then increase to 5 miles twice a week and a longer run of 8 or 9 miles on my weekend run.

Step 3:   Get back on track with a healthy eating plan.  I'm not a nutritionist, but I do know that I could definitely eat less junk/fast food.  Start eating more lean protein, fruits, and veggies.

Step 4:  Stay hydrated.  Drink plenty of water daily.  I plan to drink water before and after my runs, at every meal, and several bottles throughout each day.  While training for my first half, I also decided to stop drinking alcohol during my training period.  I'm going to do this again.  So, after New Year's eve, no more wine for this gal until the evening of March 2nd.

Step 5:  Surround myself with amazing friends and family for extra support.  These people will help me implement my plan :)

Getting started....I've had a sore throat and stuffy nose lately.  So I have not done any running since December 12th.  I'm going to continue to rest and get healthy.  I plan to run on December 27th and 29th (maybe sooner, if I feel better).  Then a fun New Year's Day run with my buddy Chris O.  Can you think of a better way to start the new year off right?

By the way...I have still not tried out my new Yak Tracks. 

I think a little snow would be fun :)