Training Schedule: Not Quite There Yet

Tonight was the group run with my little band of helpful running peers. I am new to the group, and still getting a feel for exactly what we're doing, and how it fits into my overall running schedule...hell, who am I kidding? I'm still trying to really get my stepped-up running schedule down and working with the rest of my life. It has been subject to several adjustments, tweaks, re-tweaks, re-adjustments, and second-guesses as my work and family schedules have changed over the past couple of months and as I've added more miles.

I have yet to figure out exactly what will work the best and allow me to get in the miles that I want/need to and juggle everything else on top of it. I have deduced that I can definitely work in a long run on the weekend. This was happening on Sunday, with a nice 7am yoga class on Saturdays...until I joined the group, who meets for long runs on Saturday...so there was a tweak: yoga out, Saturday long run in. Ok, so Sundays are now REST, that's not a bad thing. But I'd like to also get in another longer run during the week...which I thought would happen on Wednesday, which is the other day the group meets.

However, apparently we do do track work on Wednesday and I'm not entirely sure what kind of a run it is classified as, but it involves a mile or so warmup then 2-3 min. running followed by 1-2 min. walking , repeat 6-10 times. I guess intervals or speedwork? We did run faster than my average mile pace...but I am certainly not sophisticated enough to know. And then last week the group gave me a super-handy little training calendar they'd created with what I ought to be doing on what days, to coincide with the rest of the group...which adds tempo runs and "cross training" (which I promplty swapped out for "more running" because there isn't any other activity I care to do except yoga and that is not quite going to get me to a half marathon in May) so that sort of shaped my Official Schedule. So far the weight training and yoga I was doing regularly have taken a backseat to running, as I am now really focused on getting my weekly mileage up and getting those long runs in. And of course work has been crazy-busy. And the kids have soccer. And we have oodles of trips coming up. Sigh.

But at least my running has been great! I guess the best I can do is keep whatever schedule I can and not stress too much about it. I've heard of pepole who train for marathons doing only 3 runs per week, so I know I can do whatever works out.

Tonight's run:
- 4 min warmup
- 2 min at race pace (we did between 6:30 and 7:45 mi pace)
- 1 min walk
Repeat 2-1 set 10 times
- 4 min cool down
-stretching/light core work