Recently in Training Plans Category

Making a Fitness Comeback

By Kaeti Hinck / February 2010

Last year was full of milestones for fitness and me. I trained for and ran my first marathon. I participated in the Ragnar Relay, where our team of 12 ran from Wisconsin to Minnesota over the course of 30 some hours.

And then I stopped. No running, no nothing.

I needed a break, so I took one. And then I got used to it, and, gosh, leisure was pretty awesome. But feeling loose in my skin is less awesome, as is the inevitable fatigue and general inertia that comes with an extended bout of laziness. So with the encouragement of my significant other, I've signed up for a May 2 half marathon and am back on the training bandwagon.

Holy cow. Starting from scratch is hard. It's also amazing how much energy I have after only a few weeks. Turns out that actually moving your body is a very effective way to inspire you to do it more. When I was on the bus this afternoon and saw a group of runners sprinting up an icy St. Paul hill, I actually felt envy.

Looking forward into 2010, I want to be very intentional about the sort of training I do. If 2009 was about proving to myself that I could do it, this year is going to be about balance. I want to respect my limits, incorporate more strength training, and figure out how to eat well and be active at the same time. Last year it was either nutrition or exercising regularly -- rarely both at the same time. (It's amazing the amount of Ben & Jerry's you can justify when you've just run 20 miles.)

Above is the half marathon training plan that I'm working with. In the name of balance, each week ends up looking a little different, but the core stays the same. An interval workout, hill repeats and the weekend long run are constants; strength training, yoga, easy runs and other cross training fill in around those three running workouts.

You can download the plan (Half Marathon Training Plan.pdf) if you're interested. It includes a glossary of the terms used, which I'll also list below.

Glossary

LSD: Long, slow distance. Run at an easy, conversational pace. Take a one-minute walk break for every 10 minutes of running (10-in-1s).

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): An intense form of interval training that involves running 30 second or 1 minute intervals at an almost all-out pace, with a recovery period in between each interval. Learn more in this great article. Because of the strenuous nature of this workout, do no more than once a week and take a rest or cross-training day afterward.

Other speed work: 400m or 800m repeats (also called Yassos) with equal recovery time in between. Pace yourself so that you can make it through all of your intervals. This means you're running fast, but not all-out like with HIIT.

Hill repeats: Start with four or five and build the number each week. Run at a 5k pace up the hill (not an all out sprint, but quickly) and jog down the hill. Rest at the bottom until heart rate falls, then do next repeat.

Fartlek ("speed play"): During regular training runs, mix it up by adding short periods where you run a bit faster (e.g., from light pole to light pole).

XT: Cross-training days are a good time to cycle, do yoga or other non-running fitness activities, and strength train. Easy run days (like Wednesday) can also include strength training, but don't over do it on the lower body work.

Tempo: Run at a faster pace than a normal training run, but not quite at race pace. Hold tempo for about a mile at a time, then take one minute walking as recovery.

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So that's what I'll be up to for the next few months. You can follow my training here and on DailyMile.

Are you training for anything? How do you come back strong after an extended off period?

(Photo by jvchuy.)

Marathon Training Plan

By Kaeti Hinck / February 2009

As I did with the half marathon and the TC 10 Mile, I am following a training plan to get ready for the Minneapolis Marathon. I base my weekly rewards and reminders around the clipart I find on my computer.

Here's what I'm doing (more or less):

My Wild New Year's Eve

By Kaeti Hinck / January 2009

For most of us, New Year's Eve is full of friends, revelry and maybe one too many glasses of champagne. And if you're not careful, you might wake up the next morning with foggy memories of things you immediately regret. We've all experienced heard stories about this, right?

Well, my NYE didn't involve anything remotely resembling lechery, but I did wake up in a panic the morning after. Because on New Year's Eve I decided it was a fantastic idea to sign up for a triathlon AND do a marathon.

That's right folks, 2009 will be the year of my first triathlon and marathon! And I am absolutely excited. Oh, and terrified. But still excited. Mostly terrified, actually.

I've signed up for a marathon clinic with a local running store, so I'm not as worried about finding a training plan for that race. I'm shooting for the inaugural Minneapolis Marathon on May 31. I chose not to do Grandma's, a larger and arguably more "prestigious" race, because I want to sleep/toss fitfully in my bed the night before. Staying close to home eliminates a lot of variables that I'd rather not deal with for my first marathon -- travel, hotels, weird Duluth food, weird Duluth people, and so on (just kidding, I love you Duluthians).

(Disclaimer: By saying "first," I in no way mean to imply that there will be a next.)

Running 26 miles is certainly a special kind of crazy. But do you know what's even crazier? Voluntarily signing up to get kicked in the head and drown in the middle of Lake Phalen. Also known as the St. Paul Triathlon.

Here are the pros of this whole triathlon situation, as I see it:

• It forces me to cross-train, something that I usually neglect.
• I will learn about bike maintenance.
• It's great motivation to get stronger and healthier and try new challenges.
  
• I signed up with two of my good friends, so I'm not alone.
• We're going to make T-shirts. Clever team name pending (ideas, people!).
• It's not until August.
• UPDATE: I also get to wear special biking pants with a padded butt. Awesome!
  

And the cons:

• I don't know how to swim. I mean, I can keep myself afloat and know the strokes, but I am just awful. I'm going to have to figure something out there, or death is imminent.
• Imminent death is a pretty big CON, come to think of it.
• I don't have a training plan (yet) or training group. This means I need to get my responsibility on, and that is a tricky business.
• I don't really know how to bike, either. At least not in a "Ooh, hot aero bars, where'd you get your clip-in shoes?" kind of way. Leisurely pedal to a nearby restaurant? Sure! No problem! Ride in a race where I'm not allowed to do things like "drafting" and I have to ride many miles CONSECUTIVELY? Eep.

I have many things to learn between now and August. Well, hopefully I learn them long before August so that I can practice the skills I learn, like "not drowning" and "how to bike fast without tipping over." I might join a training group through Life Time, and will probably volunteer at the LTF Tri in July, so that I can get a feel for it.

If you seasoned triathletes are still reading, I am in need of recommendations for good training plans (and any other tips you might have).

(Photo by ableman, of a tri that looks much more my speed)

How to Train for the TC 10 Mile

By / July 2008

I've officially started my training for the Twin Cities 10 Mile race in October. I decided to challenge myself, so I'm running with a faster pace group than I would normally run with and so far it's been great (minus the 70 percent humidity).  As I did with the Get in Gear 10K (which I, um, didn't run. Shhh), I've crafted a training schedule for the next couple of months -- complete with mileage and weekly rewards. Like last time, rewards are based on whatever clipart pictures I dug up whilst putting this bad boy together.



It continues . . .
 

A few things to note:

• You might have noticed that there are pushups mentioned three times a week. That's because I, too, have jumped on the 100 Pushup Challenge bandwagon. And like Marcy, I'm starting with "alternative" pushups.  They're very alternative, actually. They would probably make Pavel Tsatsouline cry.
• My TC 10 Mile training doesn't end after the race is over. It morphs into my half marathon training. That's right, folks, I'm going to run my first half marathon! I figure I'll be running 10 miles already, so why not add a few?  Plus I've heard that the Monster Half is a really fun race -- costumes, low stress and lots of frivolity. And you know how I love frivolity.
• PSA time! I am not condoning or promoting the use of performance enhancing relaxing drugs, the deadly sin of envy or the dangerous reality of spontaneous combustion. Thank you, you can go about your business now.

I am making the declaration for all the world my mom to see -- I'm doing a half and I'm getting buff (actually, I'd settle for getting enough upper body strength to open the storm doors in my apartment building).

Upcoming Races and Weekend Recap

By / May 2008

(Goats image courtesy of kris247)

So my 6 mile long run this weekend turned into a 5 mile run. I woke up late, was distracted by Tim Russert* and left the house 20 minutes after my planned start time.

I was feeling a bit frustrated with myself and my lack of running progress, and was about to wrap up my run when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone who looked eerily familiar.

I scanned my brain trying to figure out how I knew this guy (ex-boyfriend? Crazy neighbor? UPS man?). But then I realized -- it was none other than local meteorologist/goat farmer/runner Sven Sundgaard (a.k.a. the Pocket Swede**). Nothing like a celebrity*** sighting to motivate you to pretend that you are Really Good At Running toward the end of your miles.

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This week, I have the TC 1 Mile on Thursday.**** I'm pretty excited about the race because I've never tried to run a mile as fast as I can, and I'm curious to see what sort of blazing fast speeds I can conjure from my legs. (In all honesty, I'm just hoping to beat the 12-minute cut-off time.)

The fun continues on Saturday with the 10K on the 10th of May, the brainchild of the ever-inspiring Nancy. I've got my club in hand, and I am ready to beat down any lingering negative thoughts that try to stop me.

Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend. Your marathon and half-marathon reports are getting me excited to start training for my 10-mile race this fall. Or at least answering the question in my mind: Who would be crazy enough to run these distances??

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*I blame the probing questions and perma-smirk. Irresistible.

** Not sure of his actual heritage, but Pocket Scandinavian doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well.

***Celebrity might be a bit of an overstatement, but here in Minnesota we adore our Norse-ly named newscasters.

**** $18 to run a mile downtown, past all the People Smarter Than Me who will be spending their hard-earned money on happy hour. Reason No. 4367 runners are loopy pickins.

10K Training: Why Clipart is Awesome

By / March 2008

Yes I realize that I haven't actually completed my first 5K yet, and that this whole thing might need to be revisited if I, say, collapse into a puddle of blood, sweat and tears¹ after getting only 400 meters into the race. In that case, this training plan will be revised immediately to create a more suitable schedule involving Hostess Fruit Pies, America's Best Dance Crew marathons and excessive wallowing.

I've drawn up a seven week plan (starting this Sunday) to get me ready for the Get in Gear 10k. It's a mash-up of Hal Higdon's program, Cool Running's schedule and my own insanity.

While I was making the chart, I realized that it was bo-ring and decided to add pictures of rewards I would get after completing a week. So I did what well-meaning high school teachers and corporate PowerPoint specialists² have been doing for decades -- I spiced it up with some Clipart.

Which explains why, instead of giving myself "awesome" things like a Garmin or a massage, I get to harass city employees and foster illegal pets. In any case, here's the plan (click to enlarge). Wish me luck.
 

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1. Cue "And When I Die."
2. Best. Job. Ever.