Training Plan
Week1- 17 miles - Done
Week2- 18 miles - Done
Week3- 22 miles - Done
Week4- 24 miles - Done
Week5- 28 miles– Injured
Week6- 29 miles - Injured
Week7- 27 miles - Done
Week8- 27 miles - Done
Week9- 18 miles - Done
Week10- 25.1 miles – In progress
Week 1,2, 3 & 4
I started my half marathon training on 10th July 2017 and the first run itself was an uphill task of 3 miles run. So, even before I started to follow this training plan of 10 weeks, I started running somewhere in end of May and early July and slowly but surely built the stamina to run at least 2 miles without a break and push myself upward of 2 miles with no extra effort.
First few runs went like a breeze and I was gulping all those miles with a glee. The first long run by my standards was of 5 miles. I recall the perfect weather supporting my tired limbs as I ran in circles on the running track. The soft surface of the synthetic running track also proved gentle on my fragile knees. I kept going even after my body gave up long ago but I kept pushing myself and somehow I was trying to draw a line and tell my body that you are not the boss here and you will do as I say but at the same time, I was trying to tell my body that you can do this and much more and I will take care of you and when all this is done, we will have a drink together to celebrate our little milestone. That celebratory drink never came but my body somehow believed in my thoughts and supported me.
The confidence that I got from my first 5 mile run helped me cruise through week 2, 3 and 4. Subsequent long runs of 6, 7 & 8 miles further tested the nerves , ligaments and what not? However, by now, I was confident enough to run 5 to 8 miles with relative ease and power.
Week 5 & 6 –
My first injury from running came in week 5 where a severe pain in groin and side thigh area cut short my 5 mile run to just 1 mile and I returned home heartbroken.
All those morning runs, gym sessions, cardio and core strengthening sessions seemed futile and my heart was full of despair. However, after a break of 4 days, I attempted to run my longest ever run of 9 miles. Initial few miles were slow and were a bit painful, however, I was able to run and after sometime, I could even sprint a bit and reach 7 miles with relative ease, however suddenly the pain came back with increased intensity. I still completed my 9 miles but by the end of it, I was literally limping and was in real pain. I was sure that I am done for this season and my immediate aim was to somehow reach home and relax.
I was also about to start my two weeks’ vacation and took it as a welcome break from running. In next few days, I drove through multiple states of US and traveled various cities. Luckily, it involved lots of walking which kept me a bit fit but still the pain was very much there. During this break, I kept doing my regular stretching and basic exercises but didn’t attempt running. As I read more about my injury, I got worried as it started to look more like a stress fracture than a minor strain. However, I focused more on the fun that was on offer during travel and decided to look at my injury only after I reach Boston.
As I came back to Boston after a week-long trip, I took couple of more days off from running and just binge watched Game of Thrones. After being tired of resting, I decided to attempt a long run of 10 miles to test my recovery. As I started to run, my body started reminding me of the injury and instead of a swift run, I started limping again. To compensate for the pain, I started going easy and dropped my pace further and I was able to run for 2 miles. I looked up and thanked almighty to help me continue my run but suddenly I started to feel uneasy as my knees were hurting. It looked like another injury on its way, threatening to end my dream. I was afraid as I thought it was recurrence of my decade old injury which kept me off any sort of sports for months. However, as the pain was not severe, I kept running. With growing discomfort, I was able to reach 4 miles and somehow, the pain reached a level where I stopped. I abruptly stopped and walk a few steps with pain , tried to run again and could only run a few hundred meters. My knees were totally locked and got so stiff that I feared they would break if I keep pushing. To add further to my agony, I was 4.5 miles away from home with no money and water and my phone battery died. So, I had to walk back 4.5 miles back to home battered, bruised and sulking in shame of failing to reach a mark that I promised myself. As I look back, I feel I learnt a few important lessons that day. On long runs, always carry water with you, keep some money and your phone sufficiently charged in case you need an uber back to home. I also learnt to respect the distance, however small it may be and listen to your body to differentiate between Pain and an imminent injury. At that point, I was in despair and kept staring into nothing and I honestly felt that my journey has ended for this half marathon and I would try some other time, may be next year.
Week 7, 8 & 9 -
For most part of week 7, I rested. I ran 6 miles instead of targeted 29 miles. However, I can take pride in my never-say-die attitude as I started running (still in pain) after a week’s rest. On Aug 22nd, 7th week into my training plan, I ran one of my most enjoyable run. I ran for 6 miles with much slower pace of 12 minutes per mile. Before injury, I was doing much better at 9.5-10 minute per mile. However, I was still very happy as this run gave me a hope that my body has recovered well and I can hope to participate in the half marathon. Over next few days, I ran 4 miles, a few times and my time improved from 12 minutes to 11+ minutes per mile. This successful week (by my own lower standards) gave me confidence to aspire for something big, to explore the unchartered territory of 10 miles and beyond.
I attempted my first ever 12 mile run on Aug 27th but as I had to go long, I cut down my pace back to 12 minutes per mile but I was able to run well. However, I admit, the last 3 miles were the hardest part. However, an ice cold tub and carb loaded diet ensured that I completed my short runs of 4 and 5 miles over the next few days with no issues at all. During my 5 mile run, I was able to improve my pace to 9.5 minutes per mile. As I was only two weeks away from the marathon and I was running well, I decided to get few more long runs under my belt to get the confidence of finishing the marathon on a strong note. I decided to run another 12 miles, this time however, I was better prepared, I had got my compression tights which were really crucial to keep my groin and side thigh pain under control, got my water bottle filled with ice chilled lemonade, gym music on my phone and better running shoes that I recently ordered. With all this preparation, I was hungry for this long run and it proved to be my best till date. May be in future, I may look at these numbers and smile but for now these are my small yet major landmarks that I personally celebrate. I ran 12 miles without any significant pain and injury scare, at a pace of 11 minute per mile. At this stage a sub 2 hour half marathon time looks like a distant dream but still finishing the half marathon alone would be an achievement.
To keep the body conditioned and well oiled, I did couple of short runs of 4 and 5 miles in Week 8 and then aimed for my last long run on Sept 9th. This long run was of 10 miles and I had my running partner along with me. This time, I had one more toy, a hydration pack that I pampered myself with. I ran 10 miles with couple of steep uphill included in the route and to my surprise, I ran at a pace of 10.5 minutes per mile.
Week 10 would only focus on conditioning with 3 to 4 mile runs and taking a few days off. 13.1 mile mark is still not breached and somehow I feel that it’s looking at me from top and awaiting to embrace me on Sept 17th.All these miles, liters of sweat, training, planning, dedication and effort would be put to work when I run on Sept17th.
Important points to remember in the last week: Eat and sleep well, stay hydrated.
Important point to remember in the race: Cut down on pace during initial 8 miles: May be Target 11-12 minutes per mile for first 8 miles then aim for 9-10 minutes per mile if body permits else finish the race with a 11-12 minutes time frame. At this stage, a 2:25 minutes time looks like achievable and at-par timing given my performance and training. I just pray to god that I get enough strength in my legs during those last 3 miles when I really need to push myself.
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