– Forrest Gump

I have always followed a program when I train for a half marathon. I use Hal Higdon’s programs and I usually tweek it to what I like to do/feel comfortable doing. Depending on what shape I am in before starting the program, I go with the novice or intermediate. For the Chi Town Half Marathon on April 1st I have been using the novice because it will be my first race of the “running season”.

worst picture ever

As you can see (and maybe you can’t because of the high quality), I started late and didn’t do the first two weeks of the program. I also change the mileage each day depending on how I feel and I never come close to working out six days a week. The boxes that are not crossed off were rest days and I usually take two to three of those a week. So kill me.

It looks so sloppy but it works for me! For my long runs some of the boxes are empty because I gauge how my long run went the week before. If it went horribly, I will run the same distance the next week. If it went well, I will increase by a mile.

If you haven’t noticed the obnoxious exclamation point and unnecessary information on week eight, last week I ran five miles at an 8:40 pace! I was ecstatic and probably obnoxious to my roomies the whole night after the run because I was on such a runner’s high! I’m usually at a 10 min./mile pace on my long runs and I know if I want to get faster I will have to start running faster. Who would have thought? It only took me until week eight to realize that. So I have been really focusing on picking up the speed and pushing myself. So far, so good.

I had my 10 mile run on Saturday which was so-so. I ran south to Navy Pier, did a lap around it and made my way back. It started snowing along the lake on my way back and I was basically miserable from mile five to eight. I was happy to have it done and could not wait to get some Dunkin’ Donuts coffee! Does anyone else crave weird things after they run? I don’t know if it was because I was freezing, but I was craving some caffeine!

Completely unrelated…The Bachelor, Women Tell All episode is on tonight and I could not be more excited to watch trashy TV. I already hate Courtney but I’m sure this will make me hate her even more. I bet she will skip on and off the set. Such a freak.