I'm Training for a Half

Before the Snoqualmie River Valley 10k, I had planted the seed in Nick's brain that we should run a half marathon. He'd expressed interest in a 15k, but they're hard to find; and if you're going to run 9.3 miles, you might as well run 13.1. 

I had mentioned the Poulsbo Half, and we were seriously thinking about it, but the day after our 10k, we got an email about a much more convenient half—closer by, and three weeks later than Poulsbo. 

I barely had to convince him, really. And now we're all signed up and officially training for Nick's first half marathon! While Poulsbo is still on my bucket list, I think a local half sounds much more appealing this year.

Late September sounds like plenty of time to train, but it's really only 9 weeks away now. That's crunch time. I've got my long runs sketched out on a calendar, but I don't have any wiggle room for missing any. To help keep me motivated through hot summer runs, I've ordered myself a new hydration vest and some new lightweight tops.

Absolutely loving these swishy open-backed tops from Senita.

I can't remember ever training for a race through summer; I tend to choose winter races and train through fall. With Seattle's 17-hour sunshine, morning running is going to be essential. I can't rely on cool, cloudy, or shady afternoons. I am going to have to find some real dedication to keep on track; I can't depend on my running buddy's availability to keep me motivated.

This was the sun during my 6pm run the other night. Not fun.

The hardest part of training for me lately has been getting up early when I have to run alone. You'd think sunny skies would make getting out of bed early easy, but you'd be wrong! I still associate sun with Florida heat, and when I wake up to sunshine my motivation plummets. Every time I postpone a run, I regret it. A lot. But I never seem to learn my lesson.

But I want to be as ready as I can be for this race. I'm not lying to myself—I know I'll need my usual walk breaks and everything, and it'll certainly be warmer than the February half a couple years ago where I finally broke my decade-old PR—but I'm hoping I can run a race I can be proud of, and that Nick will be proud of, too.

Ali