CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO BOOST FITNESS UNTIL SPRING BEGINS.
 
EARNED RUNS ANNUALLY PROMOTES A NUMBER OF SUMMER CHALLENGES.  One of them is a “Summer Streak”.  The challenge at first was to run at least one mile every day, then expanded to a run or walk streak, then morphed to a streak of ANY activity that could safely be performed daily, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the unofficial start and finish to this season.
 
I inadvertently started a walk streak January 3, 2019. The next several days were forecasted to deliver full sun, and possibly clear sunrises and beautiful sunsets. I walked twice a day to enjoy both.  By January 7 that year, I had the beginnings of a streak and decided to continue as long as possible.  On January 10, 2020 the idea of a formal Earned Runs streak materialized. 
 
In 2020, starting a WINTER STREAK CHALLENGE again seemed like it might be an appealing activity, particularly for those not interested in training for a spring race. It proved to be a terrific motivator to me to get out each morning and set my biological clock for better sleeping.
 
Why spend the winter months on a run streak? The cold dark season may not provide much inspiration to accomplish other more aggressive fitness goals, especially those involving the performance of consistent outdoor exercise. A streak is comprised of daily small victories that build to a larger one. Each effort contributes more than just one session to the achievement; missing a single day halts the trajectory toward successful completion. There's pressure to not interrupt progress.
 
In 2021 the idea seems even more appropriate as ‘work at home’ days seem to merge into one long monotonous stretch in which visits to the gym or studio may prohibited due to Covid-19 restrictions.
 
I think winter is the perfect time to lay down a challenge to adhere, either indoors, outdoors, or both locations, to an uncomplicated exercise program that doesn’t require a huge mental effort.  Just commit every day and physically to ‘do’ that one activity! Walk or run, or spend a set time on a stationary bicycle, elliptical machine rowing machine, or stair stepper. If swimming is your thing, get in the pool daily (if you have access). Or promise yourself you’ll perform a mobility routine (MYRTL’s) each day. If push-ups are intimidating, do a handful (5) each day. Consider a one 1-minute plank session. You get the idea….
 
Start today, or set January 18, or 19, or 20 as DAY 1 if advance arrangements are required, and end with the equinox, March 20 (the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere) in 2021. That’s a 60 to 62-day streak!
 
If the life around you is complicated now, consider choosing this simple, no-brainer, streak challenge for what remains of the winter season.  At it’s end, you’ll have accomplished at least one fitness goal if you stick with it.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

WEEK 2 ‘SAINTS DAYS’ 2021 TRAINING PLAN STARTS TODAY. 
RUN: This is the week you start to pick up the mileage a bit. Although it seems you are expected to run 10-minute miles ("run 35 min or 3.5 miles" translates mathematically to running 1 mile in 10 minutes), you can run at a slower or faster pace. Be sure to cover the scheduled mile distance, which will then extend over a longer time period if your pace is slower. Of course, if you are able to run comfortably at a faster pace, you will finish in less time. 
 
The mid-week runs in this first month of training are intended to be easy and prepare you to cover the long runs at each week’s end, which will gradually increase in length. The goal is to be physically and mentally prepared to run the entire 13.1-mile race distance at the end of the 18-week duration plan.
 
There are no speed drills scheduled in this plan because it is for beginners, whose goal is to cross the finish line.  The emphasis for beginners is on mentally and physically preparing to complete the entire distance rather than achieve a goal finish time or running a specific pace. 
 
However, there will be an opportunity to work on increasing speed for those interested.  In week 5 the schedule will post an option to add hill repeats added to slightly shorter Tuesday runs. Running hills helps to build leg strength, which translates to greater speed.
 
Another informal option (it won’t appear on the schedule) is to slowly develop a race day strategy by performing a simple progression run each Thursday. The run is roughly divided into two segments of equal distance.  The first half distance is covered at an easy pace.  The second half is covered at a slightly faster pace, such that it is finished in less time.
 
For example, if the initial 1.5 miles of a 3-mile run is run in 15 minutes, the second 1.5 miles distance should be finished in under 15 minutes. 
 
Why use a progression run to train this early in training? There will be a post soon that discusses this topic.  
 
WALK: CHECK OUT THE CORRECTED DATES ON THE EDITED WALK PLAN*!  This week’s schedule is a repeat of Week 1, in which the long walk on the weekend is performed at an easy pace. Going forward, in Week 3 and the remainder of the training plan the pace will be brisk. Your goal should be to take 100 steps per minute while walking briskly. Work up to that speed if you can’t manage it now.
 
The High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions on Thursdays represent a form of speed drill, to help prepare you for a race day pace.  During the high intensity intervals, aim to increase your pace above a brisk walk (more than 100 steps per minute). An upcoming blog post will discuss faster walking paces in greater detail.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
*The dates had not been changed from 2020 to 2021, and that error has now been corrected on Parts 1 and
Part 2. 
 
https://www.healthcorps.org/what-does-brisk-walking-mean/
 
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20630818/hill-running-workouts-for-speed/

AN ARTICLE SURFACED IN THE online magazine runnersworld.com with a topic I cannot recall ever seeing before. Ever. “Maternal Running Gear Is Virtually Nonexistent. We Dug up Some of the Best Options” is a both a realistic appraisal of available gear and a statement about the sad lack of industry attention paid to expectant mothers.
 
Considering more recent media and advertising efforts to portray a broader range of body sizes to more accurately represent persons who are enthusiastic about fitness activities, it’s unbelievable that there hasn’t been a rush by companies to make and sell comfortable clothes for all body types. Especially for women. After all, women require extra upper body support and that extra piece of clothing, a sports bra, that most men don’t need. We naturally must buy more gear.
 
I’m not pregnant and don’t have an genuine belly ‘bump’. But I do appreciate a wide and comfortable yet supportive waistband on a sport bottom. It would be a relatively simple entry into this market for a company to make early pregnancy tights, shorts, pants for women in the first, second, and early third trimester. Items that would accommodate a small to medium bump at least.
 
Surely there are enough people in the developed world, in which obesity is said to be reaching epidemic proportions, that are waist-challenged and who need clothes with a customizable mid-section fit. After all, we need those types of garments if we are to commit to and persevere with physical fitness programs that contribute to improved health.
 
Possibly it’s not necessary to label such clothes as “maternity”; word might spread if key descriptors like “expandable, wide, supportive” were used in product write-ups.
 
The passion of previously pregnant author Heather Mayer Irvine is evident her writing, especially about personal experiences and the processes she employed to have clothing items evaluated by other women.
 
If you are not personally in need of maternity fitness wear, consider passing this  article on to a running mother-to-be, or one that loves to exercise,  who hopes to continue doing so as long as is healthy and safe.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a28414759/best-maternity-workout-clothes/
​

WEEK 1 HALF MARATHON 2021 with SAINTS DAYS 5k and 10K Training Plan OFFICIALLY STARTS TODAY!
RUNNERS AND WALKERS are you ready to begin training? If so, commit to performing the pre-run hip girdle mobility (Myrtl’s) and flexibility (pre-run dynamic warm-ups or “DWarm-ups”) routines, post run stretches, and foam rolling work that is incorporated in this plan along with the days of running. Why? To stay heathy by preparing for and recovering from the mechanical stresses of training. Links to descriptions and demonstrations of the routines can be found on the RESOURCES page.
 
The STRENGTH training, aimed at helping to correct muscular imbalances and prevent injuries, can be simple.  Check out the exercises that are available through links on the RESOURCES page. Although only one session is scheduled each week, you can add another, if desired. One lower body and one upper body plus core exercise sessions can be included each week rather than every other week if this is a usual practice or improved strength is a goal.
 
CROSS TRAINING can be incorporated into your training schedule on days you are not running or walking.  The sessions are intended to help maintain base aerobic physical activity capacity and rest the legs to prevent overtraining.  The idea of the plan is to focus on building running/walking endurance and some speed with progressively longer distances and HIIT workouts and saving best efforts for these sessions.  Cross training should be conducted at moderate intensity levels.
 
The RESOURCES page has links to suggested routines for these workouts, a few include video demonstrations. Most trainers will say it’s good to mix up or rotate exercises, such that you never quite become comfortable performing them. You can also search online and find versions that differ from the tried and true classic exercises posted by Earned Runs.  Many can be made easier or more difficult.

Even though balance exercises are not specifically worked into the program, improving balance is another injury prevention strategy. Any lower body exercise that can be performed with one leg will increase its difficulty level and also test balance, especially if it’s done standing. Variations that incorporate stability balls can also add balance work to many exercises. To avoid falls, especially if you feel unsteady, make sure you have nearby stable support structures while performing any single-leg or balance exercises.
 
In watching video demonstrations produced by trainers for young and fit athletes, like football players, there are cautions that even sport elites can be a bit unbalanced initially.  A good example is walking lunges. If not performed for a couple weeks I notice a tendency to tip to one side when starting them again, especially when adding upper body rotation to this move. 
 
Balance work can improve running and walking efficiency, so don’t shy away from single leg strength routines; you’ll get twice the benefit. A tip given to me by a physical therapist is to perform balance exercises after long runs, on tired legs.  She said that being able to maintain proper running/walking form is essential when fatigue sets in; it’s at this point that we need the small steadying muscles of the body to keep us moving in an upright linear direction.  Wobbling for miles on rubbery feeling legs because of weak hips or a tired core is a set-up for the development of soft tissue and joint problems. 
 
CLASSIC LOWER BODY exercises that can be performed without extra weights include:
Lunges: forward, reverse, side/lateral, and forward with rotation
Bridges/hip raises: both feet on floor (easier), single leg (harder); on stability ball (harder)
Squats: front and split
Side leg raises: without (easier) or with a resistance band (harder)
Clamshells: without (easier) or with a resistance band (harder)
Resistance bands walks: lateral and “box” stepping
 
CLASSIC UPPER BODY exercises that can be performed without extra weights include:
Push-ups (variations)
Floor “Y’, “T”, “W” and “I” arm raises; done on stability ball (harder)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHfkpPYSgzs
 
CLASSIC CORE/STABILITY exercises include:
Planks: prone, side-lying, supine; there are many easier/harder variations
Dead bugs: without (easier) and with a stability ball (harder)
Mountain climbers (variations)
 
BALANCE exercises:
One leg stand: harder on unsteady surfaces (folded towel, pillow, Bosu ball) or with closed eyes
Step downs: front, side, and back
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-strengthening.html
 
Most other training plans will recommend similar supportive work on mobility, flexibility, balance, and strength, but actual routines WON’T BE LISTED ON THE DAILY/WEEKLY schedules. The importance to running of doing this work, will be included in the notes of these other plans, but mostly the details of when and how to incorporate this work into training regimens is left up to individuals. NOT SO WITH EARNED RUNS PLANS!
 
EARNED RUNS plans strongly EMPHASIZE the IMPORTANCE of this work to INJURY PREVENTION over the course of the training period by scheduling these components on specific days.  However, you can customize the plan and change things up to meet your needs. For example, the "Dead Bug" is a safe and effective (abdominal and back) core exercise scheduled one day every week, but other exercises can be substituted for Dead Bugs and can be performed any on day of the week.
 
Good luck. Your 2021 training season officially begins.*

RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

* If the date of your goal half marathon is a week or more later, start this plan later in the month.

THOSE WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO GUZZLE PURE UNADULTERATED WATER ALL DAY but want to maintain optimum body hydration should be aware that other fluids count toward a daily tally. Including caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea, potentially beer, and fluid in foods.
 
An article posted by SHAPE.com , "The Best Ways To Stay hydrated All Day Long", reminds readers that caffeinated beverages are not fully diuretic. Although the references for her figures are not provided, author Stephanie Dolgoff counts about half (4 oz. of 8 oz.) of the amount of coffee consumed as eligible for adding to a daily total.  Not to say that clean fresh and especially cold water should be omitted, but coffee/tea drinkers can be assured that these beverages are not negatives when it comes to hydration.
 
Other popular online medical information sources, like MayoClinic.org and WebMD.com, discuss this topic and agree.
 
Although alcoholic beverages are mostly considered diuretics, a linked article explains the conditions in which a post-exercise/run beer might be an exception!
 
The SHAPE.com article also discusses food as a source of fluid and many other aspects of hydration, including over-hydration risks, when it comes to fitness. 
 
Consider reviewing the points Dolgoff makes as the new fitness year begins. There’s encouragement to imbibe water and other beverages for better looking skin; hydrated hyaluronic acid (HA) in skin absorbs “water” which gives it some of its “elasticity and vibrancy” says the referenced expert.
 
Athletes should remember that joint synovial fluid and cartilage are also rich in HA and benefit from optimum hydration, another reason to keep an eye on fluid intake.
 
Count me as a runner who is delighted to add my regular intake of several cups of coffee and an occasion beer to optimum daily totals. Meeting this mark contributes to my feeling of success at achieving health goals in 2021 and motivates working to hit other fitness marks as well.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/best-way-to-stay-hydrated
 
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/healthy-beverages
 
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965
 
https://www.arthritis-health.com/treatment/injections/what-hyaluronic-acid
 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5066341/

HALF MARATHON 2021 WITH ‘SAINTS DAYS’ 5K & 10K RACES TRAINING PLANS FOR RUNNERS AND WALKERS WILL START ON JANUARY 10.
  
DRAFTS OF PLANS, PARTS 1 & 2, ARE NOW AVAILABLE at the end of this post and on the RESOURCES PAGE.   Check them out if you are considering taking on this endurance distance race challenge.  Each plan prepares you first for a 5k race that would be scheduled in mid-February, near February 14, St. Valentine’s Day, and in mid-March near March 17, St Patrick’s Day. After Week 10 the training will concentrate on the Half Marathon
 
Runners and walkers can train all the way to May. Alternately, some may decide to follow the programs only for WEEKS 1-10, and not continue with training after finishing the March 10K race. This strategy is perfectly acceptable and will prepare you to compete in events that are normally celebrated with fun weekends in the middle to late winter months!
 
Disciplined training for these shorter distance races in relatively close succession can help you get through these oftentimes dreary winter weeks and to maintain decent fitness levels.  Do not feel you need to extend training through the May end date. Use these plans to survive January, February, and March and then move on to other training if completing a half marathon is not a goal challenge.
 
In 2021, restrictions related to COVID-19 prevention are likely to still be in place however, and personal or virtual events will be the choices for participation.  Mastering these endurance distance aerobic challenges in small groups or solo can still be rewarding and fun.
 
The work of planning each day’s physical fitness activities for 10 weeks will have been done for you by these separate RUN and WALK programs. And each plan attempts to provide safe training that also emphasizes strength training and includes mobility work, some cross training opportunities, and recovery periods.
 
See you January 10, 2021.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
HALF MARATHON 2021 Earned Runs Training Plan with ‘SAINTS DAYS’ 5K & 10K races
RUN Part 1 pdf: Weeks 1-10; January 10 to March 20
RUN Part 2 pdf:  Weeks 9-18; March 9 to May 15
 
WALK Part 1 pdf: Weeks 1-10; January 10 to March 20
WALK Part 2 pdf: Weeks 9-18; March 9 to May 15
​

I STARTED A RUN STREAK ON DECEMBER 1. Today is the 31st day of that streak and I’m wondering if it’s a good idea to continue into 2021. As a challenge (is it too easy?), as safe activity for someone with knee osteoarthritis (are days of complete rest necessary?), and as a fitness strategy (will it interfere with strength training?), is it smart? Then the title of a runnersworld.com article caught my eye, “Is running every day more harmful than helpful?”
 
For those contemplating this simple NDO (No Days Off) New Year's Resolution the advice from author Danielle Zickl might support your decision to run or not run at least 1 mile every every, single, day over a significant number of days. There might be other variations, but a one-miler per day is the most common.
 
I did not find that the advice pointed me in one particular direction; it supported either choice, yes or no. I decided to persevere because the small effort and sense of accomplishment it brought would contribute daily to my peace of mind and happiness.
 
What do you think?
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a26944830/should-you-run-every-day/

FINAL TRAINING DAYS  BEFORE  5K EVENT ON NEW YEARS EVE OR NEW YEAR'S DAY 2021 
 
DURING THIS SHORT HOLIDAY WEEK, you will be staying active until race day. Today’s task for runners is a simple 30-minute walk; a foam roll session is scheduled for walkers. Even though each workout is relatively brief it’s important to perform warm-up routines beforehand.  Consider performing a daily MYRTLs (hip girdle mobility) session to help keep you in good form to make the 5K effort during Thursday’s NY Eve or Friday’s NY Day event.
 
To ready yourself for racing, short runs and walks should be paced on the fast side, with moderate intensity, like would be planned for an official taper before a long-distance race.
 
Trainers and coaches say that during a formal taper, the idea is to decrease mileage but remind your body it will be going fast soon by keeping shorter runs at moderate to vigorous levels of intensity (paced about 10 seconds per mile slower than an expected 5k race pace).  Not at the slower speed of easy long runs. 
 
You may not have been training with a set race pace in mind, but the general idea is not to pace the last few run or walk sessions too easy, especially if a faster rather than a slower finish is a personal goal.
 
Good luck in your events! If you cant find one nearby, run or walk in a personal race of your own design. If others aren't planning to join you, participate solo. Don't let circumstances deter you from reaching the goal of competing in a "resolution" New Year race.  By continuing to train after Thanksgiving you've earned the rights to this accomplishment.
 
Have a wonderful between-the-holidays week.

RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

https://blog.mapmyrun.com/dont-make-5-common-taper-mistakes/

WHATEVER SPECIAL DAY YOU'RE CELEBRATING, Earned Runs wishes it holds the promise of kinder days to come for all. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! 

BELIEVE YOU CAN CARRY ON IN SPITE OF HECTIC DAYS. Runners:  the December 25 run: walk session is replaced by a short brisk walk and foam roll. You are getting down to business the end of this week and running 3 miles on December 26. That’s nearly the full distance of the upcoming race.
 
With the prospect of a totally fresh 2021 start in few days, excitement may be building on this long run day.  Possibly you’ll have no trouble leaping out of bed in the early morning to begin it with an invigorating workout. Or, after accomplishing nearly every task on your Saturday ‘to-do’ list, you might be looking forward to a calming and relaxing run at day’s end.
 
Walkers: The schedule continues without a change on Christmas Day. The high intensity interval training (HIIT) walk will have been performed early in the week, on Tuesday, so the remainder should present much of a problem.
 
Everyone, have a wonderful between the holidays week.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
NOTE: The full plans can be downloaded from the RESOURCES page.

IMAGINE WAKING UP ON JANUARY 1, 2021. YOU SECURE A CUP OF COFFE, TEA, SODA, GREEN SMOOTHIE, OR OTHER MORNING BOOST BEVERAGE and sit down to plan the day. There are the usual ‘housekeeping’ tasks to perform of course, which might include deciding what to eat, completing a personal hygiene routine, tidying up, and responding to recent communications. These are activities of daily living.

However, this being New Year’s Day, you might also venture out and buy a new calendar, find one online, or pull out a plain pad of paper/blank document and decide to begin scheduling the next month or quarter. There might be several regular general New Year resolutions, the ones made almost every year regarding healthy living, that need translating into actions. Or a special few fitness goals that you promised to make a dedicated effort to achieve. 

There’s a big snag; Covid-19 is still around, and this January 1 previews a year that will continue to be much more complicated than ever before. Gym memberships may have been cancelled (or the gym shuttered), studio fitness sessions may be less accessible, or your budget for such splurges has shrunk or disappeared due to decreased work hours, layoffs, or other pandemic related shut-down restrictions. Or you may face filling in at home as full- or part-time schoolteacher or day-care provider for children who aren’t reliably going to attend school in person.

That morning, the first day of 2021 will be barely 6-12 hours old, and you might find yourself already discouraged by circumstances. The potential obstacles to improved physical fitness in 2021 are too many to cover here. The point is this: you may be defeated by them much earlier in the upcoming year than ever before. The solution may be to begin serious and specific planning now, in 2020, the year so many have declared they want to see behind them.

Earned-Runs encourages, as it has in previous years, the use of the last December week to formulate a MENTAL fitness and health plan for 2021. Start thinking about 2021 in 2020.

Decide now NOT to set New Year’s Day as the kick-off date for acting on hastily conceived resolutions. Instead, spend early January developing the specifics and finalizing the details of a manageable program which extends only through the end of the first quarter of 2021.  Set a start date of January 9-10, a weekend.

Commit to begin planning NOW the fitness activities of January through the end of March 2021.  In mid-March progress can be assessed, and goals can be reviewed and adjusted for the next quarter, April through June.  And the process can be repeated for the third (July through September) and finally fourth (October through December) quarters.

Challenges to consider in this first NEW YEAR quarter can include long-view general goals that must by nature be followed through during the remainder of 2021, like starting to run, run/walk, or walk long distances, generally building strength or balance, or gaining/losing a certain amount of muscle/fat. The key is to transform vague dreams into concrete outcomes, by structuring a progression of daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly activities that move you closer to ultimate goals over a full year of four seasons.

A good first step is honestly assessing current (outside the hectic holidays) fitness activities and plan to build on them. Beware, it’s crazy easy to overestimate work  performed and underestimate inactive time. 

Need some goal setting ideas? The list below starts with lower expectations and progressively increases:

• Meet basic CDC recommendations for your age group, which for many adults includes spending 150 of moderate intensity aerobic exercise each week, plus 2 days of muscle strengthening activities.
• If you’re already meeting the aerobic exercise mark, commit to adding the strength work or boosting aerobic intensity up to a vigorous level some of those minutes.
• Those who perform continuous forward linear exercises like walking or running or bicycling at a fairly constant speed might try substituting one day’s exercise with a HIIT (high intensity interval training) session in which speed varies regularly by alternating vigorous and easy stretches.
• Weight training could be added to bodyweight strength workouts by incorporating a few moves that use dumbbells or weighted balls.
• Setting sights on training for and finishing a race* is a way to increase motivation to develop a well-rounded program that stresses all facets of fitness (stretching, mobility, balance, strength, nutrition, sleep) in addition to aerobic exercise training.

A good bit of computer/device screen time will be required to investigate exactly how to translate personal goals into specific actions, much of it spent sitting. However, along the way new information and perspective might be gained that motivates and inspires.  This sedentary time investment could pay greater fitness dividends than a less organized approach.

Consider using this last calendar week of December 2020 to mentally start planning New Year fitness and health resolutions. Hold off starting the clock on keeping them until you have a fully developed program, about a week into 2021 rather than January 1. Those who have the opportunity to enjoy down-time and are going to be relaxing can use it to research ideas in depth.

Avoid making a mistake at the end of 2020, one that could increase your risk of not following through on 2021 health resolutions. Begin investigating and devising a reasonable approach to improving fitness for the year, with detailed scheduling of only the  first quarter.

Be ready to kick-off that plan after week 1 of January rather than day one, and enjoy the holiday with a light heart and firm resolution to succeed in 2021.

RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

*Many runners and walkers dream of gaining glory by completing a marathon. Equally satisfying experiences can be had from finishing other distance races. An article from runnersworld.com reviews 10 marathon training programs. The developers also offer shorter distance plans, and some are free.

https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/age-chart.html
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a34851998/vigorous-exercise-could-add-years-to-your-life-study/
 
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a34631441/review-of-popular-marathon-training-plans/
 

DON'T BE AFRAID TO START RUNNING says Monica Olivas in an ACTIVE.com slideshow. Olivas identifies "7 common running fears" and provides humorous images and arguments to ease the minds of those who might be considering this move.

In a time crunch? Clicking though the slides takes a few minutes at most. 

Although FDR's famous quote about fear was made in his first presidential inaugural address in 1933, responding to the mood of the nation in dark times of the Depression,  it can be applied to other situations in which fear can be immobilizing. Being afraid to start running is far down on the list of serious fears but it potentially can keep us from achieving significant fitness and health goals. 

For a little fun and encouragement, check out this slideshow.  There will be a future Earned Runs blog post about initiating next year's resolutions sooner rather than later..
 RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

​https://www.active.com/running/articles/7-common-running-fears-and-how-to-conquer-them/

​http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/

 CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO BOTH 5K TRAINING PLANS!!!
 
NOTE THAT THE PREVIOUSLY POSTED PLANS HAVE BEEN EDITED to correct the dates. Both runners and walkers plan were short one day! Sorry to have made this calendar mistake. The extra day for each is easy and a basically reminder to get moving purposely for a short time.

2020 Runner Plan PDF
2020 Walker Plan PDF
 
Runners: you will be continuing on a rather leisurely schedule and at the end of this week only running 2 miles. You won’t be asked to cover the full distance of the end of the year event until December 26.
 
Walkers: you should be settling into a pattern of 4 days of walking 30 minutes plus a longer Saturday session, which will be repeated next week.
 
It’s possible that both walkers and runners will find the rest of life intensely busy, in a good way, as many activities this week might involve preparing for or celebrating the holidays.  Fortunately, the two plans are designed to help you stay on a training schedule that is not terribly demanding, but which provides sufficient structure to motivate aerobic physical activity leading to a year-end (or year-beginning) event. As noted in an earlier post, training is set at a “keep open” level.
 
Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the last full week before December 25 though January 1, perhaps using training sessions as personal time to unwind and de-stress.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

NOW THAT YOU STARTED EASING BACK INTO TRAINING the relaxed nature of these plans should be apparent.  The days of preparation between Thanksgiving and the December holidays usually are busy, but this year the rush is complicated by shopping and travel restrictions and earlier shipping deadlines.  

Runners and walkers may be feeling uncharacteristically fatigued from the uncertainty of trying to celebrate traditional days of togetherness as days of separation.  It’s a different hectic experience. Thus, the reasoning behind the low key strategy of these training plans from previous years, on a “keep open” level of intensity, also will work well this year.
 
In medical terms, life-saving fluids or medications might be delivered to a patient through an intravenous (IV) tube or ‘line’ at a rate that is “wide open”, such that the valve regulating fluid flow rate does not obstruct the tube lumen at all.  This high flow rate is used in emergencies. Lower rates of flow can be achieved as well. Once there is no need to deliver meds or fluids intravenously the needle and attached tubing apparatus can be removed. However, because it’s not always easy to re-establish this portal for delivery of IV fluids, one practice is to leave it in for a bit longer, until all possible emergencies have passed. The fluid flow in this time is set at a “keep open” rate, just enough to allow the line to stay open and usable.
 
Thus, these are not ambitious training plans. There’s just enough running or walking to keep you in shape to comfortably run a 5k race again on New Year’s Eve or Day. It’s not designed to help you set a new a PR, but to be able to show up and cross the finish line.
 
If you cannot locate a virtual race to run or walk on these days, remember you can use or request 2020 Earned Runs Bibs for the occasion. Use this training to reaffirm belief in yourself as an athlete; you’ll be proving that you can maintain fitness over the holiday season with a simple commitment to continue working toward participating in a goal race.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

'On to the New Year 2020 RUN PLAN

'On to the New Year 2020 WALK PLAN
 
Updated December 7, 2020.