WEEK 15: HALF MARATHON 2018

​​WEEK 15 HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLAN STARTS
Today is April 22. It’s Earth Day 2018. Are you planning to do anything to help or show appreciation for our planetary home? Provide a little TLC? If not, do something tomorrow. Or this week. 
 
In our daily non-running, non-fitness lives, just like in a training program, sometimes we don’t accomplish what was in our hearts and minds to do on a specific day.  It’s convenient to give a shrug of the shoulders and then completely neglect the necessary workout, task, or responsibility. We just don’t do it, forget about it, cross it off the ‘to-do’ list. Whatever the self-assigned duty, it was possibly going to be difficult to attempt or finish, or unexpected events may have prevented our accomplishing certain self-assigned duties.  
 
There’s nothing magical about April 22.  We can take care of the earth any day of the year, or many days of the year, if we commit to making the effort. The same goes for a workout.  If a specific critical workout is missed, like a long run, writing it off may not be the only option.
 
 If there’s enough wiggle room in the schedule before a race, get it done as soon as possible and take up the training week at that point. Long runs, or strength training, or hill repeats can be performed on days other than what the schedule dictates. Care must be taken not to pile up too many consecutive days of intense work. Pre-run dynamic stretches, mobility worm-ups, and foam rolls are most helpful in preparing for this kind of make-up work. Post run stretches, foam rolling, and massages can ease the body afterward.
 
Don’t give yourself an easy pass when you miss a day’s training session. Carefully consider how you might go forward without risk of injury by re-scheduling it as soon as possible.
 
This week the long run is tapered down to 10 miles. If weather or life circumstances prevent it, get it done the next day. It may help to ‘slide’ your training plan over one day, making it Monday to Sunday for the last remaining weeks. For races occurring on May 19-20  there is a 3-week taper period built into the schedule that can accommodate a few re-ceduled runs. 
 
If you’re using an Earned Run bib for a custom competition that you designed, the race day can be rescheduled as needed. 
 
Bottom line, hold to your training plan and make minor SAFE adjustments as needed. Oh, and pick up trash along the way on your cool down walk today, if your long run is yet to be performed, or along your recovery walk path tomorrow.  It’s a chance to love our Earth!. 
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!

Walkers training for a half marathon by the Verywellfit.com Plan are likely to be starting week 8 or 9, if the schedule began after the 10k with week 3-4 of that 16-week program. A screenshot capture image is provided below.  Or visit the full plan  webpage through this link.

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