This week, a cold kept me from running for a few days, and, naturally, I was feeling a little blue on Sunday when I still did not feel up to running 12 miles in freezing temperatures. There was a silver lining because I signed up for my next half marathon, the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon on March 17 [see photo below of the medal from my first Publix Atlanta race in 2013]. I was so excited that I drafted up a new training plan. I read a few different plans from books and magazines and landed on one that I came up with as a combination of all of them. Starting this week and as soon as I am feeling better, the goal is to run 20-40 miles per week, with one long run, tempo, intervals, and two easy days. Each week, I switch out the intervals for a fartlek run. I plan to incorporate lifting two days a week and do some active recovering with my new TRX straps on the two rest days.

I am the worst when it comes to cross-training. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the benefits of lifting and cycling, just not enough to do it on a daily basis. As a result, my running form is not as good as it could be, and I have pretty low energy after most runs. Running is just about all I do on a regular basis, so I decided to invest in TRX straps a couple weeks ago, and so far, I have used them a few times. I love them. They provide just enough assistance for me to be able to do push-ups and rows. You can also do bicep curls, planks, squats, and so much more. I found some really good videos on YouTube because honestly, I have no idea what all I can do with them. I also like the TRX straps because I can quickly attach the anchor point to a door frame and start using them in seconds.

I experience a lot of hip tightness and weakness, so my main goal with strength training will be focusing on my lower body and getting it in better shape to handle marathons better. I hope this will also help me in my goal to run faster by building up strength in my quads, hamstrings, and glutes. I am excited to incorporate more strength training into my training plan and can’t wait to feel the benefits.

Happy Monday!