My Workout Routine
I ran three times a week. I completed the 13-week training plan in The Beginning Runner's Handbook, then moved on to the advanced plan. That schedule helped me to avoid injury, boredom, and burnout. I consider it a success!
To build strength, I did core exercises sort-of regularly and the Hundred Push Ups training program for a few weeks. I think it would have helped to do more. But I did all right with primarily just running. Here are the events I participated in that year:
Completed Races
- Race for Justice 5K (race report) PR 31:09
- Chaska 10K (race report) PR 1:03:59
- City of Lakes Trail-Loppet 1/2 Marathon (race report) PR 3:00:08
- October 29 - Monster Dash 1/2 Marathon (race report) PR 2:40:48
One of the things I do when I start, well, anything, is to read about the subject. A lot. Here are a few books that were helpful or interesting in the first stage of my running career.
- The Beginning Runner's Handbook
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
- In Defense of Food (not about exercise per se, but timely now that I am thinking a lot about proteins, vitamins, and carbs)
- The Courage to Start
- Born to Run