Hey there! It’s the start of another week…why can’t the weekends last a little bit longer? Hopefully you were able to make the most of it.
Now that the Rock and Roll Philly Half Marathon is over, I am trying to figure out what the heck to do with my life when it comes to running and fitness! Training for the race brought so much structure to my fitness life and kept me consistent. I’m actually sad that it’s all over. Now that I don’t have a training plan, what do I do to keep in running shape?
[bctt tweet=”What to do now that the half marathon is over?? #sweatpink”]
Getting Back to Basics
For me, it’s all about having the right balance. Being “injury-prone”, it is essential that I make sure that I’m doing the right things to keep my body strong, healthy, and in balance. It’s important not to focus on one area too much while neglecting others.
Running
While it would be awesome to keep up a 3-4 day a week running schedule, it’s just not possible for me right now. I’ve been a Saturday morning runner for ages, but when I was training I was surprised to learn how much I enjoy running on Sundays. I’d like to keep doing longer runs on Saturdays and have 2-4 mile runs on Sundays. Running during the week is just not an option for me until this exam is over!
Strength
This is definitely an area that I need to work on. I have so many exercises from my running coach and physical therapists that I could write a book! I plan to get back to using the Nike Training Club app on my phone and following some of the 15 or 30 minute workouts. Not only do I want to work on my lower body (squats and lunges anyone?), I want to start adding some weights. I’m thinking of squeezing this in on mornings before work every couple of days. I did 10 push ups Monday morning and it was a struggle…not good!
Yoga
I love yoga! Since focusing on running these past few months, I have only practiced a handful of times, which really makes me sad! With all of the stress of studying for the PE, I definitely need yoga back in my life! Not to mention yoga is great for core strength, flexibility, and balance. I’m hoping to get back to those 10:30 am classes at the studio on Sundays, and possibly do one half hour class at home on Yogadownload.com during the week.
Upcoming Races?
While not the cheapest way, the best way for me to stay motivated to run is to sign up for a race. So I am thinking about what kind of races I want to do in the next few months. Here are some of the events I’m pondering:
- Run the Bridge 10K on 11/2
- Fairmount Park 5 Mile Turkey Trot on 11/27
- A New Year’s Eve/Day Run?
- Half Marathon in early Spring?
- Spring races in Baltimore or DC? Would love recommendations!
Workouts for the Week:
Monday 9/22: The day after the half marathon: Are you kidding? Rest! My whole body was aching! Hips, glutes, calves, hamstrings, FEET!
Tuesday 9/23: Another day of rest. Things felt a lot better but I knew I’d be back to normal by Wednesday.
Wednesday 9/24: Core and More Class. It was fun as always, but for some reason all that jumping was a little hard on my calves and I felt a bit fatigued. I didn’t have any muscle soreness at this point.
Thursday 9/25: A rainy day, and a lazy day.
Friday 9/26: Busy day of studying and errands. I’d like to think I got in at least 10,000 steps!
Saturday 9/27: Planned to go for a run but instead got my hair did…which took several hours! Not that I’m complaining!
Sunday 9/28: Bret and I finally went for our run. It was more of a run/walk/hike around Forbidden Drive. We just love it over there, but it was surprisingly hot and humid which made things uncomfortable. Still, we made it to 5 miles and avoided lots of horse poop and mountain bikers.
Loving it out on the trails
It is hard to adjust after training for a big race but it sounds like you’ve got some good ideas on where to focus. I’ll be honest I cannot wait to take a break from training for Philly! I’ll be interested to hear what you decide to do for your next race!
Training can be fun but it can be a drag too…I know you’ll do great in your race!
Like you, I try to incorporate other activities like yoga and spin back into my routine (how I miss going to both regularly). I recommend the LOVE Half Marathon in Philly. There is also the RnR DC in March and the Frederick Half in May in the DC/MD area. If you are up for Virginia, Shamrock Half is in March 🙂
All of those sound fun! I’ve always heard good things about the Shamrock Half. If I can make it a racecation that might be able to work!
To keep myself motivated I sign up for more runs! I recommend the Hot Chocolate Run in Philly. Did the 15K last April and it was fun! The chocolate at the end was yummy too! 🙂
Ooh the Hot Chocolate Run sounds fun!! I’ll have to put that on my list, thanks Sharon!
Gosh, I had this shock the other day! I realize my race is still 2 months away but I suddenly realized I’ll need to figure out what to do next!!
On another note..I’m doing Run the bridge! yayy!!
Yay!!! I’m so looking forward to it, we’ll definitely have to hang!
cherry blossom 10 miler in dc! it’s a must do. chances are the blossoms won’t have bloomed (esp if we have a winter like last winter) but it’s a great race. kind of crowded but still gets awesome views of monuments while running. def sign up for the lottery and cross your fingers 🙂
Oh yes Cherry Blossom I forgot about that one! Thanks Courtney!
I am in the same boat. My 1/2 is in a few days and I am not sure what to do next. time will tell and thnaks for the tips.
What trail is that? I recently moved to Philly area and are looking for a nice running path. Doesn’t Philadelphia have a half as well as the full this November? Why not that one:)
This was near Forbidden Drive which is near Lincoln Drive! It’s a great place to run, especially this time of year, def check it out! I’ve done the Philly Half Marathon, and while it definitely has a better route than Rock and Roll, I want to try something new!
Working on your lower body strength will help immensely with future post-race recovery! I’m convinced it was why I bounced back after the RnR! And for spring races I have a couple good recommendations! There’s the Back on My Feet Halfway to Broad 5 Miler in March which was fun even though it included the Lansdowne Ave hill. For longer races, the Delaware half in May is nice and small but still challenging. A little further away is the Marine Corps Historic Half which I ran for the first time this year. I LOVE that race. There are marines all along the route cheering you, someone had fireball shots for runners (Serious! I didn’t take any though) and the town of Fredericksburg, VA is just gorgeous to run through.
Yes, it is always hard to know what’s next! It’s a great idea to mix things up and focus more on strength and yoga, etc. Congrats on the half!!
Hmm not sure where my first comment went … it went a little something like this … I always get that “what next” feeling after I finish a race or a big training cycle. I think it’s always smart to reflect on what needs work. I need to get my ass into a yoga class 🙂
I’ve got to bet better about doing things OTHER than running! It’s hard with marathon training but I feel so much better when I do. Congrats on the half!! Great job!