I am very excited to announce that in February of 2013 I will be running my first half marathon! If you know me you know that I am definitely not a runner. Call me crazy, but I love being challenged! So over the next several months I will be training my way up to running 13.1 miles!

My goal is to finish. Not race. I’ve found a training schedule for beginners that consists of two weekly short runs, two days of cross training, and a weekend long run. Each run gets progressively longer over 16 weeks. I plan on using and repeating this schedule twice up until race day.

In order to train properly, I’ve ordered a Garmin GPS Watch to better track my distances and pace. Plus its cute!

I’m hoping to be able to maintain a 10 minute mile. I know I can run a 10 minute mile on a treadmill for one mile, but running distance  on road is a whole other beast.

I’ve also bought myself a reasonably priced pair of ASICS as recommended by some friends on twitter. I’m usually addicted to Nikes, and man were there some awesome looking new Nikes on sale this weekend, but I stuck to my intentions and bought these.

ASICS are supposed to be more comfortable, wider, and more cushioned specifically for running. We shall see about that. 

With regards to nutrition, I need to make sure I don’t skimp on good complex carbohydrates. Which shouldn’t be a problem for me!

I hope to be able to write about the training process and any changes in body composition that may some with becoming an endurance runner. I hope to be able to drop a couple of pounds and improve my overall fitness.

If you want to join me in training for a racing my first half marathon and you live in the Tampa Bay Area, email me at SummerVBlankenship@gmail.com.

Happy Running!