From Training to Run to Training to Race

Hi friends! Happy almost Friday:D

I enjoyed reading which type of weather tickles your workout fancy in this morning’s post 🙂 However, I’m not sure about you guys who actually enjoy running in the winter. Faith, I don’t know how you do it!

I mentioned in the post that I’m incorporating tempo runs back into my training schedule, but I didn’t really go into why. Tempo runs are a great way to increase your speed and endurance. Each of which I’m looking to do…because I finally did it.

I signed up for my next race!

 

 

This whole summer, my running has been great (for me.) I’ve been on a running schedule of 4-ish runs per week, including at least one speed workout and one long run. I considered it training, I just…didn’t have anything to train…for. But I was sure training! I’d joke and say, “ok, well I’m heading out on a training run – gotta train for my next run!” hehe So, now I actually have an event in my horizons to put all of my running effort to good use.

Last year I ran in the Frank Lloyd Wright 10K in Oak Park and it was absolutely beautiful!

 

However, my training for this race was not so beautiful. To put it plain and simple, I didn’t want the PR enough to blow it out of the water. I came in a few seconds ahead of my first 10k, and the race was fun, pretty, and memorable, but this time I want to really improve my speed. (Full 10k recap) And even better this time around, I’m running it with BFF Kim and we’re staying with BFF Destiny!

But it doesn’t stop there! I am also signing up to run the Hot Chocolate 15k in Chicago in November! 😀

 

 

Um, I’m pretty sure I need to be involved in anything sponsored by Ghirardelli.

I’m still tweaking my training plan for the two races, but I plan to have it up on the blog by this weekend. I plan to run the 15k with my cousin (hopefully!) and a few new Chicago friends I met at the Healthy Living Summit this weekend! (Hi Amy and Megan…and everyone else!:) and I’m so excited! I’ve never run a 15k before, but have been itching to run another longer distance since my half marathon.

Now I’d like to find one more 5k to run in before the summer ends and I’ll consider my 2010 race quota met.

In hindsight, it was actually pretty fun running without an event in mind. I did it for the better part of the summer. In fact, I’ve only run in two races this year! I just wasn’t feelin’ signing up for a race, so I didn’t. But now the feeling’s back 😉

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Well I’ve had a marathon (pun! ha..) of a day, so it’s about time I retired with some Family Guy, my guy, and the pupster 🙂 Have a lovely night and wonderful Friday morning!!

What’s next on your fitness agenda? Are you training for a race? Trying out new classes? Just training to train? Obviously for me, I’m training for races for now, but in the winter I plan on trying out some workout DVD’s I’ve been wanting to try. I absolutely refuse to workout indoors too much in the summer in Illinois, because in the winter it becomes impossible to workout OUTdoors at time. Gotta take advantage 🙂

Buenos noches!!