Setting Up My Training Plan and Running from Yeti

3-6-25

When I posted about setting up my own training plan, I did more research on training plans. It turns out mine was lacking in time on the feet, and wouldn't have set me up for success. It didn't have enough miles, or time on the road during the week to help build the endurance needed for the race. Since I am a slower runner right now, I need to build up my endurance for the long run. So, my weekday runs will consist of an easy run, an easy mid-distance run, speed work, and a long run. It will be a steady 10% increase in distance each week, specifically for the long run. The other runs will increase slower, so I don't pass that 10%. 

3-9-25

Well, I increased a lot more than 10% yesterday (3/8). I've had the Run From Yeti race on my schedule for a while. I changed it from the half marathon to the 10k, I'm glad I did that change, but I didn't want to miss out on this race. So, even with basically no running base, I went out and did it. My plan was simple in the car before the race, walk 10k, I figured it would take me a while to walk the distance, but I should finish before some of the half marathon racers. Before I got out of the car I changed that solid plan to run/walk miles 1, 3, & 5. Which I did, and didn't do half bad. During my mile run/walk I skipped a couple of 1 minute run segments and ran the last portion of the race to the finish line. I was surprised at how good I felt after the race was over everywhere but my hands. I should have brought my running gloves, my hands were kind of useless after the race. I had to go warm them up in the car so I could really use them again. It was a fun race, with lots of smiling faces and high fives as I plodded along the out and back course.

3-10-25

This post is 4 days in the making. I just wanted to touch on one last thing as I finish this post. During the race (I finished 3 from last in the 10k) as I was heading to the turnaround point, there were clusters of people running back from it. I was working through mile three at this point doing my run/walk and happened to be in a minute of running. I had a line of people giving me high fives and encouraging me to keep going, that's one thing about running that I love during races, aside from people saying "On your left!" there are countless people who want to see you finish something hard. These people don't know me, chances are we'll never meet again. That encouragement and simple high five brought a smile to my running face (which looks like I'm about to die as I do longer runs). It was great.

With this race, I never hit that wall of "I want to quit and go home." like I did with the half marathon. I had lots of fuel in the tank still. I really thing my food leading up to the long run was better than it has been for other long runs. I will need to follow a similar path Fridays before my long run each week to really dial in the fueling for a run. I had one serving of sports beans on the run and one salted caramel Gu. I also wore my hydration vest with 1 liter of water and half a liter of electrolyte water. I did go through them entirely, and think I may have been a little dehydrated after the race.

My next race currently is a 5k called Taco the Town on May 17th. Silvia and Kaiden are doing it with me. It's on a 10 mile run day, so I will need to get in 7 more before or after the race. I was thinking of the Greater St. Louis 10k in April, but am a little to slow to finish in the required amount of time. Maybe next year for that one.

Thanks for reading.

-Riley