Los Angeles Marathon - Day 3 - MARATHON DAY!!!

Isn't amazing, when you sign up for a race,  6 months out you feel like "oh i have plenty of time"...well BOOM..it came. I signed up for this race in October, and I couldn't believe how FAST it got here.

With the whole loosing an hour of sleep ,getting up at 3:30 (2:30 normal time), and the fiasco of forgetting my headphones for the 5K the day before, I laid everything out. I didn't want to leave anything to "oh i 'll remember that tomorrow morning." I never want to leave race day items to chance. My adrenaline already makes me more gittery than I already am. I highly suggest doing this for every major race!

I was super anxious about Daylights savings time ( I still wonder if anyone was royally messed up because of this?) and so we set like 5 alarms.. lol we had a crazy wakeup call.  For those that DO NOT KNOW, marathon morning is CRAZY... 3 years ago we allowed 2 hours to get to Dodger stadium, living 20 minutes away. My husband had to jump out of the car on the free way and jog 2 miles to the starting line,he was not alone. Traffic is crazy, people are crazy, so, I didn't mind formulating a plan for race day. We met our coach, at 4:30, in Venice, carpooled and parked in a "secret spot", and then took the shuttle. Everything was extremely smooth and we were in place at Dodger stadium EARLY. Which was fine, time to warm up, check our bags, and last bathroom stop prerace.

We made it to the shuttle! Coach Iyob and Johnny! Iyob was celebrating his 23rd LA marathon and had just completed 50 marathons before the age of 50.

 My "running sister" :) A pretty awesome women. Her and her boyfriend ended up getting 3rd place in the relay, both running 1:30ish half marathons and are both heading to Boston next month!

Beautiful sunrise!

CRAZY PACKED

My Run MDR ladies :) 

and we're off!

I saw people jumping up and down, running around HOURS before the race. My advice, save your energy, it's going to be a long day. Simple stretching and some leg swings are fine. Take the first 2-3 miles to warm up your legs (trust me the hill at mile 4 will do just that!)

The first 1-2 miles is down hill heading out of Dodger Stadium. You want to just take off, but, I really tried to make sure I was listening to my body, knowing in about 3 miles there was going to be a hill climb. I didn't want to burn all my energy out at the beginning, and ran around a 55-59% effort

First stop, Chinatown!

It was right around this time I spotted the 4:45 pacers. I had picked up 2 cliff pacer bracelets at the expo ( I LOVE THESE THINGS). It's a paper bracelet, that I like to wear on my right wrist. at the bottom it has your goal time. I was shooting for 4:45 so I picked up that one . It has your elapsed time for every mile marker . I set the top portion of my nike+ watch on my elapsed running time and then checked it with my cliff bracelet about 2-3 times a mile to make sure I was doing what I wanted. 

...yeah..chilli cheese hotdogs..NO THANKS

Around the 10K I still felt like I could give a little more so, I picked up the pace and never saw the 4:45 pace group for the rest of the race.

The crowd was extremely thick exciting Echo Park and turning towards the city.

The first site of the Hollywood sign and the Griffith observatory!

There was a camera crew following a runner, I didn't recognize her, but I figured maybe she worked for a news channel or was an actress. 

was feeling the effects of my pace so, first GU shot of the day :) I've learned that if I wait for a water stop and eat the Gu/Drink the water simultaneously it goes down quicker and it doesn't stick in my throat. 

(don't know what happened to mile 9)

Around mile 10, I met up with he 4:15 pacer, I was EXTREMELY excited to see her. I didn't realize I was doing that well :) My times had been all negative  splits by about 3-5 minutes . I was able to keep up with her for about 2-3 miles but then I realize I needed to run my race and understand I still had almost half a race left. So, I kept her balloon in site but decided to pull back and listen to my body.

Having lived on Hollywood Blvd before, I was extremely excited to see this. I knew we were getting closer and closer to Hollywood

Hollywood and Highland intersection! One of my favorite plazas I used to go to.

Chinese theater!

Turned left, pass In N out and right on Sunset Blvd!

One more!

HALF MARATHON!

Gu #2

The sun had finally decided to come out (it had been overcast all morning), right after mile 13 I REALLY began to feel the heat and it didn't stop rising.

The beginning of Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive

Why hello Vera Wang :)

still around Rodeo

Up until now, I had been doing fairly decent. It was about 10-15 degrees warmer now than it had been at the start. Oddly enough I hadn't been paying much attention, the last mile, to where we were but once I climbed the first "rolling hill" I knew we were on this long, never ending highway that I used to drive to Santa Monica a lot. I was like oh heck no, this isn't going to be easy. 

Right around here, my brain was telling me, ok, almost a 10K...it's just a 10K...You run this every Wed. Even though I was trying to stay positive, I also realized my fastest 10K was at 55 mins. I still almost had an entire hour left, the hardest one of the race. 

As you can see I skipped mile 20. I'm pretty sure it was because my head was down and I was walking. I walked the first hill (which wasn't much of one at all, it felt like it tho) and the heat spiked another 5 degrees.

This part was the HARDEST part of my race, my coach told me it would be as well . "People drop like flies around the VA" he constantly told me :) By this time I knew Run MDR would be set up at Mile 23, PLUS San Vincente was right around the corner. Our Sunday long runs consisted of a start at Venice beach, up the Santa Monica Pier and the race route,backwards, up San Vincente and through Brentwood. If I could just get to mile 23, I could make it. Once I hit Brentwood (and went past the Farmers market I ALWAYS WANT TO STOP AT LOL) I knew there was 1 hill, one hill left, one constant incline for about 1 mile. I walked/ran the last 2-3 miles, high fived the Run MDR folk and kept going. I took about 2 Gu's and kept telling myself Santa Monica wasn't the stopping point, I still had to run to the store, hoping to pysch myself out. 

After 23, it was all down hill, literally. The hill was gone, it was a gradual and slow down hill. I've ran this route for 3 month's every Friday. I counted down the blocks as they went...23rd......11th.........7th (our 10 mile turn around from the store)......There's the fancy houses...

I really wanted to run this last bit but once again I got horrible side stiches. They seem to hit more frequent when my breathing becomes more labored so, I focused on breathing and elongating my stride. I ran through my check list from a ZAP coach, from Boone, NC. "Shoulders down, arms at the side, jaw relaxed." It also made me laugh thinking about him yelling it across a lake, and still being able to hear him :)

We turned left onto Ocean and BOOM....the longest stretch of life LOL....The crowd was thick, the sky was blue, the ocean on my right, the finish line off in the distance. Ironically "Have you got it in you" by Imogen Heap was playing, my theme song for my Half Ironman. I listened to the chorus once, took my headphones off and just took in the sites and sounds. The "you're almost there, you've got it!" I saw a friend from my running club on the side (she had paced another friend). I waved, she smiled and I pushed...no more walking, I was going to finish this

I crossed the finish line with a really bad cramp, but I did it!. I got my phone , called my husband (he finished almost an hour and 1/2 a head of me). He asked me how I felt and I remember saying "I just want to SIT DOWN". Of course you have to walk everywhere to get all your stuff. About half a mile later, I had my bag, my water (the bottle was already empty after the first gulp) and my medal. We reconnected at the massage line and I had one of the best post race (free) massages ever. I plan on doing this after EVERY major race .

This is a picture from the 5K ( i think we were just too tired to take pics from the actual day of the race) but, once I met up with my husband,he was like " so, I guess I have at least one more marathon to do". I was laughing because as I was getting my phone out (after I crossed the finish line). A friend on FB had been following our bibs and had already messaged me JOSH RAN A 3:03!!!! Josh is (hopefully) running Boston 2015.  He beat his age group qualifying time by 2 minutes. 

My swag, I love it!

Have I told you HOW MUCH i love this watch? It's my favorite running accessory! ( I even wear when I'm not running) I paused it once when I thought I was going to go to the bathroom but then decided not to. It was highly accurate before, but ended up getting about .30 off the race markers. The elapsed time was almost dead on tho which was the most significant. 

To be honest, at first I was a little disappointed in my time. I was doing so well up until around Mile 18-19 where I started walking a lot more. My original goal was to be 5:19 ( my last marathon time). So after some talk I realized I should be thankful for this time. This was my 3rd marathon but the first one I had trained well for and was actually "competitive" in . My next marathon is in 2 months and I can only hope to improve on that time :)

I drank at every aid station, sometimes both gatorade and water. I think what attributed to my early "wall hitting" around mile 20 was not enough Gu's. I was inhaling them around mile 22-23 but I didn't take my first shot until Mile 8, originally I was planning for mile 6, then mile 13 and 18. I waited until I felt like I needed them. I learned my lesson and I realize I need to replenish with them at a more consistent rate so I don't FEEL the need for them and have more constant energy. 

I def couldn't have done it without this group. As part of the Run Marina Del Ray running group we are "the Sundays (Minus 2 of our regulars)." a firefighter, a BA trainer, a teacher, 2 husband/wife teams, a student and a first time marathoner. We owe it to each other (and our coach) for being there on Sundays. For the smiles, the stories, just knowing there is someone waiting for you at the end, regardless how long we all take.  Thanks :)

Los Angeles Marathon Weekend Day 2- 5K - My Anniversary Run

Today was an extremely special day for me. 3 years ago (2011). My spouse entered the LA Marathon, after watching him train I decided maybe I could do this too? I signed up for the LA 5K,bought my Nike+ watch, and jumped on the treadmill, for probably the first time in my life (actual running story to come in a later post). Basically 3 years ago, I couldn't jog at a 4.0 through an entire song. That's where I started. There was no couch to 5K programs, I didn't own a smart phone (the original Iphone) and so I kind of just aimed to get up to a slow jog for 2 songs, 3 songs, 4 songs, 1 mile...etc etc....

Fast Forward 3 years later, we knew we would be in LA for the LA marathon and with the combo purchase it made the 5K $15, I thought it would be fun to celebrate my first race I've ever ran with the huge leaps and bounds I've made. ...one thing is...i forgot HOW HARD this 5K was!!!!! PHEW lol..With 8-10 5Ks under my belt I still claim this as one of THE HARDEST 5K's. With 4 hills, you are proud of yourself finishing this one!

Knowing I had a marathon the next day, I decided I wanted to break my 2011 31:00 finish time but not crush it. I wanted to save some of that energy for tomorrow.

We arrived at the Stadium around 7:15, plenty time to park, walk, and have a last minute bathroom stop. The crowd isn't near as big as the marathon so, getting to the stadium isn't crazy site as the marathon day is.

Welcome to dodger Stadium!

It was really cool, this year they had Dodger Stadium open so, I sneaked in and took a few pictures. I've never been inside before :)

                                           A picture of the finish line before the race began

It was amazing HOW hot, it had gotten before the start of the race. I could feel the sun on my shoulders and arms. I was really worried that if it was like this tomorrow, I'd be in trouble.

ANYWAY, I started farther in the back than I wanted. I ended up having to run around a TON of walkers, some even carrying banners. It was around the time I got out of the stadium I had finally found a group of runners that were around my pace. It was oddly familiar. Even though it was 3 years ago, I remembered the hills....every, one , of them! lol

I didn't want to push it too hard because I had remembered them. I don't how well this picture is going to come out, but here is the elevation map from my nike+

The Green line is my pace, the faded blue is the elevation. (i'll work on getting a better picture asap)

Anyway, I really enjoy the course. It's not extremely scenic, but the greenery and forestry is really relaxing. You don't feel like you're in downtown LA until you wind back down to the stadium.  The last hill is always a tough one and suffered some real bad side stitches .I think I pushed it a little too much going up the 3rd hill and by the 4th my diaphragm was trying to catch up .

I was really excited to see the finish line and raced towards it.  

The finisher bag was pretty awesome for a 5K. It had a towel , a hat, a bracelet, and few food/water items . 

I ended up having a decent finishing time considering I was at a 65% effort  and the temperature was quickly rising.

Anyway, it was great race, well organized, and a challenging course. I was really happy I was able to participate and celebrate my first race again. :)

Los Angeles Marathon Weekend 2014: Expo - Day 1

Well, after registering in October, training since December, It's HERE! The marathon weekend is here!

This will be my 3 marathon as well as celebrating the beginning of my running career. My first race was the LA 5K in 2011 the year of the Monsoon LOL

I was super excited to get going to the Expo. Luckily, living in LA, we were able to drive to a Metro Train and take it all the way into the convention center.

My coach suggested we take advantage of being in town and visit the expo on Friday. I'm so glad we did. Running Disney and Marine Corps, it was probably one of the least crowded expos I've been to.

Wearing my traditional expo skirt, we made it to the beginning of the entrance line to get in :)

After doing a loop around the building we were in. Picking up our bibs was kind of a weird situation. We had signed up for the LA 5K and Marathon, as a package, however we were only sent one bib number. We ended up having to go to a bib lookup booth line, find our bib for the 5K , and then go back to the line to get our big, then get in another line for our shirt. This process (minus the bib lookup) was repeated for the marathon as well. AGAIN, super thankful we cleared the whole afternoon AND we went on Friday, I can only imagine that process taking almost an hour (waiting in line to get in, going to 3 different booths before picking up a bib) . But, that's what you sign up for when you register with 20,000+ other people. 

I was running on 4 hours of sleep today (my body woke me up around 4:30 and I just couldn't go back to sleep=tired look

The double shirts and big goodie bag is always nice. I love the local coupons, water bottle, and all the tons of free handouts at the LA Marathon Expo. Of the 3 marathon expos I've been too, this one is always the biggest, when it comes to samples and free items. 

Last time we found the names on a car, this time, a wall. I was excited to finally find mine :)

I was mostly excited about the jewlery booths that seem to be more popular at expos. I'm starting a "running bracelet" and haven't been to impressed with the prices online :) but found some cute charms 

Anyway, we connected with my coach, and was able to sneak a picture with him before he had to run off and do his VIP work with the marathon. 

We walked around and made it to all the venues to our sanctification and made our way home. A pretty organized expo and glad that it's finally here!...

I know I was covered HEAD to TOE in pink...but.. Honestly so many of these marathons are male heavy I wanted to support the girls at the race. I'm like of course i'm going to wear my New awesome Pink Brooks (new minimalist shoe post marathon training). I actually quite some compliments on the shoes :)..AND proudly sporting my Marine Corps Marathon Jacket... I don't think i'll ever qualify for Boston so I call it my Boston Jacket..I'm sorry but at the MCM expo I saw that it was hot pink..I begged for it..It was calling my name!..:) 

I still haven't decided on what I'm going to wear for the Marathon day..but..You can bet I Will have pink...somewhere :) My Asics  Kayanos are busting out with the Lime Green and Neon Pink. Can't wait to introduce them to their first marathon after all the training runs they've gotten me through as well as my AH-Mazing Nike Plus Watch :) already got 100+ miles on that watch since I received it as a birthday gift in January :)

More on the 5K and Marathon later!

Thanks for reading!

Not Just Another New Year's Resolution

How many of us made 10-12 goals/resolutions in January, and one more later have realized that we've already began forgetting to practice what we decided or haven't even started working on set goals?

At the end of a workout class I noticed a friend of mine carry a huge water bottle with February goal marked on it. I asked her what the importance of that bottle was. She stated that she realized she needed to drink more water and decided that every day she wanted to drink 3 of those bottles. This sparked a conversation about resolutions and goals that I decided I wanted to pursue onto a posting.

The myth states that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I honestly don’t know how correct this is, I think it really depends on the person. I know, with my Type A personality, I get really excited about something for about a week, week and ½, hit it hard, and then eventually If I don’t constantly do it, or make it a priority, it quickly fades away and old habits creep up. We seem to really focus on New Year’s Day being the jumping off point for our “new selves, new year” but why does it have to be just that time of the year? I’ve personally realize if you break these down into bite size portions, they’re much easier to achieve, similar to the mental aspect of preparing for one of my races. If at the starting line of a marathon you think ok, only 26.2 miles to finish! I just want to turn around and walk away, heading for the closest doughnut shop. But If I do a little research and find out where all the water stations are (usually every 2-3 miles) it makes it much easier to focus on finishing the race. I try not to think about the finish until mile 20-21. If I do my mind is ready to jump ship. I break it down into little races,

“Alright first 5K, feeling good”…”Alright 10K, let’s do this!” “Half Marathon, good job, keep it up, you can do this!” …”alright 2 miles till I can get a drink”...”woo! Energy shot aid station!”  “Doughnut holes!”…”Alright…legs, I know you’re sore but only a 10K left”….”ugh this will never end…ok..ok..1 more mile till water”…”GATORADE!” …”I think I can I think I can”……” WATER!”…..”5K LEFT 5K LEFT!!!”…WAHH!!! FINISH!! “I AM AWESOME, can I sit down?”  

lol..ok ok I just thought I’d put that in for fun….SO, my point with all this is, perhaps instead of 1 month filled with 10-15 goals…why not 2-3 goals, every month, for a year……..Think how simple that sounds? You can even reward yourself for reaching your goals, if you so choose to. When I started a workout program, last year, I printed out the calendar that came with the kit, and at the end of every 2 weeks that I completed gave myself a reward. Some of those included a new workout top, a sample makeup kit I saw in an advertisement, etc etc. Something small that didn’t involve food lol. We usually set goals or resolutions for fitness, cessation of smoking or drinking, time for ourselves or family, and/or money. We do this for a reason to change a habit we are currently creating by either lack of motivation or lack of time.

Ok, so you’ve picked a goal. For example my resolution for January was to become more efficient with my grocery budget and shopping. I began by setting a budget, continuing my coupon clipping, and comparing my grocers ad to my list of actual groceries. By doing this I came out ahead 3 out of the 4 shopping trips I made and we still had healthy meals. . By doing this we ate out less often. January was also my birthday month, so we used the money we saved, and went out to eat at a very nice restaurant, we wouldn’t have normally gone to, to celebrate my birthday.

            Another thing to remember, always, is KISS- Keep It Simple (Stupid). Make the goals/resolution simple and small. “I want to run a 5K by March” could be seen as kind of overwhelming. You can write that in on your March calendar (Goal number 2-become more efficient with our days together, hence the calendar on the fridge and the planned days off suggestion page) but make steps for the goals themselves. By using the March 5K as an example, make one of January’s goals to find a running training program/schedule online and/or walking 10-15 minutes a day, etc etc. Then February’s goal could be to make a playlist for when you walk/jog with your phone adding on to the schedule you’re following for your 5K schedule, as well as finding some good active shoes. By March you’re ready to tackle that 5K!

Keeping the goals/resolutions as specific as they can be helps tremendously. By saying “My goal is to be able to last an entire Zumba class without feeling like I’m going to pass out.” Is much more achievable than “I want to get fit”. Another example “I want to save enough money to go to Hawaii”, Instead find out how much it cost to fly out there and spend a week, then how long it would take to save up for it week by week, then it could be “I want to save $50 a week so I can go to Hawaii in (Insert number) of months.”

As silly as all this all sounds a lot of people think (including myself)..Ok..”NEW YEAR NEW ME what do I want to change”,. Then after the first week of going back to work/school/ first of the year bills, Life does get in the way and things don’t progress. We feel like we might as well forget it and stop. Life does happen! Bills happen, painful joints happen, kids, family, etc etc, but don’t give up and don’t wait till “next Monday”. If you eat a pretty unhealthy meal for breakfast, and messed up your healthy eating goal, don’t figure you’ve messed up the whole day! You’ve still got 10-11 hours of day left! Redeem your goal/resolution at lunch! If you miss a workout, stretch before bed and try again tomorrow, get right back on that horse.

            I haven’t planned out my year yet, and I’m sure I’ll be adding on here and there when new things come up but here are some of my yearly resolutions/goals:

January- 1. Become more efficient with seeing sites and our days off- Created a calendar, combined all of the work days/days off and made up a things we want to do list.
               2. Attend my fitness center at least twice a week- focusing on at least 1 yoga class a week- Found their class schedule, circled every class I’m interested in going posted it on the fridge. So far So good J
                3. Continue attending Wed, Sat, Sun, Run meetups and Pick up the 10K runs on Wed
                4. Become a certified YBB instructor-Working on my yoga hours to obtain
                5. Finish AFAA Textbook ½-3/4ths way
                6. Set a cash budget for groceries and only us the allotted cash amount

February- 1. Drink/refill my camel back bottle- It goes everywhere with me
                 2. Add a strength training class to my fitness class schedule
                 3. Continue attending Wed, Sat, Sun runs- 10K runs wed and running full distances on Sundays
                 4. Continue yoga classes
                  5. Put myself on an allowance budget
                  6. Finish AFAA textbook, begin review
March
                1. Continue previous month’s goals, tapering weight training
                2. Review and Pass AFAA Group Trainer Certification test
                3. Complete LA Marathon 5K and Marathon!!!!

April       1. Continue previous months goals
               2. Add strength training back to work out regiment once a week
              
            
Those are just an example of some of my goals/resolutions. A lot of them are fairly simple but a lot of them all lead up to a ½ ironman I have coming up in September. When I signed up for it was I was extremely overwhelmed but with more than 6 months to train, if I set goals and followed a schedule I know I will be able to complete it J

I hope you find this post helpful and thought provoking. I know it’s pretty long, but maybe you can start getting ideas and plotting down some new February goals/resolutions. You still have time J
Anyway, as always thanks for reading J

2014-Update- Runs, races, and California,OH my!

Man oh Man, Can it really be 2014 already?!

It's been a while since I've posted! ( It looks like since October..eesh!) Well, I guess it's time for a new post!

It was a busy last half (and start to the new year) We were in the arctic zone of Wyoming (- 30 wind gusts and snow, NOT FUN for running/Biking) So... I spent a lot of hours on the treadmill in the gym . During that time I was "training " for the Marine Corps Marathon (there will be a post on that later). All I will say on here is that well, I finished. It wasn't pretty but it was my own fault. I lost motivation during training and didn't put in near enough miles as I should have.

ALSO...with the annual Kona Ironman World Championships on broadcast it fueled our racing addiction, thought about it, researched it, and decided to compete in our first Half Ironman in Augusta, GA in September of this year!!! Super excited! But, we had a lot to do. While spending time in Denver, we found some amazing Craiglist road bikes. Since then we've invested in some tri-gear, and only have wetsuits left to invest in (I plan on making a post about the 1/2 Ironman as well, so STAY TUNED! lol)

As mentioned before, we had enough of the cold weather and decided to revisit the land where the traveling began, and moved back to California! Since back we've been hitting the road with a running group, training for the Los Angeles Marathon. We really feel like this could be a great race! We've been training harder than usual and have put some long miles in already. I've also been really focusing on speed work this time around and set a personal record for my half marathon at a local race. I was pretty happy but was 3 minutes over a sub 2 hour race. I had placed myself too slowly at the beginning and had to really push the last 6 miles to make up for that time. Oh well, it was "the easiest" half I had ran and hope to catch that 2 hour record later this year .

With moving back to CA I've reconnected with some friends, but mostly my favorite fitness studio that fueled my passion for fitness and gave me the confidence to pursue a career in that industry. This weekend is very special! I will be learning from the creators of Yoga Booty Ballet and will be going through a teacher training certification program to eventually teach this class. I'm very excited but nervous as well. My confidence level in performing in front of people always waivers, I know what I need to do but that pressure of performing in front of my teachers/peers always gets me nervous.

So, that is all for now, I hopefully plan to keep this updated through out the month, now I don't have to fight for the laptop anymore LOL . Anyway as always, thanks for reading...Stay Posted, Stay healthy :)

Running Programs, Schedules, and training guides for 5K's, 10K's, Halfs, and Marathons

Becoming a Racing Runner

Tips, Running Programs, and Schedules for :

5K's

10K's

Half Marathons

Full Marathons

A lot of my friends have caught the running bug and have been asking me about my favorite pacing programs or running websites.

Doing some research on my own has led me to feel slightly overwhelmed, SO I figured I'd make some what of a running " bank" of websites on this post of running plans that I think are good for many, many races out there whether it be a 5K, 10K, etc etc and whether you're beginning or want to break a personal record with a upcoming race.  

All of these programs can be printed out, don't require money, and are pretty easy to follow, which is why I've included them in my post. So many can be overwhelming and some websites even make you pay for their program. These are basic and can be tailored to your level!

Now I don't call myself an expert at ALL, I just know that If I could have everything in one place, I would appreciate it...SO..here it goes!

A great website to look up races in your area

Running in the USA

Also google the name of your city and insert running club afterwards. A LOT of cities now have their own running club facebook group or website that post upcoming events in the local area.

Some trips and tricks I've learned along the way!

1. Signing up for a race is probably the best running motivator. When you're putting in the hours of running, if you have that race in the back of your head pushing you, you're a lot less likely to make excuses for reasons why you shouldn't run that day.
2. Fine a runny buddy or a club. I have more motivation to run, and I run more frequently, if I know someone is counting on me to show up or help them as well.
3. Make sure you have decent equipment! I'm not telling you to go out and buy $200 shoes, but if you injure your feet because you skimped on some shoes, you've pretty much trained for nothing. Go to a sports store (not Walmart) and find some adequate shoes that are made for the purpose of running. (FYI, some have to go up a 1/2 of size or a full size due to swelling after running. Losing a toenail due to tight shoes is NOT fun)
4. Start slow! If you've only ran once a month, don't plan to do a marathon in 4 weeks! Pace your time out. The last thing you want to do is sign up for a race and want to train so fast you injure yourself. You're out all the money and possibly for quite some time.
5. Make your first races FUN!! The reason why I listed SO many of the Disney races is because I LOVE them. I knew I wasn't going to be fast, so why push myself through 26.2 miles in a race where I would be miserable. The Disney races are AMAZING novice races. They only have a pace requirement of 16 minutes per mile (you can WALK faster than 16 minutes per mile). It's very organized AND you get to run through the Disney park and meet the characters. I did my first half AND my first full marathon at a Disney race. I wasn't too worried about my times, I just wanted to have fun, which of course I did! So, pick a race you will enjoy for your first long distance race, whether it be the Disney's, the Rock and Roll, or a very scenic race like Los Angeles. :) 

5K TRAINING ( 3.1 Miles) or Beginning running training

I really liked this website, It has a great, straightforward information

http://www.runningforbeginners.com/

This is a very simple program designed for those who are new to running and would like to participate in their first 5K.

Hal Higdon's website (which I will be referencing a lot) is one of my FAVORITE websites. Not only does he give you running schedules, he gives you multiple schedules for each race depending what your goal is .

Training for a 5K

His 5K training includes plans for the following:

Novice Training for your first 5K

This is an eight-week training schedule to help get you to the finish line. It assumes that you have no major health problems, are in reasonably good shape, and have done at least some jogging or walking.

Intermediate-5K-Training

you probably are not going to be content to merely finish your 5-K race. You'd like to finish it with grace, in style and maybe improve your time (known as setting a Personal Record, or PR) In order to achieve full benefit from this program, you probably need to have been running 3-4 days a week for the last year or two and averaging 15-20 miles weekly, It helps if you have an understanding of the concepts of speedwork.

Advanced-5K-Training-Maximum Performance

an individual who has been running for several years and who has run numerous 5-K races and races at other distances, there comes a time when you want to seek maximum performance. Regardless of your age or ability, you would like to run as fast as you possibly can. You want a training program that will challenge you. Here it is!Let me state what you probably know already. To achieve maximum performance, you need to improve your endurance and your speed. In order to achieve full benefit from this program, before starting you probably need to be running 4-5 days a week, 20-30 miles a week or more, and at least have an understanding of the concepts of speedwork. If not, drop back to one of the other programs.

Walkers- Who-says you have to run to finish a 5K

If your only interest is to stroll 5-K at a comfortable pace, you probably don't need any particular training program. Just make sure you have a comfortable pair of walking shoes and do enough walks of at least 15-30 minutes in the last month or two before the 5-K to make sure you won't have any trouble finishing the 3.1-mile distance.

I just really LOVE his programs. They are straight forward and they are very basic. 

Jeff Galloway's 5K (and 10K) training program

 Training for a 5K (10K as well)

Some 5K races you don't want to miss:

The Color Run

  A very easy 5K, their website's description:

"Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed race in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. The fun continues at the finish line with a gigantic “Finish Festival,” using more colored powder to create happiness and lasting memories, not to mention millions of vivid color combinations. Trust us, this is the best post-5k party on the planet!

You can honestly walk the whole thing and say " I finished a 5K!"
Here is a training program I found to get you ready (if you want to run this)

My Color Run Race- Pictures and Experience

Some of the BEST 5k's for family: races that run through Disney World and Disney Land Parks, Great medals, and lots of fun for the family!

Disney World's Expedition Everest Challenge-Obstacle Course

Disney World's Happy Haunted 5K Trail Run

Disney World's Mickey's Jingle Jungle 5K

Disney World's Family Fun Run 5K

Cinderella Royal Family 5K

Disneyland's Family Fun Run-5K

Disneyland's Never Land Family 5K

Other races:

Hot Chocolate 5K/15K
Jingle Bell Run

Zombie Mud Run

The Ultimate top 5K Runs

Pretty much it just depends on what your area offers. Most major cities offer some type of 5K around the holidays.

10K TRAINING (6.2 Miles)

 OK, so say you've ran a couple 5K's and you are ready to add a little more of a challenge to your race.

Here is Jeff Galloway's 10K (and 5K) training program

Training for a 10K (5K too)

Hal Higdon's Training Programs:

 Novice Program

 A new runner to the 10K program and just want to finish

Intermediate Program

You should be running five to six times a week, averaging 15-25 miles weekly training. You probably also should have run a half dozen or more races at distances between the 5-K and the Half-Marathon.

Advanced Program
individuals who compete regularly in races up to 10-K or beyond and who want to improve their performances. You should be capable of running 30 to 60 minutes a day, five to seven days a week and have a basic understanding of how to do speedwork.

Walking Program

If your only interest is to stroll 10-K at a comfortable pace, you probably don't need any particular training program. Just make sure you have a comfortable pair of walking shoes and do enough walks of at least 45-90 minutes in the last month or two before the 10-K to make sure you won't have any trouble finishing the 6.2-mile distance

New Balances 10K Program:

10K Training Worksheet Print Out

Some fun 10K Races:

Disney Land's 10K

Disneyland's Tinker Bell 10K

Disney World's 10K

Disney World's Enchanted 10K

I had a hard time finding many other 10K's that were nationally known. This would be another time where it would be best to find local races from your running club or searching the link (posted above) at Running USA

HALF MARATHON TRAINING (13.1, AND MY FAVORITE RACE!)

ALRIGHT, my FAVORITE distance race :) Runners World Magazine says "if you can run 3 miles, you can run a half marathon).

This is becoming one of the most popular type of races to run in the past 5 years. 

There are many, many races that have half marathons and there are lots of training programs out there!

Hal Higdon's Training Program

Hal Higdon's Half-Marathon Training Guide

His training program is broken down into 5 different schedules based on your level of running the half marathon

Novice 1 Training Program

The following schedule assumes you have the ability to run 3 miles, three to four times a week.

Novice 2 Training Program

Some of these half marathoners are people moving up from the 5-K or 10-K, but I suspect more of them (more of you) are runners who have run a marathon or two,

Intermediate Training Program

Those who want to improve their performances. You should be capable of running 30 to 60 minutes a day, five to seven days a week, have competed in at least a few 5-K and 10-K races, if not a marathon, and at least be willing to consider the possibility that some speedwork might help you improve.

Advanced Training Program

individuals who compete regularly in 5-K, 10-K, half-marathon and even marathon races and who want to improve their performances. You should be capable of running 30 to 60 minutes a day, five to seven days a week and have a basic understanding of how to do speedwork.

Plans Based on Training Time Till Race Day

Sometimes you want to base your schedule off of the time you have until your major race, here is a website that has schedules for a 12, 16, and 20 week half marathon training schedule.

Half Marathon.net 12,16, and 20 week Schedule

Run Keeper is a great App you can download (will talk more about apps below) but it also has a great website designed with a varied amount of plans based on your level of running fitness, schedule of race day, and possible finish time.

Run Keeper 1/2 Marathon Training Plans

Beginner's 10 week 1/2 Marathon Schedule

 

POPULAR RACES:

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

Disneyland's Tinker Bell Half Marathon

Disney World's Wine and Dine Half Marathon

Disney World's Half Marathon

Disney World's Princess Half Marathon

   My Disney Princess Half Marathon Race

Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon and Marathon Series

 
Yellowstone Half Marathon
Rocky Mountain Half Marathon

Active.Com's 13-Biggest-Half-Marathons

MARATHON TRAINING

I actually found this book at a goodwill ( I WAS SUPER EXCITED) . I met Jeff at the WDW Princess Half and am pretty happy with this book. Some running books, I feel, are extremely basic "make sure you have good running shoes, drink water..blah blah" most of that info is completely available online now. This book had some GREAT running schedules.

Jeff Galloway Marathon Training Schedule

Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Programs

1. Novice-Supreme-Training-Program

    A Simple 30-Week Schedule for Beginning Runners: I DESIGNED THIS PROGRAM FOR NEW RUNNERS, specifically those individuals new to the sport of long distance running who would like to start in the spring to get ready to run a marathon in the fall. Individuals who plan to get serious about their training and dedicate six or seven months to training for their first marathon.

2.Novice-1-Training-Program

     Used by runners preparing to run their first marathons. If you googled "Marathon Training," you probably found this program at the top of the list, favored even over programs available on major Web sites, such as RunnersWorld.com. Is this your first marathon? Have you only begun to run in the last month or two? Novice 1 will get you to the starting line, and you can't get to the finish line unless you get to the start. If you have been running for a year or more and have run a number of races from 5-K to the half marathon, you might want to consider Novice 2, although many experienced runners also favor Novice 1, because of the (relatively) gentle way it prepares you to run 26 miles 385 yards.

3. Novice-2-Training-Program

     A slight step upwards in difficulty from Novice 1. It is designed for people with some background as a runner, whether or not they have run a marathon before. Runners differ greatly in ability, but ideally before starting a marathon program, you should have been running about a year. You should be able to comfortably run distances between 3 and 6 miles. You should be training 3-5 days a week, averaging 15-25 miles a week. You should have run an occasional 5-K or half marathon race. It is possible to run a marathon with less of a training base (particularly if you come from another sport), but the higher your fitness level, the easier this 18-week program will be. If this description fits you, you are probably ready to use Novice 2 for your first marathon, or for subsequent marathons, but don't feel embarrassed about dropping back to Novice 1. Novice 2 is nearly identical to Novice 1, but there are some differences, mainly: 1) You do pace runs on Wednesdays, and 2) the mileage is somewhat higher. Novice 2 consists of several different increments.

4.Intermediate-1-Training-Program

     The Intermediate 1 program offers a slight jump in difficulty from the Novice programs. You begin in Week 1 with a long run of 8 miles instead of 6 miles. You thus get to 20 miles for your long run by Week 13, which permits a second 20-miler in Week 15. Midweek mileage is slightly higher, but instead of cross-training on the weekends, you get more serious about your running and do a second run of 5-8 miles, often at marathon race pace. You now do your cross-training on Mondays, instead of taking the day off. Intermediate 2 offers still another jump in difficulty, but let’s concentrate for now on Intermediate 1.


5. Intermediate-2-Training-Program
   Intermediate 2 offers a slight jump in difficulty from Intermediate 1. You begin in Week 1 with a long run of 10 miles instead of 8 miles. You thus get to 20 miles for your long run by Week 11, which permits a third 20-miler in Week 15. Midweek mileage is slightly higher, but instead of cross-training on the weekends, you get more serious about your running and do a second run of 5-10 miles, often at marathon race pace. You now do your cross-training on Mondays, instead of taking the day off. Incidentally, Intermediate 2 is the ideal training program for those doing the popular "Goofy" run at the Walt Disney World Marathon, where you run a half on Saturday followed by a full marathon on Sunday. This program's 10-mile pace run followed by a 20-mile long run offers the perfect jumping-off platform for racing 13-26.

6. Advanced-1-Training-Program
      The training programs for Advanced 1 marathoners follow a progressive buildup--similar to that for novice and Intermediate runners, except you start at 10 miles and peak with three 20-milers. There is also more training at marathon pace (usually Saturdays, the day before Sunday long runs). Please note that we do not recommend doing your long runs at marathon pace. That adds too much stress, particularly when coupled with the speed sessions scheduled for Thursdays. If you over train, your performance will suffer.

7. Advanced-2-Training-Program
The training program for Advanced 2 marathoners follows a progressive buildup--similar to that for Novice and Intermediate runners, except you start at 10 miles and peak with three 20-milers. There is also more training at marathon pace (usually Saturdays, the day before Sunday long runs). Please note that we do not recommend doing your long runs at marathon pace. That adds too much stress, particularly when coupled with the speed sessions scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you overtrain, your performance will suffer.

Speed sessions consist of hill repeats, interval training and tempo runs in various combinations.  Admittedly, not everybody wants to do speedwork, or enjoys going to the track. If that is your philosophy, you are better off following one of my intermediate programs. The advanced schedules (1 and 2) are designed only for the hard core, those willing to take it to the limit. Only a small percentage of today's runners classify themselves as Advanced or want to follow this demanding a schedule. We track how many runners sign up for my various schedules, and fewer than 10 percent choose Advanced. If that is you, welcome aboard.

8. Marathon-Personal-Best-Training-Program

   I DESIGNED THIS PROGRAM FOR EXPERIENCED RUNNERS, individuals who have run two or three or more marathons and who would like to improve their times, to achieve Peak Performance, to set a Personal Record (PR), perhaps to score a Boston Marathon qualifying time (BQ).

9.Senior-Training-Program

   Is the schedule below designed only for older runners? Not necessarily, although if you have been running marathons for a number of years, you may have been searching for a program with relatively low mileage and less of a time commitment that will allow you to continue to race 26-milers without getting burned out. Same if you've followed my Novice schedule before and are looking for some variation--particularly a program that will allow you time do some cross-training. If you're a Clydesdale, you also may have come to the conclusion that high-mileage weeks raise the risk of injury too much. You need more rest time. Finally, if you like to run a lot of marathons a year (and it's up to you to define "a lot"), you realize it's impossible to fit more than a couple of 18-week build-ups into your schedule and still have time for recovery between.

10. Boston-Bound-Training-Program

   This Boston Bound Training Program is designed specifically for those runners talented or dedicated enough to have qualified for the Boston Athletic Association Marathon. It assumes an already high level of fitness, otherwise you would not have been able to meet Boston's strict qualifying standards. If a long run of 14 miles in only the second week sounds too far, you probably need to pick another training program. Also, unlike my usual 18-week marathon training programs, Boston Bound is only 12 weeks long, beginning in late January for the April race. Its increments are designed to prepare you for the unique challenge that Boston presents. Finally, it includes only a two-week taper, not three as in most of my other marathon programs.

11. Marathon-Multiple-Marathons-Training-Program

   Here are some training strategies for runners running marathons two, four, six and eight weeks apart. If you're running marathons with an odd number of weeks between (three, five, seven, etc.), simply repeat one of the middle weeks. I have interactive versions of my multiple marathon programs for each of those weeks-between.

Sport Fitness Advisor Beginner Marathon Training Tips

Run Keeper's Marathon Schedule Based on Finishing Time

Marathon Races

Disney World Marathon

  My Walt Disney World Marathon Experience Pt 1
  My Disney World Marathon Experience Pt. 2-Tips and Tricks I wish someone told me

Boston Marathon

Honolulu Marathon

LA Marathon

Marine Corps Marathon

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Well, I hope this has helped some of you! I'm probably going to refine this and post a little more later on about some ultra runs and some other crazy races (mountain climbs..weeeee..!)

If you have a program you have used in the past, that you really liked, please email me and I'll post it on here with a little caption about how well it worked for you!
Email me @ musicforever04@gmail.com

Thanks!