Running Mondays: Treadmill training and plan overview

Well in 18 weeks I will be recovering from a half marathon. That time will fly by and I plan to stay on track with the training plan. After really looking at it, I realized that in about 5 weeks I will be running 30+ miles a week. That is about triple what I have done recently, so I think I may be tired as well.

This is all part of the training plan I chose to follow. It is meant to teach you body and mind to run when you are tired. The plan also treats every run as just as important as the last one or next one. The long runs are on the weekends because that is the best time for those runs. And there are speed and tempo training runs as well. With only one day off a week, that means a lot of miles. I better check my shoes.

A good portion of the early training will have to be on a treadmill. Lucky for me, we inherited one from my parents, and I plan to wear it out this winter. Treadmill running worried me at first, as I was getting bored after a mile or so. Then after looking at others who have trained on treadmills, I found something that work, at least for me. I set a decent pace for 3 minutes and then bump it up a little for another 3 minutes. After that set I repeat the pace changes until I reach my goal mileage. This keeps my mind off of needing to go a certain distance, to tracking time and watching sports.

I have also found running on a treadmill a sweaty experience. With the lack of airflow to cool down, I would end up drenched. So I tried a technical shirt that I had received from a race. That made a big difference. I felt cooler, and drier after the workout. So, now I rotate my running tees for that purpose.

Very light training last week and here is a look at the week ahead for training: