Finding My Way Back to Fitness

I’ve been focusing a lot on getting my fitness back this summer, I sort of fell off the exercise train over the winter and I didn’t want one season of laziness to become the new normal. I’ve always found that signing up for a race is great motivation to actually run regularly, so I signed up for and ran the Bluenose 5k in May. It was a lot of fun, because it was the first time I’d run a race with my sisters. I didn’t get a personal best time or anything, but it gave me a solid base to continue running throughout the summer.

Running in Summer Heat

This year is actually the first time I’ve run through the summer heat. Every summer before this, there was always a reason not to. First it was running related injuries, then I broke my wrist in a car accident and ended up with a cast for the entire summer, and last  year I was getting married, so my mind was on other things. This year, I’ve really been enjoying the chance to sweat it out in the heat. I stay hydrated by using my Amphipod Water Belt. I love that belt because I can add and remove water bottles according to how far I go. With my water belt, my trusty running hat, and my Garmin Forerunner, I’m good to go.

My Fitness Goals for 2014

The whole point of running throughout the summer is so that I can fulfil my goal of running two road races this year. I already ran one when I raced in the Bluenose, but I’m planning on also entering a 10k in October. I’ve been gradually increasing my distances over the past few months, and today I completed a 9k run. It wasn’t pretty, but I did it, and hopefully I’ll be ready for the 10k in the fall.

How I’m Training Differently This Year

This isn’t the first time I’ve run a 10k. I also ran one in 2012. That time, I followed John Stanton’s book Running. It was a great book for beginners and it helped me learn about running longer distances safely, but it had a few down sides. First, the training plan in the book had me running five times a week, and cross training once a week. That’s a ton of time to commit to running. It also meant that I didn’t have much time to enjoy other types of physical activity, like walking and hiking. The training program kind of took over my life for the 16 weeks leading up to the race, and by the time I actually raced, I was so sick of running that I took a whole month off after, effectively squandering all of the fitness I had gained.

This summer, I’m doing things differently. I want to avoid the burnout I felt last time, and I want to make time to do the other things I love. So I’m only running twice a week, one shorter run during the week and one long run on the weekend. The rest of my week is devoted to other types of physical activity like walking my dog, hiking, and riding my bicycle. This way, I’m not getting sick of running, but I’m still exercising five or more days a week and getting physically fit. I’m increasing my distances very slowly, and so far I’ve been injury free.

The bulk of my fitness has been cost free this summer. I already had all of my running and hiking gear, the only thing I’ve bought so far is my bicycle in May. My bike cost me about $350, and so far I’ve used it 26 times. This makes my cost per use $13.46. The race in October is going to cost about $45, which is totally reasonable and won’t break my budget.

So, if I’m not posting as frequently as usual, it’s safe to assume I’m out covering ridiculous distances at something that faintly resembles a run.

How are you staying fit this summer? Have you ever trained for a race?