San Francisco Half Marathon Training - Week 1

Monday marked the first day of my training for the San Francisco Half Marathon on July 25th. Basically, I'll be socially and physically unavailable for anything that might require an ounce of strength or effort unless it has to do with eating or sleeping or maybe this blog. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit but training for a half marathon is a commitment, at least for me anyway.

It's a 12 week program that has me running four times a week and strength training twice a week with core exercises following after each run. That means Sunday will be my only day off. My only day to sleep in and rest my body on my comfortable queen size bed. Ahh, how I'll long for this day to come around each week. The soft, plush mattress, the neck supporting pillow, the goose down comforter, the A/C set at 70 and the ceiling fan at its fastest setting. But I digress. Back to the matter at hand. When I trained for my two other half marathons the most I ever ran was three times a week so I know I'm going to feel this fourth day over time, sort of like you feel a blister on your toe over the course of your training. It starts to hurt a little more each time. Luckily, this time around I'm only waking up early for two of my four runs, the other two will be done after work in the hot, summer heat of Miami.

Monday's run was an easy three miler, easy if you enjoy running in 90 degree weather. I ran with my shirt off and with my heart rate monitor strapped around my chest, my Garmin on one wrist and my Road ID and Power Balance bracelet on the other. If this wasn't enough gear to carry around for a short three miler, I also had my 12 ounce fuel belt around my waist just in case the heat decided it wanted to suck all the hydration I did all day out of me. Oh, and I also had my hat on too. I was sweating bullets and I can only imagine what the people driving past me in their cars were thinking when they saw this spectacle slowly moving along.

My only goal on day 1 of training was to keep my heart rate under 153 beats per minute (which is my 70% recovery ceiling) and that proved to be a difficult feat in the summer heat. It took me an underwhelming 37 minutes to complete the three miles.

Yesterday I lifted weights and I did a full body circuit three times around. Considering I haven't lifted weights since before I had facial hair, I think I did a pretty good job but I can only imagine how my dormant muscles are going to start to feel as I continue with this routine. I didn't include any leg exercises because today I have to do speed work and I was afraid I might fall flat on my face if I did. So after work today I'm off to the track to meet up with my wife, Jeanette and our four other friends who are also training and running San Francisco with us. Affectionately called the San Francisco Six - Eddy, Katrina, Omar, Michelle, Jeanette and me.

Tomorrow is weight training again with Eddy and Friday I wake up early for another easy, three mile recovery run because Saturday I have to wake up early again for my first long run - five miles. That's what my first week of training for San Francisco is looking like and will continue to look like for the next 11 weeks. A lot of early nights and early mornings, a lot of running gear to strap on, a lot of laundry to wash, a lot of sweat to excrete, a lot of soreness and ice packs. And hopefully, in between all of that, there will be some good night's sleep and of course, lots of good times and many fond memories of training for my first ever, San Francisco Half Marathon.

This is the life of a long distance runner.