Did I mention that in August I signed myself up for the April 2012 Berlin Half Marathon? Good thing I was on the ball back then because apparently, as of a couple weeks ago, all 27,500 spots have been already taken!  Now with 8 weeks to go until the race, I’m in full training mode and very excited to run the streets of my new home.

I’ll spare you a retrospective look at my training so far, but to keep myself accountable, I’ll be updating you each week until race day on my training plan and follow through.  (I will do my best to balance these posts out with other topics so the blog won’t become all-running-all-the-time — but let’s be honest, this is where a good deal of my time and energy is going these days, and it will undoubtedly be reflected in the content.)

Although it’s certainly not my first half marathon, I have some specific goals this time around that make my training a bit different.  First, I’ve gotten a lot slower since I started run in my early-20’s (and maybe even since recovering from my broken knee cap last year), so I’m incorporating tempo runs and interval training into my plan, both of which are meant to help increase speed and the ability to run faster for longer periods of time.  Another goal is to strengthen my core, which is noticeably weak and leads to bad running form when I’m tired during long runs.  For this, I’m including a yoga session each week, as well as strength training at the gym.  And of course, there’s the weekly long run, which gradually increases in mileage up until race day.

So, this past week was my 4th week of training, and here was the plan:

• 35-minute tempo run
• Yoga
• 3-mile run + strength training
• 8-mile run

In an ideal world, I would be running four or more times a week, but for a variety of (mundane logistical) reasons, that just isn’t realistic for me.  But I’m hoping by intensely focusing on a few key goals, I’ll still be able to improve upon my overall half marathon experience.

Here’s the reality of the past week:

• 35-minute tempo run.  I started with a 10-minute warm-up, and over a 15-minute period I gradually increased my speed until I reached my 10K race pace (faster than I will run the half marathon), and then for 10 minutes I gradually reduced my pace back down.  This was my first planned tempo run and although it was challenging, I enjoyed trying something other than running at a constant tempo.  Made things more fun!  And when you’re doing this on a treadmill at the gym, any bit of added fun is definitely welcome.
• Yoga.  40 minutes at home, focusing on my core.  I was distracted by our malfunctioning washing machine the entire time, so there were a lot of stops and starts.  I think I’m ready to extend it to a full hour practice.
• 3-mile run + strength training.  I worked too long on Thursday, which was my day to do this workout, and didn’t get home until it was way too late to hit the gym. Boo.
• 8-mile run.  With temps of -11C/12F and snow falling the whole day in Berlin, I ran a bit slower than normal, and managed about 7.3 miles.  I wore a few more layers than normal, and managed to stay pretty warm the whole way (it’s only once I stop that I get cold!).