Let's get the Vegas training started

Nothing like starting off a training cycle for a half marathon by skipping a run.

That's exactly what I did.

This weekend (while I was watching somewhat painful football and avoiding running) I put together a training plan for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. It's nine-weeks, features two 10-mile runs and an 11-mile run and has me running 4 days a week. I think it's doable and hopefully it will get me to that 2:30 half marathon time I've been chasing all year.

I was supposed to start off with a 6-miler on Monday. And since I'm super dedicated when it comes to following a plan...I bailed. Skipped it. I ended up working later, was pretty hungry and starting to get a headache. So I skipped the run. But I figured I could do it on Tuesday instead. Because after all, it's all about flexibility. Then I remembered I had dinner plans after work on Tuesday and wouldn't be able do it. So I was set to start off the cycle by skipping the first run.

Lucky for me, my friend who I had dinner plans with tonight sent me a text message early this morning canceling our dinner plans. Suddenly I had a free evening. Which meant I'd be able to get that run in. Yipee!

Now it was a gorgeous day outside. Perfect fall running weather. And I ended up indoors at the YMCA. See I really didn't want to run the risk of becoming road kill since there are no sidewalks in my neighborhood, people drive about 45 miles per hour or faster down my road and it was going to be getting dusky by the time I could start my run. So it was indoors for me.

I avoided the treadmill though. Remember a few weeks ago when I did a majority of my nine-mile run on the running track at the YMCA? The track where 11 laps equaled a mile? That's what I took advantage of tonight. Me, the track and 66 laps. That's a lot of running in circles, but it was so much more tolerable than running to nowhere. I know, I know. At least with the treadmill I'd have TV to distract me. But still. That's hard.

So circles it was.

Of course I started too fast (but it didn't feel like I was running fast!) and got slower as the miles wore on. But actually with the exception of the last mile (where I threw in a short walk break), I was happy to keep my miles under 11 minutes. Which if I could do that for 13.1 miles in Las Vegas in December? I'd be a happy girl. According to my watch my splits were 9:30, 10:14, 10:30, 10:45, 10:45, 11:30. I finished the six-miles in 1 hour, 3 minutes and 14 seconds. Not too shabby. I'll take it.

After I was done with the six miles, I tacked on an extra 0.2 to make it a 6.2 mile run so I can use it for Running Diva Mom's virtual 10K in honor of 10-10-10. With the extra distance, my time ended up being 1 hour, 5 minutes.

Overall I'm pretty happy with how Run No. 1 went. Even if I was running around in circles.