Half Marathon Training March 14, 2018

March 13 was a rest day. My legs felt like noodles by mid day of March 13. As per usual, all data was gathered with my Garmin device. See my review of this –crappy– watch here.

After Run Reflection:

Data gathered from this run is inaccurate. While stretching at my girlfriend’s apartment, I forgot to stop my Garmin. This mistake explains why my average moving pace was unchanged.

On a brighter note, my knees did not hurt after this run, and my shoes felt snug against my feet. Comfortable running form was maintained throughout.

On a darker side, my feet are sweating, and my eczema has started up again. Its lightly dotted on my toes. Purchasing breathable shoes for my soggy feet are in order.

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Half Marathon Training: March 12, 2018

Once the layers are peeled aback, one should always find the “why” at the core of their goal. Click here if you want to read my core for training for a half marathon.

Now for the meat (all data was calculated using my Garmin watch):

After Run Reflection:

A tough run! March 12 was the first run I ever did by myself. There isn’t much to reflect on (part of me debates whether or not to remove the After Run Reflections entirely). Running seems to be a time to think when one is by themselves. For more of my life, I viewed running as a communal activity, with start and end lines. Training season is a body and mind conflict, and a conflict against the (crappy) Garmin.

Half Marathon Training:March 11, 2018

Welcome to the first update to half marathon training with my beloved girlfriend. If you want to know why I am doing this half marathon, read my article here.

 

 

Resting Heart Rate: 65BPM

Weight: Unknown

Average Pace: 11:43

Average HR: 151bpm

 

 

Resting Heart Rate: 65BPM

Weight: Unknown

Average Pace: 11:35

Average HR: 154bpm

After Run Reflection:

All data above is generated with my Garmin Sapphire 3HR.

This run was completed with my beloved. We were running in a park. Crowds were dense, and there were some hilly sections that allowed us to put our altitude, and decline running to the test.

According to my girlfriend, I ran downhill with loud “stomps.” She advised I soften my feet when I am running decline. After this run, my knees felt sore. I think the pain is stemming from my decline running form.

Another opportunity for growth is managing my software: I accidentally stopped my Garmin watch during this run. Read my review of the Garmin Fenix Sapphire 3HR here.

Lastly, another task will be to research the pollution in Shenzhen, and how it impacts my lungs while I am running. I might need to look at the pollution levels during the day, pick times where the pollution shows a pattern of being at its lowest level.

Why am I Training for a Half Marathon?

Starting with “why” isn’t a revolutionary idea. Probably one of the first people to coin such a term was Simon Sinek. Check out his YouTube video here (he’s a wonderful inspirational speaker). Thank you Sinek for sharing your idea!

Now to business: why a half marathon? My Trello board reads that I should be 177 pounds of lean muscle mass, with a resting heart rate of 49BPM. Knowing that I have a strong heart will assist in other areas of my fitness. 49BPM is really really low (like professional athlete low). Goals should not be made at  a low standard though, instead we should set goals that reach for the stars.

Secondly, my girlfriend is a passionate runner. Like many people, she is concerned about her weight and body image. She’s ran a half marathon before. For me, its all about supporting her in something she is very passionate about.

The last and final reason is to document the marathon journey on this blog. Here’s another pledge, if you will: I vow to post one entry every time I train for a marathon with my girlfriend. My Garmin watch (read my review here) will track my progress as a runner; I will post maps, and heart rate data for ya’ll to mull over. Sound like a plan? See the first posting from my first training day here.

Goals are suppose to be tough; God wants us all to struggle to some degree. Struggle breeds success. Tracking a goal’s progress is one of the few ways to rekindle the spark, God isn’t going to make me run. He only provides the opportunity for me to run, I have to do the rest of the “leg work.”