Training for my fall race schedule has officially begun, and week 1 is in the history books. If you will recall, I was a bit concerned since I had gotten a little off track. However, so far, so good!
Just to recap, here is what I’m doing for this race season. I’m currently doing the MRTC Women Run/Walk Memphis training program.
MRTC Women’s Run/Walk Memphis
This is really just a training program that includes 8 weekly group run sessions capped off by a “graduation” 5k. I am using this as one of my weekly training runs, and hopefully, because it’s with a group, I’ll be pushing myself a little more. I’m also currently doing the MRTC Road Race series.
MRTC Road Race Series
This is a 10 race series that runs from July to November and consists of 2 5ks, 2 5 milers, 2 10 ks, 2 10 milers, and 2 half marathons. To be considered a series finisher, you must complete either 6 of the races or 1 race in each distance. My plans at the moment are to complete the first 6 (and still be a series finisher). The 10 milers and the half marathons do not line up with the rest of my training schedule, so unless I miss a week somewhere else and need to make something up, I don’t plan to do the last 4. I am registered for the Greenline Half Marathon, the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon, and the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon.
Greenline Half Marathon
Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend
Seems like a lot, right? Not really. See, when I wrote my training plan for the fall, I realized most of this is in line with my schedule. The women’s program takes care of roughly a third of my training until September. The Road Race Series is actually designed to be in line with training for St. Jude so that takes care of some of my weekend runs. There was really only one decision to make. I could have used Wine and Dine as a training run for St. Jude and there would have been absolutely nothing extra added to my training plan for that or I could have signed up for the Greenline Half and used that as a training run for Wine and Dine. The downside to that was that would mean I would likely have to scratch the longer races in the Road Race Series, and St. Jude would be extra, creating the need for a month of maintenance. Clearly this is what I went with, and here’s why. Wine and Dine is the only destination race in the schedule. It is also the most expensive, and has the most stringent pace requirement. Why would I want to spend at least $1000 and travel all that way for a training run? I wouldn’t. So that automatically meant I would need to skip the longer races in the Road Race Series. On the weekend of the Greenline Half, which is held at Shelby Farms, I was scheduled to do 12.5 miles anyway (which I would also do at Shelby Farms) so why not add another 0.6 miles and get official credit for the run? This option also will qualify me for something called Half Fanatics, which is running 3 half marathons in a 3 month period.
So week 1 started with the first group run with the women’s program. It was so hot! It started at 6:30 in the evening and the heat index was still 99 degrees! My pace was a good 2 minutes slower than my normal training pace. I got through it, and that’s all that matters. I was able to work in my other week day run, according to plan. Then I also had race 1 of the Road Race Series. This was a great run! I even got a PR by 6 seconds. My pace was actually around 3 minutes faster for the race than it was for the super hot group run. That’s more like it!
Now on to week 2! I hope to get more cross training in for week 2 than I did for week 1. Other than that, I’m happy with my progress and where I am compared to a year ago.
What do you have on your fall race schedule?
Follow me on Twitter @myglasssneaker.
Please remember to register for my virtual race, the Magic Carpet Run 2013 to benefit St. Jude. For more info or to register, click here.
I am running as a charity athlete for St. Jude. To make a donation, click here.
Square Life Round World 
We are doing some of the same! I’m doing the Road Race Series, Wine & Dine, and St Jude. Good Luck with your training!
Oh, how funny! Another small world moment today. Good luck to you as well!
I was thinking about the Greenline Half, it would fit in well with my training schedule for that week. Have you done it before? I worry about crowding b/c the Greenline is narrow in parts…
I haven’t done it but I’d be out there doing my mileage that weekend anyway. I don’t think all of it is on the Greenline. I thought a lot of it looked like it was on roads so that would help. Plus since I’m using it as a training run I wouldn’t be concerned about time.