Jodi’s Running Blog

I discovered yesterday that I will not have my work schedule for July 1st through the end of the year until JUNE, which makes it frustrating in trying to decide whether to run the Portland Marathon on October 1st. So I have decided to go for it! If I am on call that night, then I will beg people to switch call nights with me. If nothing can be done, I will beg the Department of Neurology to facilitate the switch. If still nothing can be done, I will find another marathon around that same time period. In any case, a marathon is in my future this fall.

As some of you may recall, I was beginning to train for the London Marathon over a year ago, packed on too much mileage too quickly, and found myself with an exertional compartment syndrome. As a result, I plan to run over specified time periods rather than focusing too much on mileage, and I intend to incorporate cross-training into my regimen.  Active.com gives quite a few pointers and sample training schedules for including cross-training and gradually bumping up mileage over a longer period than the more typical 16 weeks (my schedule extends over a 24 week period). Finally, I want to be sure to get more speed workouts in than I have done in the past – strides, hill sprints, track intervals, and the like.

This week’s schedule goes like this:

• Monday, 4/17 – 40 minute run with 4×30 second strides (see yesterday’s entry)
• Tuesday, 4/18 – Core Strength training (spent 45 minutes this morning on this)
• Wednesday, 4/19 - off
• Thursday, 4/20 – 35 minute run with 4×30 second strides
• Friday, 4/21 – alternative cardio (elliptical training) – 30 minutes
• Saturday, 4/22 – long run (1 hour)
• Sunday, 4/23 – Core strength training

I’m off to another 30 hour shift (it’s that time of the week again), but only after having enjoyed a good session with weights, crunches, and some yoga thrown in. Feeling pretty good today though!