Officially in training...

I was going to post this last night, but I got caught up in what any good iPhone user knows all so well....software update.   Gah!  It took over an hour and by then I was too tired to do anything.

Anyway, I'm in my first official week of training to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon.  I'm following the same schedule that I followed for my prior three half marathons, but I'm trying to exclusively do the "Advanced" level plan.  That has slightly more mileage, but the big difference is that it has runs scheduled four days a week instead of three.  I figure I'll need to do four days when I start training for the Napa Valley Marathon in March 2012, so I might as well get used to it.

I've been inspired by some of the blogs I've been reading to change up a few things on the calendar to try to increase my speed.  The schedule I've been using has some speed workouts (Tempo and Fartlek), but no "track" workouts.  Now that I have my fancy, schmancy Garmin Forerunner 305, it'll be easier for me to work those in.  I'm thinking that maybe on some of my shorter runs during the week can incorporate those, but I'll have to see how it goes.

Speaking of my Garmin Forerunner....I love it!  It's amazing all the stuff it can do.  Look at it!

I guess this post doesn't mean a lot if you don't run, but this little device does everything I need.  I had a short run Monday night (4 miles) and it was great to know my pace at all times, get a reminder at 2 miles (so I knew when to turn around), and to get accurate mileage.  (I've been using Runkeeper on my iPhone, but I would notice that if the runs had a lot of twists and turns, the GPS would cut corners and inaccurately display my miles.)

Tonight I tried out the heart rate monitor and set alerts when my heart rate got over the "comfortable" zone, but it was driving me crazy beeping every time my heart rate got over 140 BPM.  I felt like I was hardly moving and it would beep.  I was running, so it was hard to keep it in the 130 range.  Anyway, last night and tomorrow night are my cross training days (strength endurance classes at the gym and a walk home) and then Friday is my rest day.  Saturday will be 5 easy miles and then Sunday is 3 easy.

As far as diet goes, I've been eating more vegetables and fruits and keeping track of my fiber and generally eating healthier (aka "eating at home").  I've been making overnight oats for several days in a row, but I've become addicted, so I'll probably make more for tomorrow.  (I've started adding unsweetened cocoa with a teaspoon of honey and it turns the oatmeal a nice chocolatey brown.)

Tonight I was starving before my run, so I made this oatmeal protein pancake that I read about (topped with sunflower butter and a few M&Ms as a treat).  It was easy, filling, low cal, low fat, and delicious!

That's it for me for tonight.  I think I'm off to obsessively study the downloaded data from my Garmin and then read.

What did you have for dinner?