Posted by Amy | Posted in Generalissimo Schedule, Mind Games, Running | Posted on 11-07-2011
Tags: 2 miles, Fat Girl, Fit Girl, Running
So I got a new job. Had to turn my life upside down in 12 hours to take it. A major consequence of that is having to reschedule fitness plans and figure out how to start training for a half marathon AND work full time AND have a three hour commute, and you know, get laundry done and stuff.
Fat Girl has long used the “I’m too tired after work” excuse to not work out. Yeah, granted when you’re done with work at 9pm, that argument is valid. But what happens when you get home at 6:30?
So I proved today that it is possible to get home from work and get out for a run just before 7pm. Was it a good run? Not really. My legs were tired and I had an odd cramp in my foot. But the point is I did it. I proved that it is possible. And it just might be possible to train for a half marathon AND have a full time job.
It’s SO possible! I’ve trained for several half marathons while working full time & yes, it was hard but it was worth it. Granted, my commute is only about 45 min each way, so not quite 3 hours a day but still significant. The most important piece for me was getting in the weekend long runs. During the week I’d rarely run more than 3 (maybe 4) miles just because I wanted to do “life” things too…like eat dinner and take showers and watch TV and relax too!
It IS possible. That’s what I used to do. I would do my stuff at home and around 9pm, go for that run. For me it was easier. I had more energy from food being in my belly so I could run faster and farther. Just this week I began running at like 5:30 and I find it so difficult. I can’t eat that early so I have no food energy, plus I’m still tired, yada yada yada.
All of my runs, including 5 half-marathons, were done while working full-time + some and having a pretty full social life. You just have to plan wisely – like for me, my long runs are Saturday mornings at 7:30am. I’m done and back home before my husband is even out of bed. I do a hill or speed workout one other night a week – making dinner before I leave then eating it after I get home. Then I fit in one or two other shorter runs and lifting at lunch – but I did it after work when I couldn’t work out at lunch. It’s all about self-discipline and either you want this half-mar or you don’t.
I trained for my first half right as I was settling into a new job too. I usually work out after work as well… for me, it’s a mental transition ritual between work and leisure. Just this week I’ve started doing my two weekday runs in the morning to beat the heat (they’re intervals and tempo runs so I REALLY don’t want to do them in the heat) and while that’s nice too, I’m glad I will also work out after work today!