And I’m not talking designer jeans, although running certainly contributes to my expensive habit.

I am Amanda, a military wife, mother of a 6 year old wild man, therapist, runner and triathlete, and author of the blog 5 Miles Past Empty.  I had been a luke-warm runner most of my life, aside from my High School track and cross-country days and when I ran for a hot seconds in college. I ran every once in a while in the years following college but really began running when my son was about 2 years old. It was time to take my life back, find myself again, and even grow as a woman and a mom. Running was my yellow brick road.

Since 2008 I have completed 14 Half Marathons (13.1 miles), 3 Full Marathons (26.2 miles), one Half Iron Man (1 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), 6 sprint triathlons, countless 5k’s, 10k’s, 12k’s, 4 milers, 10 milers…And I am just getting started. On my To Do List is a Full Iron Man, 50k, coming up next month an Olympic distance triathlon, and two more full marathons. I tell you all this to say that I am no stranger to training plans. 

So, how about finding the right training plan that fits you and your needs? Many people run without a plan, and that’s just fine. But if you are training for any sort of race at any distance and have a time-stressed life with grocery shopping, children to pick up, dinner to cook, and laundry to do, having the right plan is important.

I recently went from a 20-hour workweek to a 40+-hour workweek. Suddenly finding the right training plan was a must. I no longer had 5 hours in the morning to piddle around and get my 6 runs a week in whenever and however I pleased. I needed a plan with purpose, a plan that used each run to not only maintain my fitness level but also allow me to continue racing to my potential and even improve.

More often than not the snooze button wins at 5 AM. Take last Thursday morning for instance, I hit snooze knowing full well I had a slim chance of getting the run in after work. Yet I still hit snooze and snuggled in for one measly hour of sleep. When I left work an hour later than usual, and added my hour commute I got home in time to make and eat dinner at 6:45.  When I hit the treadmill at 7:30 my dinner was still sitting heavy on my stomach. I made it almost 3 miles into my 6-mile tempo run before I hit STOP and headed home with my tail between my legs.

The dance between training, family, career, and let’s face it-relaxation, is a tricky one. Maybe I need dance lessons? For now I feel confident that I have found a plan that works for me with 3 quality runs a week (track repeats, tempo run, and a long run-Run Less, Run Faster of Runner’s World) and two to three cross train days. The real trick is punching Mr. Snooze in the face and getting out the door at 5 AM so that I’m not taking away time from the family, especially now with school about to start, homework battles on the horizon, and limited daylight.

Come November I will toe the line at OBX marathon, my 4^th. I hope to set a Personal Record (or referred to as a PR) using this plan that fits me, like my favorite pair of jeans.  If you care to, I’d love for you to follow along as I routinely struggle and battle Mr. Snooze, through the good days and the bad. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn of a plan that fits you too!

Amanda

Author of 5 Miles Past Empty