January 10, 2010 Start training now for the ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon Now that everyone has made a New Year’s resolution to start running and begin a healthy lifestyle, it is time to include my column for beginning runners to get in shape to run the ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon on March 7th out at the Tanger Outlet Center. The build-up program is designed for the runner that is able to put in a 3-mile run/walk distance. The program has only two requirements, so that it leaves a lot of flexibility for a runner’s schedule to complete. One is the total miles you put in each week, and the second requirement is the longest run for that week. How you accomplish each is up to your individual schedule and your dedication to getting ready to enter the race in March. Of the two requirements, it is more important to get the long run in even if you do not make the total mile requirement. The program starts this week, and it is a gradual build-up of miles that will eventually get you in condition to finish the half marathon distance of 13.1 miles. Use the first date as the day for the long run if possible. DATE LONG RUN TOTAL MILES Jan. 10 - 16 4 15 Jan. 17 - 23 5 17 Jan. 24 - 30 6 20 Jan. 31 - Feb. 6 7 20 Feb. 7 - 13 8 24 Feb. 14 - 20 10 25 Feb. 21 - 27 12 28 Feb. 28 - Mar. 6 10, 4, 5, 4, 3, 0, 0 26 Mar. 7 13.1 Race Day Use a little variety for the rest of the runs during the week when building up your total miles. Remember there are some hills along the race course, so try to run a few hills some time during the week. Try to take one or two days to run a little faster, so that when you run slower during the race it will be easy for you. If there is a 5K or 10K race somewhere in the central Texas area, it is a good idea to enter a couple of them to get used to being in a race and getting to know your pace. Remember a 5K race is much shorter than a half marathon, so try not to think that you are going to run the same pace for both races. Registration is up and ready on the race web site, and early registration is less expensive than late entry. One new change this year is that there is no day-of-race registration, so you have to enter before the day of the race. If you feel you are not up to trying a half marathon distance, remember that at the same day and same place you can enter the “Speak Up For Kids” CASA 5K, and they also have online registration as well as day-of-race registration. Starting the New Year off right, two local runners entered the Resolution Run 5K up in Round Rock. Ros Hill took first place in the male 45-49 age category with a time of 17:55, and Britt Van Dine took first in the male 50-54 age category with a 19:01 time. Ros finished 6th overall out of 396 runners, and that is a great accomplishment. Britt finished in 21st place, so he was also in the top group of runners in the race. Remember that the Runners Club meets Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. at the Courthouse; and many of those runners will be training for the half marathon race and always welcome new runners to train with them. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!