Ideas come easy

So this next coming week is a big one. I'm not up for making life changes this weekend- I have a singing gig, work, and preparation for final exams to get through. But on Monday, I'm going to start running again.

I've been a runner before. I got up to running in one 5K and then quit, because that's about the time my life imploded in all kinds of other ways, too. I've since tried several times to get started again, only to have it fall apart due to injury or getting "too busy," a convenient excuse for not feeling like it. This time I'm determined to have it be different.

I've tried Couch to 5K several times, and have some problems with the program- I feel the intensity increases too sharply in the later weeks, as this is the time when I've consistently had problems, including a sprained ankle. I haven't found anything else I've liked as much, either, so this time I'm going it alone with a program of my own design.

For those of you who aren't familiar with running jargon (I took a class on running a few years ago, and have since read a lot, even if I haven't had good luck sustaining a program), a Fartlek run is a type of training run that's full of intervals. Runners widely vary their speed and intensity, based on how they feel. My main training runs are going to be Fartlek runs, only instead of jogging interspersed with faster runs, they'll be walking interspered with easy running intervals. No forcing myself to go further than I feel I'm ready to. No driving myself to exhaustion. Just working with where my fitness level is now, and just barely nudging beyond it. I'm hoping if I listen to my body instead of a stopwatch, I'll be less prone to injury. I'll be starting out by going a mile and a half. When I can do that running all the way, I'll start adding distance.

After my research into running form, I've also determined that hill repeats are probably the best possible thing I can do to help teach myself correct form and build up the muscle needed to drive it. So I've added hill repeats to my workouts (running up a steep hill, and then walking down it- later I'll switch to jogging down it, but that's asking way too much right now and it's very easy to injure yourself running downhill).

So here's my schedule for the first week:

Monday: Fartlek walk/run, 1.5 miles
Tuesday: Walk 1 mile
Wednesday: Hill repeats, 15 minutes
Thursday: Walk 1 mile
Friday: Fartlek walk/run, 1.5 miles
Saturday: rest
Sunday: walk 1 mile

Over time those walking days will transition to easy run days, while the Fartlek days will increase in intensity or become other heavy training days. But right now this seems like it would be a good level for me to start at.

I'm also looking into volunteer opportunities. I can't make a large time commitment or invest much cash- I'm too broke and I'm working and going to class full time to boot. Right now I'm looking at a wildlife watching program I could combine with my walking schedule, and an online mentoring program for at-risk kids. I'll be looking into my options more over the semester break.