The Plan

Clearly, the next logical step is a half marathon.  I could plan an 8K race, or even a 10K, but the way I see it... what's the difference between planning an 8K race and running 8K as part of a training plan?  

Not a whole lot.  

While the goodie bag and the encouragement of spectators are certainly a boost, I feel entirely confident that I can do this without the support of sponsors or signs, as much as I'd prefer to have both.  

I recently joined a running group here in the Baltimore area and a few of the more experienced guys suggested that the race in Rehoboth, DE on December 8th might be an ideal choice for a first time half-marathoner.  I hear it's cold, but flat.  I haven't registered yet, but I will.  Soon.

I'm going to try to stick to the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan.  It means I start training during my summer vacation (September 17th) , but I suppose that's not an entirely bad thing.  At least I'll have plenty of free time to accommodate my runs for the first week and a half or so.

In the meantime I've been trying to bump up my regular runs in small increments.  I'm pretty comfortable with 3 mile runs about 3-4 times per week, so I've been pushing it to 3.5.  

I'll continue to keep you all updated!