Project PRR Part 2 - Goals, Planning and Practice

When I last left off, I was discussing my motivation behind finally starting a serious exercise regimen. The ultimate goal (other than a healthier me) is to compete in this year's Peachtree Road Race.

I'm now 8 weeks into my 16 weeks of preparation and training, and I've come to learn that training for a distance run is a heck of a lot like losing weight. The steps are the same, the actual practice is just a little different.

Step 1: Set Goals

It's impossible to get to where you're going without a little direction. Recently I've come up with a brief list of goals for my training. In order, they are:

1. I don't want to get hurt - Nuff said. Listen to your body and you'll be ok. It will tell you if you're about to get really hurt.
   
2. I want to finish the entire 10k (6.2 miles) - If they're going to take me away in an ambulance, I want it to be after I get my t-shirt.
3. I want to finish in a competent manner - I want to feel like I really pushed myself and at a pace that's faster than if I had not trained. The biggest reason I'm training is to feel like I'm getting into shape. I want to finish feeling like I stepped up my degree of physical fitness a level or three.
4. I want to finish the Ptree in 70 minutes - That means that I'm jogging or running almost the entire distance.
   
5. I want to finish in under 60 minutes - If I reach this goal, I'll be ecstatic! This would be the biggest feat of athleticism I've ever done.

Step 2: Figure out The Plan

Now that that's in place, we move on to The Plan. This is what I've done so far to get myself into shape.

The biggest key to starting is going slow (see Goal #1, above). Every time I've ever started exercising I've destroyed my body in the first day and quit. This time I started very slow and worked my way up as my body got used to the exercise. This is why my knees are still in good shape, even two months into it.

Next, I've come up with a training regimen. Whether you're doing a couch-to-5k program, or you just get it out of a book (like I did), a written plan allows you to pace yourself. This way you won't start too hard or progress too slowly.

I've also been using a heart rate monitor to make sure I've been going at a good pace. The biggest benefit I've seen, other than not killing myself, is that I can now pretty accurately gauge how hard I'm working my body based on how I feel when I'm running. Nowadays I've replaced the monitor with an iPod for most of my workouts, but I still use it from time to time to keep myself honest.

Step 3: Do it!

When I started I was really concerned that I'd lose interest. When my buddy John told me about a 5k (half my goal distance) this last weekend (halfway to the Ptree), I jumped on the opportunity. Having an intermediate goal really helped me stay focused and motivated.

The Sprint for Cancer 5K was FANTASTIC! This is my first ever road race, and it was unbelievable!

First off, I have a special connection to this cause as my Abuelo William Elias died of cancer when I was a teenager. The race promoters even allowed us to put a memorial on the back of the race t-shirts.

Why didn't anyone tell me that racing is so much fun?! Knowing that I trained for it and seeing my training pay off is one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

Here's John and myself at the end of the race. John's a big time loser when it comes to weight (his story is pretty similar to mine). He destroyed the 10k, finishing well under the time necessary to qualify for a ranked spot for the Peachtree.

Ok, so how did I do? I finished the 5k in 31:50, which is about 3 minutes faster than my fastest training time. I guess I got a little pumped up at the start and pushed myself pretty hard!

This is great, because I feel like I'm exactly where I should be to complete the Peachtree. Next up I've signed up for a 4 mile race in June. I can't wait!