I start training in earnest on Monday. I am planning on running about nine races this year and the first really big ones are in May – the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon and the Soldier Field 10-miler. I have a race before those and I’ve already done a couple this year so far. However, I’m really excited about those races. Both races will allow me to run at some amazing football fields. Additionally, I get to express my inner sports meatball and wear Packers attire for both races. At Lambeau it will be feel right. At Soldier Field, it will just annoy Bears fans and I’m all about poking them.

Anyway, last week I got my training schedule and it caused a mini panic for me. HOW was I going to fit in all the working out I do along with the added running that would need to happen so I can smash my previous best half marathon time. I knew I was going to need help, so I emailed my trainer with the schedule. She was thrilled to see there were planned rest days because right now, I’ve been working out for over 430 days without taking a true rest day. I just have easier days where I will just do yoga, but I always have to be doing something.

The group I am training with has two different programs for the half marathon training. One that involves taking one rest day a week and another that has a total of maybe five rest days through the entire process. Since the Green Bay Half will be my ninth half marathon, I figured I should probably do the advanced program. But then I had this fear of will that make sense if I choose to run / walk it? Why can’t I just run the entire time? Then I started to wonder if maybe, just maybe I could run this race in under 2:05 because that would mean I could do something else later in the year. Seriously, why not?

Ever since I had gotten that schedule, I’ve been contemplating what exactly I was going to do. Not to mention, wondering if the program I choose to do would really push me without pushing me to injury. No matter as my trainer was around with some great advice. Today instead of training, we talked about what program I was going to do and more importantly, what workouts I was going to have to give up. Oh and when I was going to take a rest day.

We briefly talked about doing 10-day cycles for each week, but that was just mentioned in passing. Instead I have to give up two of my spin classes as well as one of my weight classes. This really does sadden me a lot because I love going to those spin classes I have to give up. Partly because I love spinning and more because I really like the instructors who have become some great friends. I only see them in class so to go nearly three months of not seeing them will be tough. No, it will probably feel like an eternity.

I was allowed to keep my yoga class and in fact even encouraged to keep it because it will be so important to remain injury-free. That made me happy as well as getting to keep one of my spin classes as well as one weight class. I’ll be honest, this is going to be hard. On my rest day, it is actually going to be a rest day. Not a day where I do yoga, because I generally do yoga that is more movement and can be tough instead of actually just chilling on my mat.

While it will be hard, I know that in the end it is going to be worth it. I know I will have a new half PR. And to get there injury-free will be amazing. Not to mention, that this whole process will just make me a stronger and healthier person. As much as it freaks me out a bit, I am truly excited to see what I can push myself to do next. Once I get through this, what I have planned for later in the year will hopefully be a breeze.