Switching Gears and Run.Love.Bride

With my first half-marathon of the year under my belt (I've done six half-marathons since 2007 in case you were wondering), I am now focusing my training on one of my goal races for the year... the Ragnar Relay.

Official "Van 2" photo (with my goddaughter being held by Travis) from the 2010 relay

The training program I developed for myself last year worked great, so I'm revisiting it again this year.  What makes it so helpful are the following guidelines:

1. Run in the heat to get used to race day conditions.

It was already scorching hot early on in my first leg of the relay

I will be doing plenty of running after work when temps are in the 80s and 90s.

2. Hill training

Teammate Jack crests a nasty hill during his first leg of the relay

I have a few hilly routes that I run specifically for Ragnar training.

3. Run 2 to 3 in 24 (run two or three times within a 24-hour period).

Photo taken after yesterday morning's run.  I ran Friday evening, as well.

Last year during the relay, I ran my first leg about 5:00 Friday afternoon, my second leg about 3:00 in the morning Saturday, and my third leg about eight hours later.  Relay runners need to get used to running on tired legs.  I usually do 2 in 24 every week or every two weeks: run 2-4 miles on Friday evening, followed by a Saturday morning run of 5-7 miles.  In August, I will have the opportunity to do 3 in 24 with a training run sandwiched between two races I'm planning to register for.

I probably do a lot more training for Ragnar than other people, but I like to be prepared. :)

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If you follow Linzi over at beyond DESTINATION 26.2, then you know she is getting married this month!  Hooray!

Aneta over at My Running Bucket is hosting a virtual race in honor of Linzi.

I chose to dedicate my Saturday morning run of 5.6 miles to Linzi.  This run was a tough one, having already put in 3 miles the night before AND running in heat and humidity yesterday.  But I gutted it out and finished in 52:55.

I'm going to be jumping on board the marriage bandwagon come September, so I don't have any advice for her that comes from my own experience.  All I know, from what others have told me, is that marriage is wonderful but it's also hard work.  It's a lot like running.  Sometimes, you have awesome training runs and races where everything goes perfectly, and then sometimes you have runs (like mine on Saturday) where it's hot and your legs are feeling sluggish and you want to give up but you tough it out anyway.  Marriage will be the same way: you'll have periods where everything is great, but then you'll have some rough patches along the way (sickness, financial problems, career woes, etc.).

Future hubs and I are going to have a well-known Scripture passage read during our wedding.  Even if you're not Christian, this passage can still serve as a way to gauge your relationship.  Is my marriage (or my relationships with my parents, siblings, children, etc.) reflecting love in this way, even in the rough patches?

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, New International Version)

Best wishes to Linzi and J. Alabama as you start your new life together!

If you have any advice or well wishes for Linzi, be sure to visit her blog and leave a comment.