Fitter, happier, more productive

Last week I completed the 13-week training plan in The Beginning Runner's Handbook. Following this plan helped me to avoid injury, boredom, and burnout. Success! The schedule goes like this. I follow this routine three times a week:

1. 5-10 minutes warmup walk
2. Run/walk intervals
3. 5 minutes cool-down walk
4. Stretching

The plan started with sets of 30 seconds of running and 4 1/2 minutes of walking. This was challenging enough at first! Then the time spent running gradually increased. For my final workout last week I was able to run 10 kilometers (63 minutes) nonstop.

I'm happy about the results and, more importantly, I'm having a lot of fun! I am well on track to complete a half-marathon at the end of the year and excited to keep running harder and faster and longer. After Saturday's 10K I'll begin the advanced training program, and we'll see what new adventures present themselves.