Half Marathon Training - Week 1

I'm running two half marathons in the next 10 weeks. I'm training for the last one, with the first one as a "fun run" with the family. This year, I'm experimenting with a different training schedule, less overall miles, more rest in between, lot of stretching, and some interval work. Here's my Week #1 schedule:

M - Rest
TU - 5.5mi total (2mi Run + 1.5mi intervals + 2.5mi Run)
W - Rest
TH - 4.5mi total (4mi Run + 0.5mi easy intervals)
F - Rest
SA - 4.0mi easy run
SU - 7.0mi slow run

For the week, it's a total of 21 miles, which is low for me, but I need to ease into the program because of my aching Achilles tendon.

If you are thinking about starting a program or running a race, start with goal, and then choose a program that is suited to your goal. For me, I want to run a 1:59 Half Marathon, which is ambitious for me, since my personal best is 2:03. So, I've chosen a program tailored for that goal. We'll see what happens. The important thing is NOT that I accomplish 1:59, because in the end, it's not that imporant. What is important is that I'm shooting for a goal and working towards it on a daily basis, a win-win situation.

I encourage you to look for a race, set a goal, find a training program that is suited to your goal, then train and go for it. Just finishing the training, and finishing the race will be your reward. If you reach your stated goal, then great, that's a bonus.