Winter has arrived with all the aggression of a boy at a freshman dorm party. Girls everywhere are hunkering down under knee-length parkas, leggings, and Bean boots, trying to insulate their frozen insides with sober (or not so sober) trips to Taco Bell. South Quad is an Arctic tundra-like wind tunnel, and the treadmill at Rolf’s has never seemed so far away.
With these hardships, it is clear that every Notre “Dame” is already a warrior of Spartan proportions. However, the next few months are the perfect time to prove your strength and dedication to the world – by signing up and training for the Holy Half marathon!
The Holy Half, scheduled for March 28th, 2015, will allow runners to accomplish an amazing physical feat while benefiting local charities, La Casa de Amistad and St. Margaret’s House. Participants will be able to explore a 13.1 or 6.2-mile course through all the most beautiful parts of campus, while being motivated and cheered on by their classmates and peers.
If you finish the race, you will be able to boast that you ran more in a few hours than most people will run all winter. You’ll also have burned around 1200 extra calories you can put towards pizza or vodka as you please. What more could a girl want?
Registration opens up on December 1st, but that’s the easy part. Don’t let yourself miss out on this opportunity because you’re unsure of how to train – there are plenty of resources to prepare you for race day, starting with this helpful guide!
Step 1: Get good shoes.
The right pair of running shoes is crucial. Even though some brands and styles might be incredibly popular, the wrong pair for your running style and experience level may lead to injuries like shin splints or stress fractures. If you’re just starting out, you should try and find a neutral shoe with moderate levels of cushioning. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask employees at a sporting goods/running store what they think would be the best fit for you!
Step 2: Start training EARLY!
If you’re already running a couple of times a week, you might want to give yourself between 12 and 14 weeks to train properly. Those who are starting from scratch might need a little bit longer, so start as soon as possible. The priority is to find a training plan that’s right for you and your schedule. There are already some great training schedules online, including these sample plans: Nike, Women’s Running, or HalfMarathons.net.
Step 3: Eat the right foods and stay hydrated.
This race might also be the ultimate cure for the Freshman 15, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut out carbs (the horror!) or stop going out on the weekends. It just means you need to make sure you’re getting all the correct nutrients to build up lean muscle and have enough fuel to run longer distances. This means lots of whole grains (breads, pastas, and cereals), lean meats and fish (chicken and salmon), fruits, and vegetables. Also, fun fact: one of the best recovery drinks post-run is chocolate milk, so make sure to indulge in that at the dining hall!
Step 4: Find a running buddy
Nothing brings people together quite like the mutual pain and joy of running. Finding someone to train with will hold you accountable and will also be excellent moral support when things get tough. Try and pair up with someone who’s around your same pace – it’ll help you ensure that your training runs are neither blood-sport or a walk in the park.
Step 5: Stay dedicated.
Keeping up with a training plan can be difficult, especially on those days when you’ve got three tests in the next 48 hours, your crush is being a jerk, and all you want to do is go to sleep, throw up, or cry. (We’ve all had those days, right?) But I promise, it will be all worth it when you cross the finish line on race day. So stay strong, keep calm, and run on!
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