Runner's High?

You can blame this on my recent high fever or possibly runner's high. Something I have always thought of as impossible and utterly unreachable for me has really started to fascinate me lately: running a half marathon! I realised after completing my first successful 60 min run/jog (covering 7,35 km, pace 8.09 min/km) that hey - if that workout felt so easy, if I'll try a little harder each time and if I'll keep doing these workouts regularly throughout the winter season... I just might be able to handle a half marathon in May 2013, right? Right? That would be absolutely amazing for me and something I would feel very proud of for years to come. Yes, I really want to do this!

Now I just need to get myself some proper winter running gear. Speaking of which, I would love to get this Nike 21st C. Windrunner jacket to be really visible in the dark Finnish autumn and winter evenings. Asics winter running shoes are a must as I hate running on ice and snow when the shoes are slipping all the time. You can't even call it running! Also, freezing your toes during an hour's run is not a good idea...

 

Well, there's always the possibility of running indoors, too. I'm not exactly compatible with a treadmill (serious balance issues) but there is an indoor running track at Kouvola ice hall that is available for the general public. The shorter length of the track (261 metres) is the only real downside: If I want to run 10 km I will have to do 38,3 rounds on it. *Yawn* But then again - no slippery and dark roads, no extremely cold weather, no blizzards or pouring rain. I think I can live with a bit shorter track!

I did some research about the average half marathon times for beginners and I also found a little table for calculating your own goal time at Maratonkoulu.fi (in Finnish). If I would go with the slowest time the goals would be as follows:

Goal time on marathon: < 6.00 (8.34 min / km)
Training per week: 30 - 40 km
Goal time in 10 km test or competition run: 1.00 - 1.15 (6.00 min/km - 7.30 min/km)
Goal time on half marathon: 2.15 - 2.45 (6.24 min/km - 7.49 min/km)

Doable, right? I already managed to run 8,06 km in 60 min (pace 7.34 min/km) before my sick leave. Basically I just need to push a little bit harder every time I go for a run to get to 7.00 min/km or so and to be able to cover longer distances, too. Let's knock on wood now and hope for a healthy and injury-free training period and maybe you will see me completing something I thought I could never ever do. Now I'm just waiting for the Helsinki City Run registration to start, download some jogging music suggested by Jog.fm and go go go! 

Who's with me?