IDK My BFF Hal

Higdon That Is.

The days before I decided I was running a half marathon are starting to get hazy to me now. It's been over a year. I'm actually trying to figure out what it was that made me decide I was running a half marathon to begin with. I think it was knowing MULTIPLE people who did one. Then after hearing about the "fun" element of long races: music, costumes, medals, and beer and reading a couple running blogs... I decided I liked all of these things. Why not try combining them all and commit to more than a 10k?

Oh wait that sounds too peachy-keen...I also was frustrated with a boy. It's such a weird circle because the more frustrated I am with life, the closer to obsessive my running becomes, yet the more endorphins I have, and I stay generally positive :) When those endorphins start to wear off, it's usually time to go on a run again. I'm convinced that a lot of the world's depression and obesity problems would be solved if people would just run. Maybe even a decrease in crime. Think about it. How many criminals do you see showing up to run a marathon? Or even a 5k for that matter.


Hahaha, I went there. I live right outside of DC. How could I not? I'm very serious about the positives of running though.

As hazy as my pre-long distance running days are becoming, so is the time before I knew of Hal Higdon. I REALLY wish I could remember who originally told me about Hal Higdon's plans. I would thank them. I know there's a lot of "I found a plan online" that gets tossed into conversation. And this is mainly because if someone doesn't run saying "I used Hal Higdon's plan" means very little. Last year after hearing his name a few places, I Googled and printed off The Half Marathon Training Plan for Beginners. I gave myself more than 12 weeks, every run happened; I still have the piece of paper with all the check marks on it.

Since that first half marathon, I'm definitely still using Hal's plan as a guide, but I run what I feel like when it comes to distance/frequency. Ironically, my short run distances tend to increase as my long run distances do. I don't know if it's because my body wants a challenge or because Hal's whispering in my ear that I should do it. "Come on, do it for Hal."

A couple of my friends and I talk about him as if we know him. "Hal would be so mad if he knew we (fill in the blank.)" "Hal would be proud of us today." And most-recently "IDK My BFF Hal." The other thing that I like about Hal is that he has plans for all levels of runners. So it's not like I'm going to "outgrow" his recommendations.

I've recently been picking up his book Marathon every time I go to a bookstore. I think this is a good book to read regardless of if you or *cough* I ever decide to run a full. His life is so fascinating. And the principles are pretty universal. Now that I've read the first few chapters of this book for free, I'm probably going to cave and buy it. Then I'll have some reading to do before bed. My own personal "Goodnight" from Hal Higdon.