First half marathon workout complete thanks to Fitness Blender!
Hey everyone!
I'm a long-time lurker in the message boards, but I wanted to post a message about my experience training for a half marathon using Fitness Blender! I just ran my first race yesterday, and I have to say that I wouldn't have been able to do it without FB workouts. I did running training, sure, but I found very early into my training that I didn't like it nearly as much as working out with Kelli and Daniel, so I modified my training plan to include more FB and less running. I've been with FB consistently for a few years now... Switching to more running, less HIIT/strength just wasn't satisfying!
I had initially searched the forums for some guidelines about what workout programs to use while training, and I saw some recommendations for the XT - Maintenance/Cross Train program. I bought it, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed some of my other purchased programs. I ended up going back to Burn and Sweat and moving workouts around during the week so that everything lined up neatly with my cross training, and there weren't days I was endurance running and then doing lower body strength the next, and things like that.
On my running days, I used FB warm ups instead of walking/"runner's stretches"/etc. for a few minutes, and I think those helped immensely. In particular, I found the lower body strength warm ups to be excellent for the range of motion engaged during running. Sometimes I used the stand alone lower body warm up video, and sometimes I just used the warm up embedded into longer videos. That helped also have a cool down lined up for when I got back, so I could segue immediately into lower body-focused stretches. Towards the end, I was only running two days a week - one short, timed run, and my endurance run. I was tacking on quick abs videos after my short runs (~35-40 active minutes total), and using long yoga/stretching videos after my endurance runs (depending on mileage, between 60-100 active minutes total).
I never even got up to the recommended distance (10 miles) before race day... and I finished with no problem! I know part of it was because I was already working out with FB 4-5 days a week before I started training... but yesterday, when I hit mile 10 and realized FB training had prepared me well enough that I COULD (and did!) finish the half, without breaks and without injury and without feeling like I was dying, was probably the most satisfied I've even been with the progress I've made.
So! Long story short, I used XT, Burn, Sweat, and some combination of warm ups, cool downs, and stretches to train for my first half marathon and did way better than I thought. I finished my half with no breaks in about 2 hours, 24 minutes. It wasn't fast... but who cares!
Thank you to both this community - it's an amazing support system, and I love reading the forum posts to keep motivation high! - and to Kelli and Daniel, for all y'all do for us. Hooray!! I've never been happier with a #workoutcomplete.
First half marathon workout complete thanks to Fitness Blender!
Hey everyone!
I'm a long-time lurker in the message boards, but I wanted to post a message about my experience training for a half marathon using Fitness Blender! I just ran my first race yesterday, and I have to say that I wouldn't have been able to do it without FB workouts. I did running training, sure, but I found very early into my training that I didn't like it nearly as much as working out with Kelli and Daniel, so I modified my training plan to include more FB and less running. I've been with FB consistently for a few years now... Switching to more running, less HIIT/strength just wasn't satisfying!
I had initially searched the forums for some guidelines about what workout programs to use while training, and I saw some recommendations for the XT - Maintenance/Cross Train program. I bought it, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed some of my other purchased programs. I ended up going back to Burn and Sweat and moving workouts around during the week so that everything lined up neatly with my cross training, and there weren't days I was endurance running and then doing lower body strength the next, and things like that.
On my running days, I used FB warm ups instead of walking/"runner's stretches"/etc. for a few minutes, and I think those helped immensely. In particular, I found the lower body strength warm ups to be excellent for the range of motion engaged during running. Sometimes I used the stand alone lower body warm up video, and sometimes I just used the warm up embedded into longer videos. That helped also have a cool down lined up for when I got back, so I could segue immediately into lower body-focused stretches. Towards the end, I was only running two days a week - one short, timed run, and my endurance run. I was tacking on quick abs videos after my short runs (~35-40 active minutes total), and using long yoga/stretching videos after my endurance runs (depending on mileage, between 60-100 active minutes total).
I never even got up to the recommended distance (10 miles) before race day... and I finished with no problem! I know part of it was because I was already working out with FB 4-5 days a week before I started training... but yesterday, when I hit mile 10 and realized FB training had prepared me well enough that I COULD (and did!) finish the half, without breaks and without injury and without feeling like I was dying, was probably the most satisfied I've even been with the progress I've made.
So! Long story short, I used XT, Burn, Sweat, and some combination of warm ups, cool downs, and stretches to train for my first half marathon and did way better than I thought. I finished my half with no breaks in about 2 hours, 24 minutes. It wasn't fast... but who cares!
Thank you to both this community - it's an amazing support system, and I love reading the forum posts to keep motivation high! - and to Kelli and Daniel, for all y'all do for us. Hooray!! I've never been happier with a #workoutcomplete.