Training for half--enough time for May?

[ms.mightyduck]

Hi, all. So, I was planning on joining the gym this week, but the gym I was going to join is too far and too expensive. Today I was going to go back to the other gym, reasoning that I don't *do* that much there and I could find a way to deal with the teens who hang out there (I teach high school, so it's not that I don't like teens--I just enjoy some personal space after school).

Anyway, last night I think I cracked a tooth. So I couldn't go out tonight to the gym because I was waiting to speak with the dentist's office. Thanks to some horrible dental happenings, I don't have a regular dentist. So now I can't walk Thursday because that's my appointment. I'm at least half a week behind on my 16 week half-marathon training program. I know that it's going to take more than one visit to fix a cracked molar (I have no idea how I did it, either), so I'm starting to worry that if I don't follow the schedule exactly, I'll never be ready for May.

If we do the Minnie, it's less of a problem--I know I can be up to 9 miles by then. But how closely do I need to stick with the training to make the half? Do I have enough time if I fall a week behind?

Sorry if this is a stupid question--I'm having an anxiety attack over the dentist and now I'm worried about this, too.

Thanks in advance for anyone who can give me any perspective on this.

If my current conditioning matters, I'm an expert sofa surfer. However, I spent a week in Disney in July and almost two weeks in August, and we did four parks in two days in December, so I know I can log all-day miles in the parks and still keep going the next day. I just need to build up the endurance to walk that far without stopping for a Dole Whip.....

 

[hockeygirl]

ms.mightyduck--are you training for the Long Branch Half? I see you are from NJ. I did the Long Branch half last April and I started training in the middle of January. I could barely run a mile when I started. I used the Hal Higdon plan. I think my official half training plan started the first week of February. I made it through the half fine, and felt really well prepared. So, you can definetely do it! If you are doing the Long Branch race, it is a really flat course and a nice race, I think I am going to sign up for the NJ marathon which is run together with the Long Branch race.

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Hi! Yes, if we can't get to Florida to do the Minnie (dh hasn't committed to it yet, and by that, I mean he said "no") we'll be doing the Long Branch half. It's only a 45 minute drive from here, so there won't be any excuses on not being able to get there! I would prefer to earn a Minnie medal since it's the last one ever (and I have no burning desire to get one with princesses on it), but if I can't persuade my sweet husband, it'll be here at the shore.

I feel better knowing that someone has done this without 16 full weeks. Between dentist anxiety and marathoning anxiety, I am a mess today.

If I am at the Long Branch, I'm sure I'll see you--i plan on having WISH gear by then!