Jess and the rest of her Crossfit Whistler team representing at the Whistler Spirit Run

And the true countdown is one..

With only four weeks until The North Face Whistler Half-Marathon, on Saturday June 2, 2012, you should be in full swing of your training regime, whether it be running or spectating as your sport.

The Whistler Half-Marathon, the new installation, is only in its second year, but already is a prominent fixture on the long-distance running calendar of jogging enthusiasts from Whistler, Vancouver and beyond. The event sold out in less than a month, during January 2012, and has also maintained The North Face as the title sponsor for this year’s event.

If you have registered for the event, your training should be at its peak now, with the 21.1km staring right down the barrel of the gun at you.

It is recommended that you embark on a 12 week training program, but if, like me, you have been too busy skiing/working/living and have not amply trained in the weeks leading up, then..well, you probably shouldn’t do it. Twenty-one kilometres is a long way! However, I have been a runner my whole life, so I will be attempting to run the course regardless, with only four weeks of training. It will be hard, I won’t enjoy it, but the satisfaction at the end is all worthwhile. Believe me, I did the exact same thing last year.

So, this is what a recommended 12 week training program should look like, as set out by The North Face Whistler Half-Marathon gurus. CLICK HERE

I have not adhered to that suggestion (I blame TWSSF, snow on the ground, lack of will-power, and general Whistler life..) and am now scrambling to add four runs a week to my Crossfit training program, so that I don’t die on the Blueberry Hill, which evidently is within the first 3km of the run. Oh, goodie.

I have only done two Half-Marathons before, but I consistently run 10-15km about three times a week during Spring, Summer and Fall, so I aim to stick with my plan of four longer runs a week, interspersed with shorter hill sessions, and would HIGHLY recommend signing up for Crossfit for a month as they train you in interval training, shorter and harder cardio sessions intermingled with weight and strength training, which is actually imperative to the success of a long distance runner in terms of decreasing muscle fatigue time.

The course is through one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it really doesn’t matter what time you do your half-Marathon in, it just matters that you showed up and put in the effort. It’s a motivator in itself, to eat well and get out for a few runs, so don’t sweat the small stuff like your time or your place in the pack, just sweat it out on the course. Get in a few hill running sessions, eat consistently, get a LOT of sleep, and keep your life balanced, and all will fall into place. Let’s do this journey together!