NIKE FREE ME wrote:
I was just wondering as to why it effected my mile speed so greatly, not just a little bit. To be honest i always thought that i would be able to run low 14's, but never did I believe I would be able to run -4:10 off no real traditional speed workouts, you know?
have a look at the immortal "no interval work success?" thread:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=309865&page=0to be blunt: the vast majority of the ability to cover a mile or longer as a race depends upon aerobic qualities, the extent of which are variously developed by different aerobic training speeds and volumes. acid buffering and race-specific vo2max work is crucial to reaching your full potential at certain distances, but not only is it not the foundation of your success, but it depends absolutely upon that aerobic foundation upon which to draw and build the success it so often claims as its own.
take a look at tinman's "push the pace just two-times" essay on run-insight.com for a look at how to balance that general aerobic development with other instrumental, race-pace-related efforts.
http://www.run-insight.com/traininganalysis-pushpacetwowtimes.htmperhaps the hardest thing about training isn't getting in the miles, but 1) holding back from burn-out and 2) developing a patience and faith in long-term, ratcheting, but not-so-flashy, development.
-hrm