Road Racing and Training-week ending 11/12

runrincerepeat wrote:

Team1- 12x400 to get some turnover?! esp since you seem like a fast twitch guy. I am also trotting on Thursday so may do some kind of little workout this week.

RRR, Right after I posted that I went for a short run and practically walked I was surprised I was so sore. I guess that's what 5 weeks running 3-4x/wk will do. 12 miles is a big deal now I guess... I'll be traveling tomorrow and Wednesday so unless I catch up on sleep with a 10-hr nap (God knows I need it) I should be able to do something on Wednesday morning. Maybe a 5x1000 with 3:00 walking rest a la Smoove.

outsiderunner - I just read your race report from Richmond: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=8520375&page=8 - wow! What an outstanding race! I'm guessing you'll be thinking about the next marathon soon and whether you can bring 6:30s from the get-go...

team1 wrote:

outsiderunner - I just read your race report from Richmond:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=8520375&page=8

- wow! What an outstanding race! I'm guessing you'll be thinking about the next marathon soon and whether you can bring 6:30s from the get-go...

Thanks, team1! Was hoping to hear from you, and I am glad you chimed in.

Yes, I am already thinking about my next marathon, and am open to suggestions. Was going to post here soon about that anyway, and thus I am glad you brought it up.

I still cannot believe how good I felt in that race. I think I felt better at the end than I did at the beginning.

With regard to my next marathon, it seems an open question, though my experience at Richmond makes me lean toward mid-level or regional races that are similar to Richmond...or who, knows--maybe Richmond again? For me, the logisitics are important, as good logistics calm me, and, in my view, they are a plus for a PR. Cannot beat being in a reasonably priced hotel that is TWO blocks from the start. Thus, Richmond makes me feel comfortable. The course is nice, too...rolling hills...just what I am accustomed to.

I really would like to try a different race, but I would have to feel comfortable with all of the details. Closer to home is better, too (less travel time and less expensive).

Again, I am open to input on this.

Yes, team 1, I have been thinking about whether I could bring 6:30s from the get go. It is an interesting question.

Statfan: I’m sure we’ve all felt your pain At one time or another

Missed: Nice week with the quality workouts. Yes that headwind wanted to kill me, but I think it only made me stronger

Dgla: Nice to meet you, and Shazam would a week !

Psychiatrist: Just remember that we are running the asylum . Welcome

Martalus: Take with your body gives you. You’ll begin to feel good soon

Pappy: My goal race is the type a marathon on December 17. I’ve just never run a 5K race before, so I thought it might be “fun.” To that end, I took the plunge and signed up for a very low-key event on November 23.

Serious question:

There are some great answers here., and my answer will echo some of the previous points.

I often feel that it’s difficult for me to express to other people what it is that I’m doing with all of this running and training. For example, if you just say to someone I enjoy running, or I’m a runner, they’re not exactly getting what I mean. When I say I’m a serious runner, that doesn’t sound like I’m going to get my message across either because I feel like when I say serious, they will think I mean, Highly talented or skilled. Well that’s not right either. When you’re trying to communicate something to someone else, I try to find equivalent situations that might be closer to home for them, but I can’t seem to think of an equivalent activity that a lot of people do. I mean, we spend a lot of time on this, and a lot of physical effort, and we May even eat differently or sleep differently. So I think it’s much more than a hobby. Anyway I don’t have an answer that satisfies me on this point.

All that said, the reason why I am in fact so serious about this is basically that it brings meaning to my life in a significant way. In some ways it gives me a sense of identity. It definitely brings structure to my days, weeks, seasons. I won’t deny at this point it’s also a psychological reaction to the fact that I am going to turn 50 years old next year. Thoughts of mortality suck. Running as fast as or faster than I did 20 years ago is a middle finger in mortality’s face.

Finally, as others have said, I think it has a lot to do with goals, and competition too, even if only competition with myself. It sounds trite, but if I can’t be the best there is, I can still be the best me that I can be. That matters to me, not just about running but also about other things in my life

I still don’t have my PC back in running order and I’m not used to posting on my smart phone. Please forgive the random punctuation and CapitalizatioN?

Pappy: that should read Taipei Marathon! Damn, Psychiatrist may have something to say about that particular “type a” typ o.

I also neglected to mention that if I didn't run, I'd probably be a sick drunk. Running keeps me honest in that regard.

Smoove, tru. I haven't had a beer in 11 weeks. Looking forward to breaking that streak after my marathon.

Boost.Boston-Dang nice week. Sub-15 is pretty dang good. I'd say you are on schedule.

team1-Good luck with the new born. Only gets better. Just remember Papa needs a new pair of shoes. Good luck in the race. For cramming I always preferred quarters or 200's but just enough to get speed not enough to have to recover from.

Working Harder-Good week hope you feel better. nice mileage

Smoove- You are going to force me to read the third edition again. I like Daniels but grew up following Lydiard. I'm not sure which is better. Daniels seems confusing still to me. Thinking about finding more on Schwartz too although I think he is a lot like Daniels with a few different paces.

I've actually never read the third edition. - I'm a second edition guy. But yeah, I'm a Daniels guy through and through. I followed his principles in the early 90s as a college runner after walking on with no prior running experience and I've followed him since starting to get seriously involved in the sport again as a masters runner.

Smoove wrote:

I also neglected to mention that if I didn't run, I'd probably be a sick drunk. Running keeps me honest in that regard.

This. People ask me why I run so much and I tell them cause my demons are always right behind me and they run in a pack. When I first started back running everyone at work wanted to know why I would run so much push so hard. Now they know and are very supportive and respectful. They know I am a better different person when I run. They hate it when I taper cause I get moody and pissy and not the happy go lucky rrr they are used to. First thing they all said when they saw me this morning was "how did you do?!" And high fives when they knew I won. (Time doesn't matter they thing 1:55 is blazing) .. now one girl that had never ran is up to 20 mpw and another is running the turkey trot. Makes me happy.

I heard the second edition is the best. BTW I'm liking these Munich pants. I really need another pair though. May get the Sporthill XC for when it really gets cold and windy.

Best pants ever. I wore them as lounging pants yesterday.

Pappy wrote:

I heard the second edition is the best.

It definitely is.

My week: early 30s, aiming for 4 weeks continuous at 50mpw, then taking a crack at 17:00.

Mon - 8

Tuesday - 2 w/u, Mile @ 5:35, :90 rest, 4 x 400 @ 70-71, 1:45 rest, 4 x 200 @ 30, :90 rest. 2 c/d

Wednesday - 8

Thursday - 8

Friday - Disjointed day, traveling for work I had a short window to try and sneak in a workout. Wound up doing a 3:00 warm-up right into 3 miles in 18:30 on a really hilly grass course, but got interrupted and couldn't finish the tempo or cool down. Wound up doing a progression run on the treadmill that night, 5 miles @ 7:00, 6:40, 6:20, 6:00, .5 @ 5:45, .5 Easy cooldown. I had planned for this day to be 2 w/u, 3.5 @ Tempo, 2 c/d. Actually felt so good on the treadmill (which I hate) I'm still thinking the treadmill was off calibration.

Saturday - Rest

Sunday - 11 in 73:00. Felt awesome on this run, started at about 7:10 and gradually worked down to 6:30s for the whole second half without really realizing it.

Weekly Total: 50

That marks 4 weeks straight at 50mpw for me, which was my #1 goal for this training cycle. I've got a local 5k penciled in for the 25th where I'll take a stab at 17:00, Its been 8 years since I've run a race, so I'm not really worried about how it will go (yet), just happy I've gotten in the work I have and that it should (finally) set me up to do some more serious training without the miserable build-up that goes along with being completely out of shape. I know my speed is easily there to run 17:00, as I'm fairly confident I could run under 2:10 and 4:45 based on some of the workouts I've done, but continuous tempo type efforts (particularly on roads compared to the track) have left me really hurting after 2 miles, so there's a distinct possibility I come through the mile in 5:25 feeling like a million bucks, only to fall apart around 1.5-2 miles. We'll see.

I'll be backing off a little on volume this week, and a little more next week, but won't be doing a true taper, I just don't feel I'm in good enough shape to support really dropping my mileage back. Tomorrow's workout will be a tough one, but after that will just be some sharpening work till the 25th.

Ontario Runner wrote:

hantph96 wrote:

First XC-race on Nov. 24 (my first xc race ever!!!)

Hey hantph96, I noticed this comment about your first XC race, and the fact that you post your training in km. Are you in Canada? I've done some XC races; I went beck to school later in life in '08 and joined the XC team for the experience (I was the old man on the team by quite a few years!). It was a blast, and I ended up being flown to Camrose, Alberta for Nationals. Some great memories.

No, I live over in Europe, in Austria. Not a very active xc scene over here. It just doesn't have the tradition compared to the US.

In Europe you have to go to the Netherlands or Belgium for xc races. They go nuts over there :)

JPS - just pace yourself! It's easy to go out way to fast in a race especially when it's your first one in a long time and you are juiced and ready. I'm also gonna take another stab at 17 on the 25th before i Shut down racing until spring.

Team 1- I was thinking the 5x1000 but I may go 3xmile and really get a feel for race pace. Gonna be tough tho!

Coach Jeff ROC wrote:

Psychiatrist may have something to say about that particular “type a” typ o.

Don't get me started on 'accidental' typo's.

RRR, I'd avoid the mile repeats at 5k race pace - those are some long intervals for someone who hasn't been doing too much work at 5k race pace. Go with 6 x 800 or 5 x 1000. The 800s won't get you much adaptation, but a week before the race you aren't going to get any adaptation that will help in any event, and the 800s will give you 6 chances to try to lock that pace in instead of just 3, and they will feel easy as heck. 1000s give you a little more time at pace, but with one less opportunity to lock in pace. They will do a better job of adaptation (but see above). So either one would be good.