Road Racing and Training Thread, Week Ending 1/7/18

Good luck to all those that are running the Houston Half!

Happy Birthday OR!

I missed the previous week's thread because I was down sick for most of the week and traveling later in the week. I caught an intestinal virus that had me down for almost the entire week. I did manage to get in a 5.4mi. run when I mistakenly thought I was on the mend. Kept it close to home in the event I needed to make an urgent dash home. So that makes a 5.4mi. total for that week :-(

This past week was focused on going to Orlando for the Disney Marathon weekend to get my wife through her first half marathon. I spent a lot of time on my feet in the parks and got no training runs in. We registered for the 10k and the half marathon. The 10k was a backup in the event my wife was not confident in being able to complete the half. We Needed to register for the races well in advance of the race since they fill up quickly and this was before my wife really started any reasonable training for any distance. In the end we did both races with me pacing her for encouragement and moral support. The 10k had almost 13,000 participants and she was corralled with a lot of walkers. We spent the entire 10k weaving our way around the walkers. The half marathon was a bit better because much of the HM course was wider that the 10k course.

Fri. 6.2mi extra slow.

Sat. 13.1mi extra slow.

Total 19.3 miles.

This week's plan is to get the mileage back up. Not off to a great start due to ice last night and this morning, but I did manage to get on the treadmill this morning for 6.5 miles.

How would you guys classify a 16 x 200m (@3k to mile) w/ 200m jog workout? Easy, Med, Hard? I was thinking of a leg turnover workout about a week before my 5K. This is preceded by my final specific 5K workout (5 x 1K w/ 75 sec rest) about 9-10 days before the race

Jeremy R wrote:

How would you guys classify a 16 x 200m (@3k to mile) w/ 200m jog workout? Easy, Med, Hard? I was thinking of a leg turnover workout about a week before my 5K. This is preceded by my final specific 5K workout (5 x 1K w/ 75 sec rest) about 9-10 days before the race

I think it's more medium at 3k pace, it's somewhere between hard and medium if at true mile pace.

Jeremy R wrote:

How would you guys classify a 16 x 200m (@3k to mile) w/ 200m jog workout? Easy, Med, Hard? I was thinking of a leg turnover workout about a week before my 5K. This is preceded by my final specific 5K workout (5 x 1K w/ 75 sec rest) about 9-10 days before the race

I'd say med or med-hard, depending how well you handle fast paces, if your goal is to just turnover your legs you can also take a bigger rest or walk the rest or walk 100/jog 100. Then it becomes pretty mild

Agree with medium-hard as it progresses to mile pace. You will be at a 2:1 rest to work ratio at that point, which at mile pace is somewhat hard. But the overall volume and the work at slower paces early on should take some of the edge off of the workout.

Jeremy R wrote:

How would you guys classify a 16 x 200m (@3k to mile) w/ 200m jog workout? Easy, Med, Hard? I was thinking of a leg turnover workout about a week before my 5K. This is preceded by my final specific 5K workout (5 x 1K w/ 75 sec rest) about 9-10 days before the race

I'd say medium to hard too. I like 200s.

Jeremy R wrote:

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

I'm currently battling really bad blood blisters for a week and today it was really tough to run. Was getting better this weekend, but I decided to mow the lawn without socks (like an idiot) yesterday.

On Saturday I ran a really tough 5K workout- 2 x (1000, 800, 700m @ 5K w/ 45 sec rest) w/ 3:30 rest between. The last 700m was really challenging. Only a couple weeks left before my target race. Final "hard" specific workout this Thursday (hopefully this blister heals up...)

Anyways, a podcast from Marcus and Magness on the 5K:

http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2018/01/episode-63-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-5k.html

Thanks for posting this. The segment from 49:00-57:00 is worth listening to again. Magness and Marcus talk about how too many runners use workouts to “prove that they are ready.” They also talk about how we should stay away from a hard/easy dichotomy that you see, for example, in many of Smoove’s training weeks and learn how to scale back to moderate workloads.

Jeremy I know you are a Magness disciple so be wary of inserting a 5 x 1K workout so close to your goal race. That is a benchmark-style workout that if not careful can lead you to “digging to deep into the well” as stated in the podcast.

Jeremy - I think that is a medium workout if you've been doing mile-3k pace workouts. Otherwise you'd be verging on hard. The point of this workout is to feel good so I'd not look at my watch during the workout (or not even time it) and just go by feel. In Igloi terms you're looking for "good swing", whatever pace that ends up being.

I'm curious what people's thoughts are on a hard mile, then some faster work as a race week 5k workout.

My HS coach would have us do 1600 (~5k), 4x400 cutdown with as much rest as needed

My old club coach would be 1600 (~95%), then some fast 200s or 100s

Magness has also posted a race-week workout he had an athlete do where it was 1600 (~3k), then some hill sprints.

I usually take one of two approaches the week of a race - either a modest tempo effort or some short, fast reps with plenty of rest. 2-3 weeks out, I will go with some kind of race modeling workout of relatively low volume (3 x 200-800-200; or a set of 3 x 200, a set of 3 x 800, then a set of 3 x 200, etc.).

These were my race week workouts in 2017:

- 2 x 2 miles 4 days before a 5k (part of a moderately long run as part of my Boston training)

- hilly 6 miles in Steamboat Springs 3 days before a 4 miler

- easy distance entire week of Gate River Run (used Gate as my only hard day that week)

- 2 x 1.5 miles at tempo pace 3 days before a 10k (a shortened workout because I wasn't feeling it)

- 4 x 1200 at tempo pace 5 days before Boston

- 2 sets of 4 x 400 with 2:00 between reps and 4:00 between sets 4 days before a 5k

- 3 x 200 at rep pace, 4 x 1200 at tempo pace, 3 x 200 at rep pace 3 days before a 5k

- 8 x 400 4 days before a 10k

- 20 minute tempo run 3 days before a 5k

- 10 miles with 4 miles of tempo 7 days before a 5k

- 4 x 1200 at tempo pace 3 days before a half marathon

Thanks guys, I would probably take the pace down a little bit.

As for too hot, you may be right, and I may be a little bit over cooking right now, but not sure. I may have structured my final couple weeks too aggressively as close to race day. If I push it a week or two it may be better. I haven't paid for that race yet. We'll see how the workout goes this Thursday.

J - I would say from watching on strava you are doing a crap load of workouts. haha prob did more in last month that I did in 6 months!

pewow wrote:

I'm curious what people's thoughts are on a hard mile, then some faster work as a race week 5k workout.

My HS coach would have us do 1600 (~5k), 4x400 cutdown with as much rest as needed

My old club coach would be 1600 (~95%), then some fast 200s or 100s

Magness has also posted a race-week workout he had an athlete do where it was 1600 (~3k), then some hill sprints.

I believe the theory behind a 1600 TT then a few 400s is to get one last blast of lactate and anaerobic work in to prep for the race. It works well. Many do it 4-5 days out. I think if it is planned out well in that time frame there really isn't a better workout.

I do like a few of those race modeling workouts (go out hard, then steady, finish hard), but wasn't able to add them this season.

After this race, I think I will go into a base building with a plan to run the marathon in Jax at the end of the year. I need to do more AT type work (agree with too hot on this one)

Smoove, you may want to run a race in Oviedo on Feb 3, the organizers say that Jenny Simpson is gonna be there to hand out awards. No clue on the course, but would be cool to see/meet Jenny. It would be cool if she brings her Olympic/Worlds hardware (most likely not)

https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Oviedo/OviedoFitness5KandWellnessExpo

yeah, I have eliminated the "long run" of 13+ miles and have replaced it with another workout. I have about 10 days so I am gonna be cutting down the mileage but maintaining some intensity

Jeremy R wrote:

yeah, I have eliminated the "long run" of 13+ miles and have replaced it with another workout. I have about 10 days so I am gonna be cutting down the mileage but maintaining some intensity

I'm excited to see what happens ! I pray you break 17. And I think you will.

Glad I didn't get in and pay for the half in Houston. I wouldn't be able to perform well anyways. Feeling 100% now but my lungs are full of crap. No 5k for me (which I am totally okay with!)

If you are running Houston post your bib #

I don't know how they are going to fit all of these numbers on the bib: 20502.

RRR when you were losing weight how many calories a day were you burning? Did you consume less, try burning more, or both?

I swam 1.75 miles last night. I can honestly say I am just as slow at swimming. Just really doing it for the cardio and calorie burn at the moment. Probably will make a doctors app for the ankle next week. I am beginning to think its a stress fracture. At least I'll be 30+ pounds lighter when I start running again.

Smoove wrote:

I don't know how they are going to fit all of these numbers on the bib: 20502.

Damn smoove that number screams hobby jogger almost as much as mine: 21019.