I am just about to start my doctoral physical therapy program of three years at a school in New York state. I just ran a 1:15:27 half marathon debut and am taking about a week off training to gain some rest before my summer semester kicks off. My other best times include 1:58 in 800, 4:05 for the 1500 (figure a 4:23 mile), 15:30 5k, and 32:15 for the 10k.
I really want to continue competitive running with a club team that hosts team workouts every Wednesday afternoon. My only conflicts are going to be: 1. My classes are going to be Fridays through Sundays from 8am-5pm every other weekend for 3 trimesters, over 3 years. 2. I'm planning on commuting to campus sometime during the fall, which is about an hour drive each way. 3. I'm going to heavy a heavy workload balancing three full-time graduate courses each semester, need at least 2 hours of studying during weekends and probably 5+ hours during the weeks.
My question is, should I really consider running competitively or just for my overall fitness and health?
My tentative schedule will be:
Mon: long run up to 18 miles in the morning
Tues: easy run 6-10 miles
Wed: Afternoon interval workout
Thurs: Threshold run
Friday: easy run (after class)
Sat: Fartlek or cross train (after class)
Sun: easy or day off if needed/cross train (before or after class)