Road Racing & Training Thread: April 2024

Male, 56, 5'7, 141 lbs
Longer term: Get back to VDOT 50 for a December marathon PR
Current Level: VDOT 48

Only about 50km this week. It’s hot, but the race is over. Pressure’s off. That’s how I feel, and I wish I didn’t feel that way, but that’s where I’m at. Eye of the Tiger? Not so much. No workouts this week or next. Let’s just run around for a while, what say?

Coach Jeff - solid performance in the 10K. I think your improvement in AG placing demonstrates the improvement. And happy birthday!

Sam - crazy good performance in a 5K after a marathon (even a non-all-out one) and then a few days off.

***
I'll post two weeks since I missed last week:

Female, 49, 5'4", 104
Lifetime/Masters PRs 5:25/18:51/38:56/1:02:28/1:24:08/2:57:42
Recent best times: 5K in 21:08, 10 miles in 1:10:19, half-marathon in 1:33:20, Marathon in 3:20:29
Upcoming races: BAA 10K, Twin Cities Marathon

Week 1: 30 miles running and 5:30 pool-running
M: ~1 mile shakeout jog and then a marathon in 3:41:17.
T: Off for travel.
W: 90 minutes pool-running
Th: 90 minutes pool-running in the morning; streaming pilates in the evening.
F: 90 minutes pool-running. Foam rolling in evening.
Sa: 1 hour pool-running + upper body weights/core and foam rolling.
Su: 3 miles very easy (10:05) and streaming yoga + foam rolling.

Week 2: 34 miles and 70 minutes of pool-running
M: 70 minutes pool-running and streaming yoga
T: 5.5 miles very easy (9:50) + leg strengthwork
W: 8.5 miles very easy (9:33) with some grass running + upper body weights/core
Th: 8.5 miles very easy on trails (10:10) plus streaming pilates
F: 7 miles, including 4 Iwo Jima hills, plus some leg strengthwork
Sa: Off (Sick)
Su: 4.5 miles very easy on trails (10:15)

Took several days in the pool post marathon, and then started running again. I planned to add in some more mileage and a bit of faster running this weekend but getting sick put that plan on hold. I do have to say that this was probably the most convenient weekend of the year for me to get sick, so that was (somewhat) fortunate.

I'm finalizing my fall racing plans - Checkingthefacts suggested hitting the other WMMs at some point; however, Boston is the only WMM that currently offers my para division. Obviously, I'm hoping that changes in the future.

The BAA 10K does offer my para division, and pays some solid prize money for a win, so I've decided to skip the Garry Bjorklund half-marathon this year and do the BAA 10K instead. I'm a bit sad about this, because I turn 50 in a few weeks and I was hoping to win my AG at Garry Bjorklund this year. But I really want to support the BAA since they offer my division, and the prize money obviously sweetens the deal.

In the fall I'm entered in the NYC marathon, but I plan to just run that for run, and to race Twin Cities a few weeks earlier, going for sub 3:20 there.

Male, 30, 6'4", 150 lbs
Races: 7/7 2.4mi Swim, 11/24 Marathon
4/22/24 - 4/28/24

Mn - AM: 3250 yd swim, PM: 8.5 @ 7:20s
Tu - 8 @ 7:10s
Wd - 26 mi Gravel Ride @ 14mph
Th - 3.75 @ 8:35s trails
Fr - AM: 3700 yd Swim, PM: 11 @ 7:15s
Sa - Off
Su - 38 mi Gravel Ride @ 14.25 mph

Total Run - 31 mi, Ride - 63.75 mi, Swim - 6950 yd, Time - 10hr 14min

Other than an overly busy Saturday, a shortened Thursday and a lazy Wednesday AM and Sunday PM (all missing/reduced runs) this will be more or less what my future weeks should look like. I am planning to start adding in light run workouts next week and plan some races.

CoachJeffROC - Nothing wrong with a few easy weeks to rest and be ready to be mentally engaged again after, you could add some strides into the week.

darkwave - Reasonable decision on the half vs 10k, hopefully it is a sign for others in the division to sign up too.

... he says as Coach Jeff returns from an Easy with 6 x Strides. 😁

Male, 56, 5'7, 141 lbs
Short term: May/June get the volume back up over 8 hours per week
Longer term: Get back to VDOT 50 for a December marathon PR
Current Level: VDOT 48

I don’t know if it was physical or mental (probably both), but I felt better than I have for a month this week. Had some pop in the pins. I got in 6 hours of running, including a bit trail stuff… long time since I wore a headlamp… All easy days, 2 with strides. But I ended up with a higher "training impulse" than I had for the past 6 weeks (wtf?).

May and June, I’ll be mostly just rebuilding base and maybe doing some hill sprints and strides to keep from getting rusty. Probably 95% easy stuff, and 5% maintenance work.
For the second half of 2024, I plan on doing a Daniels “4-week Cycle” approach. I’ve used “2Q” and “Plan A” in the past. These plans both feature 2 quality days per week, including a long run with integrated “workout” segments and a midweek workout day. However, “Plan A” has nothing faster than threshold after the early weeks, and “2Q” has nothing faster than threshold at all. In “4-Week Cycle,” it’s again 2 quality days; most of the “work” is at threshold or marathon pace, but there are two interval/repeat days every month, and one peak mileage week per month with no workouts at all. I feel like I need to work the high end if only to make the other stuff feel more comfortable. So about 80% easy running, 17% threshold and marathon, and 3% faster than that. I feel like this might be the right mix for me. I’ll be following the “approach” rather than holding myself to completing everything as written. I’m enthusiastic and optimistic (as we always are in spring when thinking about a winter marathon).