Training on Christmas Day

14-flat wrote:

I still think that the benefits of the 1600 outweigh any costs.

Neither is any better than the other if you actually understand the real purpose of the workout, just do whichever you prefer.

I just don't get it.

Obviously.

feel sorry for family wrote:

-geez. get some priorities, man. quit making your family suffer because of your selfish addiction. give up the ghost and enjoy life already, man.

Why does my family have to "suffer"?

By this logic, why don't we all quit training for anything every day of the year? Priorities right?

I usually ride my bike 4-5 hours on Christmas if the weather is good (above 20 and no ice or snow on roads). We will definitely ride 100 miles on 12/22 though (shortest day of the year).

I will say that I have no kids though, no wife either.

If I had kids and they were at the age where the whole "christmas morning" thing mattered to them I would only train when it wouldn't affect our enjoyment fo the day ... and probably for just 2-3 hours.

But quit training? You might as well kill me.

hemmen wrote:

How many here train on Christmas day and if so what workout are you planning for this year? I'm thinking of doing a 40min tempo run.

December is always an easier period for me in which I run once a day for 60-90 minutes. Christmas won't be any different and I'll just fit it in around the obligations and joys of the day itself. It's not a big deal.

If it is a big deal to anyone else I don't know why you simply don't take the day off.

I'm going to do an easy 7 or 8 miles in the AM. I enjoy running on Christmas. There is hardly anyone out except a few others runners/walkers.

14-flat wrote:

this is off the topic, but I am wondering why you run "1500" as your rep distance?

I have seen this maybe just 1-2 times before (I thinkk the Moroccans do it?) and have always wondered why not "1600s" as the distance?

The 1600 is so perfect as you can compare 400 splits and 800 splits of each rep. Going through in 70 will yield a 4:40, 2:20 will yield a 4:40, etc.

Now, obviously you can do this with a 1500 also, but why chop off that 18 seconds? Are you baseing it on a 500m split?

Or are you Euro or Canadian and therefore hardcore metric and the 1600/mile has no significance for you? I still think that the benefits of the 1600 outweigh any costs.

You end up in the same spot, most people are used to running 400 and 800 reps in other workouts, 1200s and 2000s as well ...

I just don't get it.

He probably wanted 9k of work and not 9.6k

It's supposed to be 6x5 minutes but I just run 1500s anyway

cos I'm a slow old veteran, on the track I think it's best to

have some sort of finite distance and 1500 is about right for

me nowadays.I usually get through them in about 4.55/4.58.

When I run marathons I pace myself in kms not miles so.....

didn't read right to the end, both I'm a Canadian based European, can't remember exactly what nationality I am nowadays. Canadian cos I'm married to one, French cos I was in the legion and back in the mists of time a Brit (with nice teeth)

I also like training twice on Christmas because even Haile doesn't do that :)

Why would I skip running on one of the few days where I don't have to go to work and thus have all day?

You guys how say people should take the day off and just enjoy themselves obviously don't run for the same reason some of us do. Some people enjoy running more than just about anything else. Getting in an easy run on a calm winter day is one of the best things in the world.

Not only is running relaxing and theraputic, but some people are still competitive and are working towards some serious goals. It's like in Prefontaine when Mac says he hates birthdays, holidays, even Christmas... anything that messes up his routine. Now I don't know if that's how he really was, but that's a pretty common attitude among the elite. You have to have that kind of drive if you want to reach your maximum potential.

Now I'm not saying it's okay to blow off spending Chirstmas with the fam, but running on Christmas doesn't make someone a bad person. In fact, it proves they have a quality most people lack.

If you're taking Christmas off, that's fine, but don't criticize the ones who aren't.

Cause he can break 8 minutes for a few 1500s but can't quite manage that for 1600s.

anonymous wrote:

16 mile long run planned.

It didn't occur to me not to run on Christmas. It's a great day to sleep in, get 16-18 miles, flat, at a relaxed pace. Hopefully, some convenience stores will be open so I can get some liquid carbs along the way.

Physiology 101 wrote:

14-flat wrote:

I still think that the benefits of the 1600 outweigh any costs.

Neither is any better than the other if you actually understand the real purpose of the workout, just do whichever you prefer.

I just don't get it.

Obviously.

Actually I DO understand the "real purpose" of the workout. That concept is very easy to grasp.

Of course 1500m reps and 1600m reps will have almost exactly the same effect, I was just wondering why someone would want to run 3 and 3/4 laps when 4 works out so easily.

It turns out that he did have a good reason that was logical, but it wasn't what you said.

Try not to be so smug. You act like it makes perfect sense to run 1500m reps when nobody has ever suggested that i replace 800m reps with a 750m rep. That makes just as much sense, excepting the fact that there is no 50m marker on the track.

When my 12 year old is listening to her jonas brother's cd in her room, my 22 year old is chatting with her friends and the ol'man is getting plastered on kahlua coffee, i will bug out for a peaceful 10k on xmas afternoon. Then i will take a hot bath and cook dinner. It's all about balance and I do what I have to to keep from falling of the edge. peace out.

You're wrong again, smugness isn't implicit in pointing out how you're wrong. There are good reasons to run 3 and 3/4 laps instead of 4, at least for those who aren't so mentally tied-down by the finish line on a track. I don't care if you run 800m reps instead of 1000m reps or 600m reps, why would I or anyone else "suggest" that you change how you do what you do? Save your strawmen for more gullible types.

I'll likely run for somewhere between an hour and half and two and a quarter hours. That's about what I do on any given day.

I've always seen Christmas as a day when it's fairly easy to get a run in. You probably aren't working. You aren't going to the grocery store or running errands. There are only so many Christmas specials you can watch on TV and eventually you will feel the need to murder some family memeber if you don't get away from him or her for a while.

Why not run?

Harry Kooter wrote:

feel sorry for family wrote:

-geez. get some priorities, man. quit making your family suffer because of your selfish addiction. give up the ghost and enjoy life already, man.

Why do you assume that running means that a person isn't enjoying life? I know it's a crazy idea, but some of us actually enjoy running and see a long run in the woods as a good way of celebrating. You act as if the guy you are responding to is neglecting his family. You think his kids will be up by 7am? I doubt it. Yeah, his family is suffering because he's going for a run before they are even awake. I can see why you thought it was worth posting that three times though.

Are you serious? A kid on Christmas Eve can barely stay asleep and are up BEFORE their parents are! Kids don't sleep in on Christmas morning. Remember?

At the in-laws....Savannah, Texas if anyone is up for a run. A.M., probably early so I can enjoy time with the family and my birthday party later.

I'll run about 10 miles total with a 3x1600 workout. Building for an early 2008 race.