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Week 92
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Greetings to my 50+ friends. After another crazy, up-and-down weather week (including another winter storm,) spring is finally starting to show signs of its impending arrival. And with it the local 5k charity runs are sprouting like spring flowers (although I’ve not partaken yet.) After last week’s nadir, I did get back to a more regular training schedule…maybe not quite 100% better as promised, but close. Here’s my log for the 44 miles (plus ancillary shtuff) that I did cover:
Sun: 10 highly variable pace w/7.7@6:40 avg including a couple @~6-minute pace and under.
Mon: 6.5 easy +post-run+upper+dynamic
Tue: 0 (for the usual reasons…work&weather)
Wed: 5 w/2k@7:11 +post-run+static+balance
Thur: 4.2 easy +squats+dynamic (some mild stomach woes)
Fri: 10.5 w/2@12:11 +post-run
Sat: 8.1 easy-to-moderate w/6 on grass +post-run+upper+balance
Reflection:
I’m a little sore after this week (hard miles Wed and Fri with squats Thur was probably too much in a row), but its a good sore. The Wednesday 2k felt great! I’ve run this loop many times, and usually right at this time, but this one felt unusually fresh…probably because of the day off, Tuesday. Friday there were also a couple of miles done at around 6:20 pace, as well. Basically the run went like this: 1 easy, 1@6:20, 1 easy, 1@6:20, 1 easy, 2@(6:17,5:54), then finished easy. Looking at the number of “hard” miles (for me that’s 6:10 pace or better), I’m about where I want to be, but I still haven’t been doing any “formal” workouts. I think I’ll try to get to the track this week to start getting in some R-pace stuff.
Mo’pak—I enjoyed the pictures of your “walkabout”; looked like great fellowship….certainly a physical challenge but some great natural scenery.
Ken—I continue to appreciate your willingness to relate your experience. It means a lot. And to Mike—thanks for stating that sentiment so succinctly.
Props to AK-55 and Alan B. on your PR’s.
Art—first of all, I commend you on taking your well-being seriously, getting your weight under control, and reaching a solid level of cardiovascular fitness. I am very happy for you in what you are doing, and the enthusiasm that you obviously have for the "new you" shows through your blog that you share. As one amateur to another, please take what I say with a grain of salt, but I tend to agree with what Alan B. commented. Having looked through your blog, it seems that you do pile on too many of your miles in long runs on the weekend. Around here, I see a lot of people that engage in this same kind of “Weekend Warrior” training…maintenance miles during the week (maybe a bit of cross-training with a dash of speed-work), then gobs of LSD miles come every Saturday. They've all been successful at completing marathons, but they've not developed any speed whatsoever following this regimen. They plod through the same 4+ hour marathons year-after-year without improvement (not that there is anything wrong with that.) If, however, you want to get faster (which may or may not be your goal,) you’re better off spreading your miles out more over the week, and getting in more quality stuff. Opinions on this will vary, but that's just my $0.02. Regardless, my hat's off to you for taking charge of your well-being. More power to you!
In Other News:
Great tribute on the occasion of the retirement of 50+ icon Norm Green from the Mid-Atlantic USATF Executive Committee:
http://www.mausatf.org/pdf/Newsletter-2013-February.pdf
(saw this in an update to a thread on Norm Green’s training, to which mo’pak has contributed:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3308230
)
Thread on Mile Record for 50 year olds (I see Ken’s just posted on this one):
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5071821
Quite a few impressive Masters’ times at the Gate River Run (USATF 15k Championships):
http://www.gate-riverrun.com/grr13ageres.htm
(There seems to be some anomalies that need to be worked out; I think the Bob Rankin time is not correct, for example.)
Can you tell that I’m on Spring Break? I get to spend a little more time this week entertaining myself with what I like. Should be a good running week, but I am planning to run a 3k on Saturday as a rust-buster...so I won’t quite get the miles in that I otherwise would. Haven’t done the right kind of speed work for it, so it’ll mostly show where my base-level is for this year. I’m figuring I’m probably 10:40’ish at this point, which would be about 15 or so seconds slower than the same race last year. We’ll see.
OK. I know this is truly more than a mouthful. I hope things are going well in your locale on this little blue-green dot we call home. As always, I look forward to hearing what you have to share.