Delacram wrote:
Hey, for me...! You've been so helpful!
Are you saying I should run 5.7 miles a day? I have no problem doing so. I'd love to. I've just got to keep a close watch on my legs right now because my shins and calves are in pain. I'm currently receiving 3 massages as day on them to aid in recovery. It sucks. Why do you think I have this pain? My form is pretty good. I don't overstride, I don't heel strike, and I land under my center of mass. Personally, I believe the problem is that I don't devote enough time to stretching.
...
Do you think I should stop racing for now until I have a more solid base in miles and speedwork in the next few months?
My suggestion is to get to the point where you are running about an hour a day. At whatever pace is comfortable to do it over & over again. If that's 5.7 miles, great. If it's 5.0, or 6.0 great. It will get faster (much) if you are honest with yourself and conservative. Gotta check the ego.
BUT, I doubt you are quite ready for that yet. That's a pretty solid amount of running, and I wouldn't expect somebody one month in to handle it. Seriously, it might take some time. That's why I suggested earlier to build up to it, starting wherever you feel comfortable (30min, 45, etc...).
Yeah, I would suggest you put the hard, strenuous running on hold for now. Pick a fall race and use the next 18-20 weeks to work towards it.
Your shin splits are telling you something. There is a rule of "Toos" that can usually nail where we go wrong (I've nailed all of these at various times): Too much, too soon, too hard, or too fast. Avoid those, and you'll hit nirvana - consistency. And consistency will get you improvement.
Typically, try to tackle one new thing at a time. Distance first. Then speed. Not both at the same time. You are trying to increase your mileage & add speedwork. Somewhere in there you get shin splints. Impossible to say the exact cause, but if you eliminate the intensity for now, and go easier than you think you should, you'll be able to handle more miles. It's the mileage that will really help you at your level.
There are a few principles that I wish I'd known when I was at your point:
1) 6 weeks - this is about how long it takes for mitochondria and other internal "stuff" to develop to a new training stimulus. So, don't expect any significant improvement any sooner than that. Each new step will likely take at least 6 weeks.
2) Tendons & Ligaments take longer to adapt than the cardiovascular system. This is a big one. You'll avoid a lot of heartache if you remember it. Basically, you will start feeling really good cardiovascularly (breathing, effort-level, etc.) after a few weeks. You will be tempted to really start cranking out some faster miles, or more miles. The problem is your body won't be ready to handle the stress. The tendons, ligaments, and muscles are still adapting, and still need some time to get stronger. If you aren't conservative, you'll feel great until all of a sudden... boom! Shin splints... or runner's knee... or ITB syndrome... or plantar fasciitis... or achilles tendonitis... or posterior-tibial tendonitis, or piriformis syndrome. You get the idea. Before I learned the ideas I'm trying to share with you, I had the misfortune of experiencing every single one of those. And every single one disrupted training. Trust me - you can't improve when you can't train. I've proven it over & over, and finally learned the lesson.
Has anybody mentioned the book "Daniels Running Formula" to you? This would be a good one to buy & read. It will explain the fundamentals of training, proper pacing, and how to set up a good long-term program. It will give you the knowledge to understand why you do different training, and how they fit together.
I would also suggest a book by Arthur Lydiard. It will get across the power of an aerobic base, and also inspire you. "Running to the Top" is good.
Between those two books, you will have all the information you really need to fully develop your potential as a runner. Daniels is more numbers & formula-based. Lydiard is more feel-based. One might appeal to you more, but together they are great.
The only other thing I would suggest is to find a good group to run with. You'll form great friendships, and enjoy the training much more. Plus, seeing & learning from faster runners will really open your eyes to the possibilities. You just have to be careful not to get sucked into running too fast for your current ability level... check your ego.
Definitely check out the Daniels & Lydiard book though. They will give you the overall long-term plan you need, and the knowledge that most people at the group runs won't have.