Friday, July 10, 2015

A Running Update: Base Building

I figured it might be time to actually update on my running, and not just random 5k recaps that have been splattered on this corner of the web.

The last 7 weeks of training have been pretty standard. Lots of easy running, some track workouts, and nothing crazy long. In essence, just getting a good base. My mileage each week has been as low as 40 and last week was the highest at a little over 55. That used to be a peak week, but after taking time to build properly it's nice to see that as a base number.

Mentally I am in a good place with my training right now. First and foremost- I am ENJOYING training. Sometimes it becomes so much of a grind that we forget why we do what we do, this isn't my job and isn't paying my bills- so I want to enjoy it. Yes there are days it's tougher than others to get out the door, and some workouts are better than others but that is the natural ebb and flow that goes with training and life. I enjoy looking at my schedule and seeing work, workouts, and other things- the busy life works well for me and I tend to thrive that way.

The Easy "Stuff"
I've been good about taking the easy miles actually easy- and not stressing about pace. The time on the feet is important and there is no reason to be pushing on non-workout days. Something I learned the hard way. I've actually found I have been able to relax on easy runs lately- zoning out more and thinking less about what I'm doing and actually just doing it.

My endurance is pretty good right now. It's hard for me to personally quantify that, when I haven't had any really long runs (Longs have been between 12-16), but I know that the overall mileage has been doing its job. I admit though, I'm looking forward to some longer runs- that's the mental part of marathon training kicking in for me.

The Workouts
I've done more consistent track workouts in the last few weeks than I have in a while- as tempos were taking focus before. I've enjoyed being back on the track, and grinding out 1 km and 1 M repeats. Track workouts are "comfort" to me, because it's something I did for so long- and gives me confidence in myself. I enjoy running in circles, focusing on one lap at a time, and pushing for paces. My turnover has seen some big improvement lately, and I feel the difference in my form from consistently working on this.

I think my favorite of the workouts I have been doing are the fartleks or the mile repeats. Fartleks are a great way to mix in speed, but the mile repeats are such a quantifiable workout. It's one mile, there are no calculations to be made, no guess work- it's a mile and whatever time it takes me to run it- is the result. I know that these shorter workouts are going to fade now that it's time to get to more marathon specific work but it doesn't mean those efforts didn't help my speed along the way. I do admit that I am looking forward to the additions of tempos again though, I know that those played a huge role in my half and full marathon PR's. Remind me of that in a few weeks when I'm losing my mind staring at a ridiculously long and hard tempo run in 90 degrees.

The Other "Stuff"
I've been pretty consistent about cross training(Swimming, cycling, some elliptical), and getting supplemental training (strength training) in. No super long efforts, but more consistent throughout the weeks as a whole. I actually enjoy cross training, as well as working on getting stronger- it mentally helps break up the week a bit too. I do admit though, cycling and swimming lately has put the tri bug back in my ear a bit. Don't be shocked if I throw some triathlons back in the mix next year- I have unfinished business with the 70.3 distance and would love to drop my time down quite a bit. But that is a post for another day.

Even on vacation I made sure to get my strength work in- although my nephew hijacked my "medicine ball"
I've also been good about doing my own Pre-Hab at home. E-Stim, Ice baths, stretching/dynamic stretching, rolling, etc. I know we don't always see the benefits of these things right away which is hard (lets be honest, as a whole society is driven by the promise of instant gratification)- but I know that in the grand scheme of things this is all really important to do. I've found even just a few minutes of dynamic stretching or some simple yoga poses before bed really helps- and is a manageable amount of time even on the busiest of days.

Now what?
This week is a cutback week for me as I will be racing Boilermaker 15k on Sunday. I haven't ran a 15k in over 2 years so I am curious to see what I can do, either way it will be a good time. Boilermaker is an iconic race, and a bucket list item- also means weekend adventures with Heather:)

The last 7 weeks have been a solid foundation, now it's time to build on that. My goal marathon is less than 10 weeks away. Originally my plan was a mid fall goal marathon- that was thrown out the window HAPPILY when I found out I would be working with Saucony, Competitor, and Brittany for the Chicago Marathon/ Saucony 26 Strong.  After a lot of debate, it was decided that doing my goal race BEFORE Chicago would be best.

This allows me to focus on my training and what I need to do, and then switch gears afterwards and focus on Chicago and getting Britt to her own finish line. I want to go into Chicago not thinking anything about my own running- because that race is Britt's and I want to do everything I can to support her. This also allows me to have the rest of the fall to unwind a bit and NOT be marathon training. I feel like this will be a good "break" in late fall, before getting ready to ship up to Boston in the spring again.

See you next week for a Boilermaker recap! (I'm typing that so maybe I have some accountability not to wait a million days after the race to write it )

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a great plan. What's the goal marathon?

    ReplyDelete

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