by Larry EderIt happened all at once. After a big winter of hill repeats and mileage, I started racing. The first 3000m really sucked. On a 165 yard indoor track, I had my butt handed to me by a guy I beat in fall cross country by 45 seconds! I was not a happy camper. I ran a PB, but, I did not take into account that 120 miles a week and 20 times an 800m hill did to you. The next 4 weeks, I felt okay, but no finish, but I was amazingly close to my PBs. Was I over-trained?
Why, yes.
Scott Fauble ran a 2:09.09 at Boston, three plus minutes PB in the pressure cooked environment of Boston, photo by PhotoRun.net
So, I listened to my body. Cut my mileage to 50 miles a week, and ran hard, easy days. Like 3 x 3/4 mle, warm up and cooldown. next day, 30 minutes, one run. By the end of two weeks, I ran a 2 mile PB. The following week, I ran a near PB over 5000m on the track. On the next week, I an an hour track races, just under 11 miles, feeling really good. I kept the hard easy thing for 8 weeks, and in all those races, ran PBs, and thought, maybe, I had something going here. I kept my long 20 miler on Sunday, as that was my time, but cut my speed sessions to short and fast, like 8 times 400m, or a fast mile, a fast 3/4, a fast 1/2. Easy days, 30 minutes. Oh, and I slept 8 hours a night.One sessions, I jogged on the grass for 3 miles and then, ran a fast mile and went back to running on the grass.
The last race was a six mile on the roads. I got out hard, just under 5 minutes a mile. I remember hearing “10.08” at two miles. By 3 miles, one guy was with me, and he looked like a 1,500m guy (was, former Villanova guy). We finished on the track, last 800m. I was all out on the last lap, which was 62 seconds for me. The 1500m guy dusted me, taking me by six seconds. I had run 31.08 PB and the year before, I had run 32.40. The 31.08 was the easiest race of my life.
It was one of those perfect races. You will have one this month. Enjoy!
Thursday, 9 May 2019-warm up, 2x 4x400m, 400m jog, first set of 400m at mile pace, 200m jog, second set of 400m at 800m pace, cooldown
And most of all, remember that, when you are looking for running shoes, check out www.hokaoneone.com.
Week 18, 2019 Track buildup-time to get serious, racing is almost here
Monday-warm up, 45 minutes moderate run, back to the track, 8 x150m stride outs, core work, cooldown
Tuesday-warm up, 20 minute tempo run, run at 30 second per mile above your 5k current race pace, 8 x 200m, 200m jog, good effort, cool down
Wednesday-warm up, 45 minute run, 8 x 150m, core training, cooldown
Thursday-warm up, 2x 4x400m, 400m jog, first set of 400m at mile pace, 200m jog, second set of 400m at 800m pace, cooldown
Friday-warm up, 45 minute run, 8 x 150m, core training, cooldown
Saturday-warm up, Prime distance (1 race) and relay, if needed, cooldown
Sunday-warm up, 75-80 minutes, cooldown
