I guess this is my first week you could say I’m back. I haven’t had any aches, pains, bumps or bruises (minus the normal ones) so I can start preparing for Spring Racing. From now until January I plan to run base, easy miles. By January I would like to have maintained this base and begin more races.
| Monday: | AM: 6.2 miles around the lake |
| PM: 1 hour AMT cross trainer | |
| Tuesday: | 6.2 miles around the Lake with Tim, core |
| Wednesday: | 7.75 miles, easy |
| Thursday: | 6.2 miles around the Lake with Tim (so cold), core |
| Friday: | 7.5 miles around the Lake |
| Saturday: | 13.8 miles with Tim |
| Sunday: | Tentative: 6.2 miles around the lake, core |
| Total: | 54 miles |
Thoughts:
Last Sunday I took the day off to recover from my 10 mile race that Saturday. My legs felt heavy for a few days after the race last weekend (as they should). It was a 7 minute pace and that is the fastest pace I’ve run in 2+ months, of course I would be sore and have led legs until roughly Wednesday.
I mentioned last week that there is a lake right near my house and it’s a nice 10k loop to go around. This makes it easy because I know the distance and can just run. I don’t need to bring my watch or worry about time, pace or getting lost.
Saturday, Tim and I were supposed to do a 10-12 mile run but we got lost. While running around a lake, we took a side path which led to a state park. By the time we found our way out of the park we were at 10 miles and 3 more to go home. After I finished I thought about how I used to run that long nearly everyday…I can’t fathom that right now.
Next week thoughts:
I absolutely have no idea. I would like to keep my mile train rolling and keep with about how many miles I got this week. I’m running easy and untimed and nothing hurts so I would like to keep doing that.
This isn’t really that exciting of a post. I am glad to be back on track and running injury free. Now that I don’t have any aches or pains I can say that I have missed running more. The two weeks after the marathon wasn’t rough and a much needed rest but the three weeks that I was inconsistent were not enjoyable.
Questions for you:
How was your weekend?
Do you like base building or speed?
I like the period of base building where I do races for speed. (Which is essentially my entire training).
A poll for you…
I have exact routes in Audubon park that measure 3.2, 6.2, and 5 miles – it makes it so easy, doesn’t it?
Yes for sure! I don’t like running with a watch and worrying about pace. I would rather just map things out later but that takes into account I remember exactly where I ran!
Congrats on a very strong week :). I love having set routes, I have a 10K around the neighborhood and a neighborhood 5 miler, it’s really nice to just be able to run and not worry so much about timing, getting lost, etc, bc you just know. I hope you get to go on your run today, glad you are finding some places to run up there too!
I’ve always admired your approach to training. I’m hoping to perhaps emulate the structure of your plan slightly in 2014, if I can find enough short races (that are reasonably priced!) to qualify as speedwork. Well, not ‘short’ exactly, but not marathons! It might work, it might not, but I definitely need to do something outside of the ‘run lots of miles at my preferred pace’ thing I’ve had going for a while, which just hasn’t worked too well. I’ll have to see how my dead leg reacts to it, but hopefully I might gain a little speed…though nothing anywhere near as lightning-quick as your paces though 🙂
I hope your dead leg issue just randomly goes away. I hope 1014 brings you some serious success!
I’m actually struggling with races right now too. It seems 5ks are close to the same price as half marathons and I can’t justify paying that right now.
*that was awkwardly worded, not that 2013 didn’t bring you serious success too! 🙂
Don’t forget rest days!
Yes sir! I didn’t feel I needed any rest days but I know I will soon! 🙂
Atta girl. 🙂
I love having routes I know the distance of and running watchless. Then I can focus on my running if I want, or just get lost in my thoughts. And as far as the training impact goes, for base/easy runs, does it matter if 7 miles takes me 63 minutes or 64 minutes? Probably not.
Glad to see you’re back to running. Looks like a very strong week for you too. I wish I had a 10k loop around a lake near my house. Keep it up!!
Our weekend was really busy, would just like a day to relax
Looks like you got some great workouts in this week. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Meranda!
Your lake route reminds me of one of my favorite routes I used to do at school; it took me around town, looped back by the lake, and ended at my house. It was 3.5 miles, which was perfect, so I could do multiple loops or stop after one.
I have a few routes that I know like the back of my hand and can go without a watch but they’re all shorter. One of my goals for 2014 is to find new places to run and bike so hopefully I’ll have to new fun routes.
I like the lack of pressure during base building but I find myself more dedicated to training when I’m focusing more on speed. I think I like the whole year though. Having an off season, tapering, peaking, base building, all of it
Welcome back! I need to find a good route, that I can run watchless. Such a good idea.
I hate base building, I’d much rather run faster workouts, (almost there).
Solid week of running!
I hate speed work, but generally tend to make all my ‘easy’ runs too fast. I keep trying to get my ‘easy’ run pace to slow down to allow my body to tolerate an increased number of weekly miles, but still needs some work.
I used to make my easy runs too fast too! Then I got injured frequently but after not running with my watch it’s a lot easier!
Yeah I have managed to get up to 60 miles without getting hurt the last 3 marathons I have done, but figure my body will give in at some point. I think my problem is that I am always so rushed to get my runs in, I just run fast to get them done… need more time in the day!