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MechEngDropout
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Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Posts: 10474
Location: Off the grid
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 Posted: 09/16/04 - 15:26 Post subject: General Running Status
I'm starting to doubt my goals for the year.
I took about a month and a half off from running this summer due to a foot injury and after I was very slow to ramp up mileage. I didn't start running consistantly 5 days a week until the first week of August, and through the past month and a half I've gone from 20 mpw to about 30-33 (I'll easily pass 30 this week, for the first time since May). So my mileage is recovering nicely, and in another month or so I should be above 40 mpw. The problem is that my runs aren't solid at all. Just about every run I do is a struggle, even at extremely easy paces. I've been doing mostly easy runs just to get my mileage back up. Next week I hope to start with speedwork, then after another week or two, I'll add a tempo session to give me 1 long run, 1 interval session, 1 tempo session, and 3 easy runs each week. I'm thinking once I get back to speedwork I'll have much greater improvement, but I have my doubts also. I don't know what's holding me back... I expected to be in much better shape by now. I guess I really have no confidence in my running. It used to be that at around 30-35 mpw I felt like I could run 60 miles that week. I never did it, but I always felt like I could. Now I don't even feel like I can do 35. I can blame some of it on the heat, but I think that's just a cop-out. With only 45 days until my first race this fall, I'm thinking I won't be ready. I'm strongly considering not racing, but it's probably the only certified 10k that will fit in my schedule for the rest of the year. If I don't do it, I don't meet my goal. On the other hand, unless I make huge improvements in the next few weeks, I know I won't be ready and I will only be disappointed with my performance (and I probably won't make my goal either, but at least I'll have a shot at it and lower my PR).
So I guess I'll keep grinding it out and hoping something turns around.
Not really asking for advice, but feel free to give input. Just sharing where I stand right now.
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copteacher
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Joined: 08 Jun 2002
Posts: 20588
Location: Teaching in the Halls of Justice
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Posted: 09/16/04 - 19:02 Post subject:
Sorry MED.
I am probably not going to be able to do my marry per week goal, I dropped it a little, and will likely get my new goal.
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marathonrnr262
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Joined: 14 May 2002
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Posted: 09/16/04 - 20:31 Post subject:
MED,
Blame it on the heat. My times drop dramatically in the heat. I can easily say that I lose about 30 seconds/mile on anything longer than 5 miles.
Don't fret it for now. Just wait until the temps drop out of Hades.
Sheldon
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TimRuns
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Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 10062
Location: Coquitlam, British Columbia
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Posted: 09/17/04 - 00:18 Post subject:
A month and half off running is a long time. If I were you I would continue with the easy mileage for another month or so to build back your aerobic base and not worry about speedwork for now. Also if you do hard workouts too soon after recovering from an injury, you might stand a chance of re-aggravating the injury. You'll be surprised at how much you bounce back up with just easy mileage. Last year I was sidelined for 7 weeks in the spring from a stress fracture. I started running again at the end of May and built back my mileage very gradually over the summer with no speedwork...it went fine until made the mistake of adding speedwork in September and ended up injured with shin splints and a muscle pull again....it was very frustrating but eventually with a few more weeks of rest and easy running, I was back to my former training mileage again by the end of October (though I didn't make any improvements on my races at that time). It was a painful experience and it's something I don't want to get into again. Besides given the amount of time you have you probably won't get enough of a training benefit if you started speedwork next week (it usually takes about 6 weeks to get any significant benefits from speed work) Just be patient..think long term:there's always next year's race to PR on.
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Phar lap
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Joined: 20 Jun 2003
Posts: 1006
Location: A flawed Utopia
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Posted: 09/17/04 - 05:33 Post subject: Re: General Running Status
| MechEngDropout wrote: | I'm starting to doubt my goals for the year.
I took about a month and a half off from running this summer due to a foot injury and after I was very slow to ramp up mileage. I didn't start running consistantly 5 days a week until the first week of August, and through the past month and a half I've gone from 20 mpw to about 30-33 (I'll easily pass 30 this week, for the first time since May). So my mileage is recovering nicely, and in another month or so I should be above 40 mpw. The problem is that my runs aren't solid at all. Just about every run I do is a struggle, even at extremely easy paces. I've been doing mostly easy runs just to get my mileage back up. Next week I hope to start with speedwork, then after another week or two, I'll add a tempo session to give me 1 long run, 1 interval session, 1 tempo session, and 3 easy runs each week. I'm thinking once I get back to speedwork I'll have much greater improvement, but I have my doubts also. I don't know what's holding me back... I expected to be in much better shape by now. I guess I really have no confidence in my running. It used to be that at around 30-35 mpw I felt like I could run 60 miles that week. I never did it, but I always felt like I could. Now I don't even feel like I can do 35. I can blame some of it on the heat, but I think that's just a cop-out. With only 45 days until my first race this fall, I'm thinking I won't be ready. I'm strongly considering not racing, but it's probably the only certified 10k that will fit in my schedule for the rest of the year. If I don't do it, I don't meet my goal. On the other hand, unless I make huge improvements in the next few weeks, I know I won't be ready and I will only be disappointed with my performance (and I probably won't make my goal either, but at least I'll have a shot at it and lower my PR).
So I guess I'll keep grinding it out and hoping something turns around.
Not really asking for advice, but feel free to give input. Just sharing where I stand right now. |
Mech, if I'm reading your post correctly your only 6 weeks into your base or foundation phase. I'm presuming you structure your training and races roughly around a base, preparation and competive phase.
I used to work on 4 months base, introducing some preparation in month 3
Preparation for 4 months, introducing some competition month 7.
Competition 3 months. 1 month rest or active rest.
I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new here but your foundation is where hard physical conditioning takes first priority, it can be the most painful stage of training. Your training load should reach its highest peak for the year in an attempt not only to to build your efficency but also a tough mental approch to tasks that now seem some what impossible.
So if you intend to work off 60 miles per week, gradually build up and hold it for X amount of weeks then gradually reduce, however the intensity of your training should now be increasing.
Work on your base for now, your skills (speed, tempo) can be built on at later stages of your training.
You can still run your 10km. off base mileage, it just might not be as fast as you would expect.
Just while on about training, I went back on your training posts over the last 9 days
5.- 4.- 6.- 5.- 8.- 5.- 4.- 5.- and 6 mile, all around 7:30 to 8:00 min. mile pace.
Come on 'Mech', no wonder your down mentally, even 'Runners Weird' could come come up with a better plan than that.
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