Sweet Sixteen

Oh, Monday. Hello again.

I logged some great training last week. The short of it … on Monday I paid a favor to my knees and did an hour on the elliptical, on Tuesday I ran a good seven miles on the treadmill with altering speeds and incline percentages, on Wednesday I was able to get back outside and get in five miles and yesterday I squeezed in a little over five and a half miles outside before dark fell. I’m running consistently at an average pace of 8:25 to 8:30 per mile, which is fine. When Boston comes around I would bet that the adrenaline will pick up the difference and get me down to an 8:10 pace. This is what I’m hoping at least. Not like I can avoid it much in Raleigh but as I’ve been saying, hills have been incorporated into every run for the most part; and not just some rolling hills, I am facing hills I would describe as monstrous! Others may think differently. To my surprise I keep a good pace up the hills too – I just hope I can maintain that for 26.2 miles.

That brings me to my 16-mile long run on Saturday that I was dreading in the worst way. Thankfully it was an awesome run. I had one of those running experiences where I couldn’t help but smile and enjoy myself. My guess is a lot of it had to do with the weather – sunny and mid- to high-50s. Perfect running weather. Spring fever was going around and I was undoubtedly a victim. This was the hilliest run I’ve faced yet and I handled the hills just fine. I focused on what I could do when being challenged with a hill to make it easier. Long, deep and relaxed breathing really helped. I’m so happy that I had a good run because my motivation was getting slim and I was scared I was headed for a bad marathon experience. Anyway, I averaged 8:11 – running below 8:00 for a majority of the run. Am I happy with that? Uh, ECSTATIC!

On a different note - I’ve been thinking about the idea of the training program lately. For a lot of beginner runners – it’s like the Bible. If you don’t hit the mileage recommended for that day, for example the six-miler in week seven of training, then there’s no way you’ll finish your race. Hmm … not true. It’s kind of like relationships if you want to think about it like that, because when you’re training for a race you tend to feel like you’re involved enough for it to be considered a relationship. There’s isn’t a need to marry the program. Sure, it’s stable and always there for you, but it’s better to date and keep it in close reach in case you ever do want to cling to it. But seriously, who wants to be committed when you have so much going on in your life, like work or school, a social life and not all that much time. When I was running with the man I talked about in my previous post he told me about his “perfect 50” week. First he asked me how many miles I do a week and maybe I’m just that new of a runner but that isn’t how I calculate my training mileage. I’m a day-to-day kind of runner – not weekly. Anyway, his “perfect 50” was something to this nature – eight on Monday, seven on Tuesday, six on Wednesday, nine on Thursday and then his long run on the weekend. No thanks. I rarely hit seven during the week, and if I do, that’s probably the max.

When it comes down to it, it’s whatever works for you. That guy likes his “perfect 50” and that is good for him. I typically don’t exceed 40 during the week (not including my elliptical or video workout) if I were to count like that. The program is just a skeleton for ideas on how to build up your endurance and ability – but it’s not a schedule set in stone to follow. I know some who only run four or five miles during the week and their long run on the weekend. The most important run is your long run and so I DO recommend hitting those numbers, but other than that listening to your body is crucial. What works for one may not be your best compass.

I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather. I know I am!! Oh, and six more days until DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!