I just recently in the past 3 months decided to focus on running. I’ve done an IM and I ran just under a 10 minute pace off the bike for the marathon – while my overall time was good for a first time IMer, 12:09, I figure until I can RUN and not jog off the bike, I won’t try another IM…I’ve done one, I know I can do it, it was a great experience…I’m just not one for repeating it with an identical or only marginally improved result.
So I am focused on the run and I’m not historically a “quick recoverer.” I ran a rolling terrain half marathon on Monday. It had A LOT of sharp turns on the course and I was less than 1 minute off of my PR. I didn’t taper for it and I did a decently paced 20-miler just 8 days prior with a speed workout and a marathon paced workout among the 6 runs in between the 20-miler and the half marathon.
Just yesterday I tried a really tough workout (1.5 mile warm up, 2 miles 10K pace, 3 miles marathon pace, 1 mile 5K pace, 2 miles 10K pace, 1.5 miles cool down). In addition to getting a good feel for pace, the workout is supposed to make “M” pace feel easy (which it did). That said, I wasn’t able to hit all the intervals exactly (although I was able to hit all of the marathon pace intervals, I was a ~15 second off on the 5K paced mile and the second of each of the two miles within the 10K paced miles were slow, also by ~15 seconds. I also stopped and had to massage this crazy issue I’ve had with my calf after the first two 10K miles and before the 5K mile…(that issue has been addressed with new shoes and orthodics but hasn’t completely gone away…and only is a real problem at high intensity)
So I felt my exertion / effort level was high even though I didn’t really accomplish what I was supposed to EXACTLY during the workout…I’m thinking it was too close to the half marathon (half was on Labor Day Monday and the tough workout was on Thursday…plus I did a 7.5 mile run that was M pace +15 seconds on Weds).
So for the runners: Do you think that these workouts were too close together? Will I eventually get fit enough that I can handle a shorter recovery? If I had run easier on Weds, would I have been better off? Also, when you are strictly running, how many harder workouts are you doing a week?
Also, right now my mileage is about 50 MPW - - longer weeks are in the low 60s.
I do have a coach…it’s just that I am always torn between having him “dumb down” things to my level and challenging myself…After the workout I expressed my opinion about it beeing too close to the race for me and he agreed - - told me I should speak up more often on such things…but he also thought I did it really well (all things considered).
and his girlfriend