I've been frustrated the past couple of days beginning with this weekends "Whoops!" long run. My average pace has been a bit pathetic. I've been doing most of my runs around 8-9min pace and I'm really sore after yesterday's hilly run. I knew things where going to be slow, but come on!
I guess there are a couple of factors:
1)The long run took more out of me than I though it would.
2) This is my second week of training since May 2007.
3) I have a job.
4) I run at strange hours of the day.
I really would like to hear from some of you bloggers out there. Lydiardites, was the beginning slow and tough for you guys? I'm going to go read the online speech of Lydiard that I downloaded and watch a scary movie with my girlfriend before bed. Happy Halloween!
Training:
Wednesday:
Duration: 00hr 30min 53 sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Had a bunch of stuff to do after work and only had 30 minutes before it was time to drive Kristine home from work. Got home and cooked dinner. Legs were super sore and the pace was slow to match. Looking forward to the easy run tomorrow morning and looking to get a longer run in tomorrow afternoon.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Free-Time
Today was my first day back to school after cross country had ended on Saturday. We had a few potentials that could have went to States in Maui, but nobody qualified. I realized today that my free-time is something that I cherish and I haven't had a lot of it lately. So today I left work and drove up to this trail on top of a mountain in Hawaii and ran the loop about 1.5 times. It's called Aeia Loop Trail and it's 4.5 miles long. I only saw one other person on the trail and I saw a wild pig (they're very common here). The weather was nice and cool and I just enjoyed my run in the mud. I say mud because no matter what day you go it is muddy because it rains at least once every other day up there.
At one point towards the end I was running along a portion of trail that drops off several hundred feet to my left and it's straight up on my right and I am running through what looks to me a rain forest (I think it is technically). I just let out a nice loud roar. The whole experience felt very animalistic, that is, running, covered in sweat and mud, and being in the wilderness. If you haven't already noticed I prefer trails over anything. My old teammates can attest to that. I have taken them on some prickly runs, if you know what I mean. You will be hearing more about this trail since I will be leaving straight from work and heading that direction to pick up my girlfriend up at work at 6pm. I have also decided to do my shorter morning runs in the morning and my main runs in the afternoon/evening since I do not have to coach. This all equates to more sleep and I'm always down for that.
Training:
Monday:
Off- I still felt weird even after taking the day off from work. Better safe than sorry.
Tuesday:
Duration: 01hr 09min 04sec
Distance: 6.75 miles
Comments: Felt good. Started a bit fast, but that was because I was excited to be running in Aeia at this time of day on a school day. Pace evened out and felt great.
At one point towards the end I was running along a portion of trail that drops off several hundred feet to my left and it's straight up on my right and I am running through what looks to me a rain forest (I think it is technically). I just let out a nice loud roar. The whole experience felt very animalistic, that is, running, covered in sweat and mud, and being in the wilderness. If you haven't already noticed I prefer trails over anything. My old teammates can attest to that. I have taken them on some prickly runs, if you know what I mean. You will be hearing more about this trail since I will be leaving straight from work and heading that direction to pick up my girlfriend up at work at 6pm. I have also decided to do my shorter morning runs in the morning and my main runs in the afternoon/evening since I do not have to coach. This all equates to more sleep and I'm always down for that.
Training:
Monday:
Off- I still felt weird even after taking the day off from work. Better safe than sorry.
Tuesday:
Duration: 01hr 09min 04sec
Distance: 6.75 miles
Comments: Felt good. Started a bit fast, but that was because I was excited to be running in Aeia at this time of day on a school day. Pace evened out and felt great.
Monday, October 29, 2007
From coach Pete at Marist College
This is Pete Colaizzo, the men's track and cross country coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. I was Justin Harris' coach at Marist for five years, and it was a pleasure to work with Jut during that time and help him develop. I believe he has a lot more development ahead of him as well as a post-graduate.
Jut was one of my fiercest competitors and one of my best captains in the 17 years I have been coach at Marist. He is missed in many ways, but the impact and standards he set during his time here have carried over to the current team in a positive manner.
Anyway, I wanted to share some thoughts on post-collegiate running from this college coach's perspective ...
First of all, as a college coach and a lifetime runner, I try to instill a love of the sport in my guys. Equally as important, I try to keep them fresh and injury-free so that upon graduation -- should they so choose -- they can continue to flourish in this great sport. This is not an easy task. As a college coach, my mandate is to field competitive teams for three continuous seasons -- cross country, indoor track, outdoor track. This means a distance runner, in theory, will compete in 12 consecutive seasons of training, racing, conference meets, etc. It's a relentless grind.
I'm proud of the fact that many of my former runners continue to improve and stay motivated, and even move up to the marathon distance. As a result of this, several years ago I formed the Marist Alumni Racing Team so that they can continue to represent their old school with pride on the roads and trails of our country. Of course, I strongly encourage my guys to hook up with an established, serious racing/training team as well.
The biggest challenge facing a post-collegiate runner is the fact that -- unless you hook up with a team or club -- you no longer have the benefit of built-in training partners. At Marist, we have a big team, so training partners are never an issue. We routinely have 20-25 guys going out for a Sunday morning long run. After college, that's not often an option.
The other challenge is something a friend of mind refers to as "life intervention." In college, the stressors placed on your training may seem like a big deal (studies, social outlets, etc.). But compared to paying off loans, paying bills, advancing a career, continuing education, getting married, having kids (and on and on, often overlapping each other), college life in how it relates to running is a piece of cake.
Having said all that ... many of my former runners find success on the roads simply because of the freedom post-college running affords. No longer are they bound to our three-season grind of a schedule. If they feel lousy, they don't have to push through a track workout. Many guys have commented how they train slower but race faster. That's a function of not being dragged out on a hilly, hard 10-miler with the boys on a day you feel like crap. The peer-pressure factor is gone, so if you slog through a recovery day at 8:00 pace, no one will notice nor care, and you'll probably be the better for it.
If you have made it this far through this long-winded post, here are some quick recommendations for post-collegiate success:
1. Keep building base and doing miles. That process should never end. If it does, it is much more difficult to rebuild without a team network. Our sport is primarily aerobic. Run as much as you can, as often as you can. Don't worry about pace. Just run. A lot.
2. Regular long runs. A staple of our program, it should continue more so after college, especially if you move up to the marathon distance.
3. Plan your racing schedule in advance, and be picky. Don't jump at every opportunity to race. Spread them out, choose them wisely and go for it.
4. Once you plan a racing schedule, come up with a sensible training plan. Consult a coach or other runners with similar abilities/goals. If you are a Marist grad and you are reading this, you boys know I'm a phone call/email away. Always!
5. If you can hook up with a club or team, by all means do it! It will keep you motivated and fit, and give you your best chance to continue improving.
Lastly, stick with it and make running and racing a lifetime sport. I'm much slower and older, but I'm still doing it and still loving it. I hope you can do that as well.
Thanks for reading, and if you would like to contact me, my email address is runhed246@hotmail.com
Jut was one of my fiercest competitors and one of my best captains in the 17 years I have been coach at Marist. He is missed in many ways, but the impact and standards he set during his time here have carried over to the current team in a positive manner.
Anyway, I wanted to share some thoughts on post-collegiate running from this college coach's perspective ...
First of all, as a college coach and a lifetime runner, I try to instill a love of the sport in my guys. Equally as important, I try to keep them fresh and injury-free so that upon graduation -- should they so choose -- they can continue to flourish in this great sport. This is not an easy task. As a college coach, my mandate is to field competitive teams for three continuous seasons -- cross country, indoor track, outdoor track. This means a distance runner, in theory, will compete in 12 consecutive seasons of training, racing, conference meets, etc. It's a relentless grind.
I'm proud of the fact that many of my former runners continue to improve and stay motivated, and even move up to the marathon distance. As a result of this, several years ago I formed the Marist Alumni Racing Team so that they can continue to represent their old school with pride on the roads and trails of our country. Of course, I strongly encourage my guys to hook up with an established, serious racing/training team as well.
The biggest challenge facing a post-collegiate runner is the fact that -- unless you hook up with a team or club -- you no longer have the benefit of built-in training partners. At Marist, we have a big team, so training partners are never an issue. We routinely have 20-25 guys going out for a Sunday morning long run. After college, that's not often an option.
The other challenge is something a friend of mind refers to as "life intervention." In college, the stressors placed on your training may seem like a big deal (studies, social outlets, etc.). But compared to paying off loans, paying bills, advancing a career, continuing education, getting married, having kids (and on and on, often overlapping each other), college life in how it relates to running is a piece of cake.
Having said all that ... many of my former runners find success on the roads simply because of the freedom post-college running affords. No longer are they bound to our three-season grind of a schedule. If they feel lousy, they don't have to push through a track workout. Many guys have commented how they train slower but race faster. That's a function of not being dragged out on a hilly, hard 10-miler with the boys on a day you feel like crap. The peer-pressure factor is gone, so if you slog through a recovery day at 8:00 pace, no one will notice nor care, and you'll probably be the better for it.
If you have made it this far through this long-winded post, here are some quick recommendations for post-collegiate success:
1. Keep building base and doing miles. That process should never end. If it does, it is much more difficult to rebuild without a team network. Our sport is primarily aerobic. Run as much as you can, as often as you can. Don't worry about pace. Just run. A lot.
2. Regular long runs. A staple of our program, it should continue more so after college, especially if you move up to the marathon distance.
3. Plan your racing schedule in advance, and be picky. Don't jump at every opportunity to race. Spread them out, choose them wisely and go for it.
4. Once you plan a racing schedule, come up with a sensible training plan. Consult a coach or other runners with similar abilities/goals. If you are a Marist grad and you are reading this, you boys know I'm a phone call/email away. Always!
5. If you can hook up with a club or team, by all means do it! It will keep you motivated and fit, and give you your best chance to continue improving.
Lastly, stick with it and make running and racing a lifetime sport. I'm much slower and older, but I'm still doing it and still loving it. I hope you can do that as well.
Thanks for reading, and if you would like to contact me, my email address is runhed246@hotmail.com
Whoops!
Yesterday was a long run day and I have been eying up this big loop around my house. I just moved to Hawaii in July and I do not know all the distances around my house. That is why you usually see "Distance: ?" in the training section. At this stage I am more concerned about time on my feet. So, with my girlfriend Kristine riding her bike to keep me company we headed out for what would be a day for of mistakes.
Mistake #1: I left the house at 10:30am. Usually it is pretty hot out even though it has been cooling off a bit. It was 83 degrees out. I knew it was going to be hot so I took two water bottles with Gatorade in them, a banana, and an extra bottle of water to drink/dump on my head.
Mistake #2: My pace was slow, but my effort was pretty high. I'd say I ran the first 3/4's at 1/2 effort. I just wanted to stay in a rhythm. Also, I must admit, anything over 8 minute pace is just too slow for me. So, effort was another mistake. Lydiard would have been upset with me.
Mistake #3: I went the wrong direction. I live in the hot flats of Ewa Beach on Oahu. It's more similar to Arizona than Hawaii. It is also always windy; thank you trade winds! Well, I chose the direction with the most amount of of head wind. At one point about halfway through Kristine was drafting me instead of me drafting her. She underestimated what she was getting herself into. Sorry, but I always forget to explain ALL of the details!
Mistake#4: When I was finished I drank a good amount of water, ate, stretched, massaged my legs, and took a nap. Oh did I not drink enough water. Several hours later my mild headache turned into a migraine that left me numb. I thought I was going to puke and my head was going to explode all at the same time.
I had to call in sick today. Not something I wanted to do, but with everyone around me getting sick or is sick, I don't want to catch a cold. As I write this I still feel a bit funny. Thanks dehydration! Not sure if I will go for an easy run later or not.
Training:
Sunday:
Duration: 01hr 45min 00sec
Distance: 15miles
Comment: Just read above. I averaged 9:36 pace if I did the math correct (sorry, but I'm still a bit fuzzy). Nothing spectacular. Actually, it's a bit embarrassing to tell you the truth. There is still next weeks long run to redeem myself.
Mistake #1: I left the house at 10:30am. Usually it is pretty hot out even though it has been cooling off a bit. It was 83 degrees out. I knew it was going to be hot so I took two water bottles with Gatorade in them, a banana, and an extra bottle of water to drink/dump on my head.
Mistake #2: My pace was slow, but my effort was pretty high. I'd say I ran the first 3/4's at 1/2 effort. I just wanted to stay in a rhythm. Also, I must admit, anything over 8 minute pace is just too slow for me. So, effort was another mistake. Lydiard would have been upset with me.
Mistake #3: I went the wrong direction. I live in the hot flats of Ewa Beach on Oahu. It's more similar to Arizona than Hawaii. It is also always windy; thank you trade winds! Well, I chose the direction with the most amount of of head wind. At one point about halfway through Kristine was drafting me instead of me drafting her. She underestimated what she was getting herself into. Sorry, but I always forget to explain ALL of the details!
Mistake#4: When I was finished I drank a good amount of water, ate, stretched, massaged my legs, and took a nap. Oh did I not drink enough water. Several hours later my mild headache turned into a migraine that left me numb. I thought I was going to puke and my head was going to explode all at the same time.
I had to call in sick today. Not something I wanted to do, but with everyone around me getting sick or is sick, I don't want to catch a cold. As I write this I still feel a bit funny. Thanks dehydration! Not sure if I will go for an easy run later or not.
Training:
Sunday:
Duration: 01hr 45min 00sec
Distance: 15miles
Comment: Just read above. I averaged 9:36 pace if I did the math correct (sorry, but I'm still a bit fuzzy). Nothing spectacular. Actually, it's a bit embarrassing to tell you the truth. There is still next weeks long run to redeem myself.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Hansons-Brooks
Click on the title for a good article that looks into the Hansons-Brooks team.
I found this article a bit reassuring that there are actually others out there that have similar feelings about life after college. I think many runners feel the stress of bills and repayment of student loans once graduated. This makes it even easier for these people to put the shoes down for two or three years to get settled in. I know several of my teammates have done that. Some have hung them up for good, but many realize that running is a part of their identity and they cannot stop. I guess I feel that need, but I also think that I have room for some drastic improvement. That is all up in the air though.
All of these articles about Hansons-Brooks make it sound like any decent runner can join the team if they are willing to work hard, but this is not true. First, the team has standards ("29:00/33:45 for the 10k, 14:00/16:15 for the 5k, and 2:20/2:42 for the marathon."-www.hansons-running.com). Those are not easy times to hit. I guess though that it makes sense since they are trying to get the second tier of elite guys and have them improve like Brian Sell has. Second, the coaches get in so many requests for runners who want to be on the team. Yes, I have inquired to see what I would have to run to be even considered and I haven't heard back for months. I guess I could just look back to the standards. Let me just get one thing straight. I am not trying to complain that Hansons-Brooks aren't being fair, I just think that the articles written about them often leave runners thinking they could hang with the Hansons' guys. Well, maybe that is the point though.
I am nearing the end of my first official week of training. I start my weeks on Sunday so I have logged 5 hours of training in this week. A few one hour runs and two half hour runs. I know this isn't technically Lydiard training, but, as I have learned from several years of running and coming back from injuried, I need to take the first few weeks easy so I don't blow it all now. Additionally, this has been a tough week for me. I recently starting giving vegan-ism (No meat, No Diary) a try, I train at 4am on weekdays, and work has been tough since I have been covering for my regular education teacher for Algebra II. Lots of changes and I just need time to adjust.
My team has OIA's (state qualifiers for Oahu) later today. If they qualify then we are heading to Maui. Wish us luck.
Training:
Friday:
Duration: 01hr 00min 07sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Felt pretty good.
Saturday:
Duration: 00hr 30min 16sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Had a long day on Friday and it had it's effects today. Went shorter so I could go longer tomorrow.
I found this article a bit reassuring that there are actually others out there that have similar feelings about life after college. I think many runners feel the stress of bills and repayment of student loans once graduated. This makes it even easier for these people to put the shoes down for two or three years to get settled in. I know several of my teammates have done that. Some have hung them up for good, but many realize that running is a part of their identity and they cannot stop. I guess I feel that need, but I also think that I have room for some drastic improvement. That is all up in the air though.
All of these articles about Hansons-Brooks make it sound like any decent runner can join the team if they are willing to work hard, but this is not true. First, the team has standards ("29:00/33:45 for the 10k, 14:00/16:15 for the 5k, and 2:20/2:42 for the marathon."-www.hansons-running.com). Those are not easy times to hit. I guess though that it makes sense since they are trying to get the second tier of elite guys and have them improve like Brian Sell has. Second, the coaches get in so many requests for runners who want to be on the team. Yes, I have inquired to see what I would have to run to be even considered and I haven't heard back for months. I guess I could just look back to the standards. Let me just get one thing straight. I am not trying to complain that Hansons-Brooks aren't being fair, I just think that the articles written about them often leave runners thinking they could hang with the Hansons' guys. Well, maybe that is the point though.
I am nearing the end of my first official week of training. I start my weeks on Sunday so I have logged 5 hours of training in this week. A few one hour runs and two half hour runs. I know this isn't technically Lydiard training, but, as I have learned from several years of running and coming back from injuried, I need to take the first few weeks easy so I don't blow it all now. Additionally, this has been a tough week for me. I recently starting giving vegan-ism (No meat, No Diary) a try, I train at 4am on weekdays, and work has been tough since I have been covering for my regular education teacher for Algebra II. Lots of changes and I just need time to adjust.
My team has OIA's (state qualifiers for Oahu) later today. If they qualify then we are heading to Maui. Wish us luck.
Training:
Friday:
Duration: 01hr 00min 07sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Felt pretty good.
Saturday:
Duration: 00hr 30min 16sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Had a long day on Friday and it had it's effects today. Went shorter so I could go longer tomorrow.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Club Teams
Click on the title above to see a good read. It has some really great insight to what the American distance running scene was like when we actually were winning international competitions. Well, that was until the major shoe companies had their say in it. The one thing I disagree about is the comment made about Title IX. Sure, it may have hurt American men's distance running, but it greatly improved American women's distance running. Sorry, but that decision has bettered American running as a whole. If you want to go on about how other sports cut into running (::cough cough:: football, baseball, basketball) that is another story.
All of this talk about club teams brings me to a point about the betterment of runners. I know many runners, especially young runners like myself, look at these elite training groups (i.e. Hansons, Team USA, McMillanelite) and think, "Man, I'd kill to be on that team!" And, truth be told, you probably would. In my eyes though, it seems to be "the rich get richer" mentality. The already good guys just get better. Now, in a sense that is what we need short-term, but long-term it's depth that we need. Yeah, yeah. I know. Many argue that this is the deepest field for the Olympic trials marathon than there ever has been. But, I wonder how stacked the other countries are. I saw a video the other day of when one of our Olympic qualifiers said that the 2:20 guys push the 2:15 guys, the 2:15 guys push the 2:10 guys and so on and so forth (note to self: find that video). That's what I think we need is that consistent depth, year after year.
I'm wondering about the ratio of track clubs (or running clubs) that are around versus when Bill Rogers and all of them were around. The article from above mentions that all of the great track clubs based out of Eugene, OR and many other places simply died out. Obviously, we as a country need these training groups so that our huge base of post-collegiate runners have somewhere and someone to keep pushing them to the top. To me there seems not to be enough, but I am going to research if that is true. I know there are a couple of pretty solid ones in New York. I actually contacted a few of them to see which group to join since I see myself going that direction in order to really improve. We all know how hard it is to get out there and do that extra 30 minutes of running when you are solo.
I'd like to hear from some people to see what your thoughts are on the topic of track clubs.
Training:
Thursday:
Duration: 00hr 33min 44sec
Distance: 4.5 miles
Comments: Easy run with the team to Pizza Hut (coaches treat for a good season). Over slept so I missed my run in the morning, but this was better since I needed an easy day. Felt good though.
All of this talk about club teams brings me to a point about the betterment of runners. I know many runners, especially young runners like myself, look at these elite training groups (i.e. Hansons, Team USA, McMillanelite) and think, "Man, I'd kill to be on that team!" And, truth be told, you probably would. In my eyes though, it seems to be "the rich get richer" mentality. The already good guys just get better. Now, in a sense that is what we need short-term, but long-term it's depth that we need. Yeah, yeah. I know. Many argue that this is the deepest field for the Olympic trials marathon than there ever has been. But, I wonder how stacked the other countries are. I saw a video the other day of when one of our Olympic qualifiers said that the 2:20 guys push the 2:15 guys, the 2:15 guys push the 2:10 guys and so on and so forth (note to self: find that video). That's what I think we need is that consistent depth, year after year.
I'm wondering about the ratio of track clubs (or running clubs) that are around versus when Bill Rogers and all of them were around. The article from above mentions that all of the great track clubs based out of Eugene, OR and many other places simply died out. Obviously, we as a country need these training groups so that our huge base of post-collegiate runners have somewhere and someone to keep pushing them to the top. To me there seems not to be enough, but I am going to research if that is true. I know there are a couple of pretty solid ones in New York. I actually contacted a few of them to see which group to join since I see myself going that direction in order to really improve. We all know how hard it is to get out there and do that extra 30 minutes of running when you are solo.
I'd like to hear from some people to see what your thoughts are on the topic of track clubs.
Training:
Thursday:
Duration: 00hr 33min 44sec
Distance: 4.5 miles
Comments: Easy run with the team to Pizza Hut (coaches treat for a good season). Over slept so I missed my run in the morning, but this was better since I needed an easy day. Felt good though.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Basics
Within the past few months I have become a huge letsrun.com and flotrack.com fan. Honestly, with all of their hype about the Olympic Trials Marathon, it makes me check them daily. These sites have provided me with some of the motivation to get out of the rut that I am.
You see, like I said in the last post, I have just graduated college where I ran for 5 years. Before that, I competed on a pretty good high school team (7 all-Americans in track, 2 state titles, 2x national champions for relays indoors,etc all in one year) for 4 years and I did one year of modified track. Thats 10 years of racing every weekend. It starts to take its toll on you but, it was this past year that broke the camel's back.
This past year I was named captain of the men's cross county and track team for the second year in a row. I take great pride in this position and did my best to see the continuing improvement of my team, just like any good captain would. I also balanced 15 credits of 300-400 level college courses in the fall semester and student-taught in the spring. During this time I also had the pleasure of moving into my first apartment off-campus with my girlfriend and a teammate. This was a pleasure, but at times it was stress when it became that time of the month; BILLS (stop thinking about that other thing). On top of everything I just decided to become a vegetarian and train the hardest I have ever in my life. When race time came sometimes it wasn't easy to let go of everything.
The two things that I really had going for me were my newly acquired eating and training habits. My training had always been inconsistent and, cove your ears, with relatively low mileage. Yup, that's right anywhere from 20-55 miles a week. That barely cuts it on the high school level these days. So this past winter I put in a great base and peaked at 80 with most of my 5-6 weeks at 60-75 miles in 6 days (one day off).
This base did huge thing for me. I was able to do my workouts much better because I was much more aerobically fit and my race times dropped big time. I ran a 19:58 for 4 miles in a stiff, cold wind. I dropped my 5k time from a 15:22 (indoors freshman year) to a 14:59 (indoors) and 14:42 (outdoors).
So, I believe in building your base with really large quantities of aerobic based work. I actually have been doing plenty of research on Arthur Lydiard's training philosophy and I am going to give it a go. I figure that if I can survive (good choice of words, huh) this higher mileage than I may have something going for me. It's sort of an experiment and this blog will highlight most of that journey, as well as, what is out there for us middle guys.
Most of my inspiration comes from my inner drive to keep improving. However, the whole blog idea came from doing my research on Lydiard. I came across this gentlemen named Mike who as document his experiment of following Lydiard's training along with working, being a husband, and being a father. You should all check out his blog at Running With Lydiard.
Training:
Wednesday:
Duration: 01hr 00min 04sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Was a bit sore from the first two days running. Had to ice my right hip and left hamstring. Second half of the run I felt awesome.
You see, like I said in the last post, I have just graduated college where I ran for 5 years. Before that, I competed on a pretty good high school team (7 all-Americans in track, 2 state titles, 2x national champions for relays indoors,etc all in one year) for 4 years and I did one year of modified track. Thats 10 years of racing every weekend. It starts to take its toll on you but, it was this past year that broke the camel's back.
This past year I was named captain of the men's cross county and track team for the second year in a row. I take great pride in this position and did my best to see the continuing improvement of my team, just like any good captain would. I also balanced 15 credits of 300-400 level college courses in the fall semester and student-taught in the spring. During this time I also had the pleasure of moving into my first apartment off-campus with my girlfriend and a teammate. This was a pleasure, but at times it was stress when it became that time of the month; BILLS (stop thinking about that other thing). On top of everything I just decided to become a vegetarian and train the hardest I have ever in my life. When race time came sometimes it wasn't easy to let go of everything.
The two things that I really had going for me were my newly acquired eating and training habits. My training had always been inconsistent and, cove your ears, with relatively low mileage. Yup, that's right anywhere from 20-55 miles a week. That barely cuts it on the high school level these days. So this past winter I put in a great base and peaked at 80 with most of my 5-6 weeks at 60-75 miles in 6 days (one day off).
This base did huge thing for me. I was able to do my workouts much better because I was much more aerobically fit and my race times dropped big time. I ran a 19:58 for 4 miles in a stiff, cold wind. I dropped my 5k time from a 15:22 (indoors freshman year) to a 14:59 (indoors) and 14:42 (outdoors).
So, I believe in building your base with really large quantities of aerobic based work. I actually have been doing plenty of research on Arthur Lydiard's training philosophy and I am going to give it a go. I figure that if I can survive (good choice of words, huh) this higher mileage than I may have something going for me. It's sort of an experiment and this blog will highlight most of that journey, as well as, what is out there for us middle guys.
Most of my inspiration comes from my inner drive to keep improving. However, the whole blog idea came from doing my research on Lydiard. I came across this gentlemen named Mike who as document his experiment of following Lydiard's training along with working, being a husband, and being a father. You should all check out his blog at Running With Lydiard.
Training:
Wednesday:
Duration: 01hr 00min 04sec
Distance: ?
Comments: Was a bit sore from the first two days running. Had to ice my right hip and left hamstring. Second half of the run I felt awesome.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
It Begins
Today the journey starts. Who knows how long this will last or if it will have any type of following, but I'm convinced that there are others out there like myself. Have you ever thought about taking the leap to be elite (lame, yes)?
You are probably wondering, "Who is this guy?" Well, I am a recent graduate of a small, private college in New York called Marist College. It is a Division I school and we competed against some of the best runners in the country (Iona was in our league). It took me 5 years to complete my B.A. in Psychology/ Special Education. Often I realize that I do miss the freedom of college life a lot. The void that I have with college being done for now has led me to creating this blog.
The basics of what you will see is the thoughts and opinion of myself and maybe some posts by some like-minded people on topics mainly dealing with maintaining a running lifestyle after college. It will be common to see posts on topics such as my daily training, training philosophies, nutrition, race, sports psychology, and many other things.
If you wondering about the details you are not alone. Check back in a few days to find out who I am and the specifics of why I am doing this.
Training:
Monday:
Distance: 8 miles
Duration: 01hr 00min 51sec
Comments: none
Tuesday:
Distance: ?
Duration: 01hr 00min 04sec
Comments: slower pace,right hip sore
You are probably wondering, "Who is this guy?" Well, I am a recent graduate of a small, private college in New York called Marist College. It is a Division I school and we competed against some of the best runners in the country (Iona was in our league). It took me 5 years to complete my B.A. in Psychology/ Special Education. Often I realize that I do miss the freedom of college life a lot. The void that I have with college being done for now has led me to creating this blog.
The basics of what you will see is the thoughts and opinion of myself and maybe some posts by some like-minded people on topics mainly dealing with maintaining a running lifestyle after college. It will be common to see posts on topics such as my daily training, training philosophies, nutrition, race, sports psychology, and many other things.
If you wondering about the details you are not alone. Check back in a few days to find out who I am and the specifics of why I am doing this.
Training:
Monday:
Distance: 8 miles
Duration: 01hr 00min 51sec
Comments: none
Tuesday:
Distance: ?
Duration: 01hr 00min 04sec
Comments: slower pace,right hip sore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
