Chasing Sub 20

Training for sub 20 started in earnest this week.  I've got about 7 or 8 weeks to follow Pfitzinger's moderately aggressive 5K plan to get me to sub 20.  First week was post marathon so less aggressive than the plan but still pretty good.  Tempo run on Tuesday followed by several 9 mile GA runs, which by the end of the week were pretty snappy and fluid.  Going to work on getting better and more sleep, which has been a challenge in training cycles past.  Also signed up for three 5k's, my goal race, a Halloween 5k in Wayzata and another Turkey Trot in Chaska in early November.  The hope is to run 22, 21 and finally 19:59.  Getting kind of excited.

Taper Tedium

First week of the taper for next week's Ely Marathon.  Good timing because it was an unusually hot week end with temps in the mid 90's!.  Not to worry though as the extended forecast in Ely looks like a low of 40 and highs around 60.  Again, just hoping to get somewhere under 4 hours and basically survive.

I mentioned last week how little racing I have done over the last couple of years, so we are going to put an end to that.  Signed up for 3 5k's between now and Thanksgiving.  Also planned out a rough racing schedule for the next 5 months or so.  Pretty darn exciting.  Bring it on!

Rick

Broken Record

Almost a year since my last post and not much has changed.  I did just finish my "training cycle" for the Ely Marathon, but am not overly confident in what the result will be.  Anything under 4 hours would be a relief at this point.  Probably averaged about 50 miles per week for about 18 weeks, so not terrible, just not much quality and virtually no racing.  I did complete 4 20-milers, but they were slow and only one finished strong.  Oh well, the taper and cooler weather can often provide miraculous results.

I think I put my finger on the problem and that is I pretty much quit racing altogether.  Why?  Because I didn't see the point in racing if I wasn't going to post "respectable" times and how stupid is that?  First off, no one cares, second there is no replacement training-wise for race effort and third, I like racing!  So all that being said, I already have 3 races planned after Ely.  All of them are 5k and all with the goal of getting back into sub 20 shape.  I have about 8 weeks of training laid out with the Tonka Turkey Trot being my goal race.

Long term goal right now is Twin Cities Marathon in 2020.  Keep it modest and shoot for 3:15.  Based on how my speed has all but vanished over the past two years, that might even be aggressive, but you gotta have goals, right?  Plus, the return to racing will certainly help.

Bottom line is that I want the joy to return to running and that joy came when I was training smart and racing a lot, mixing it up with all the other old guys!

I am in my taper right now and am encouraged that with the low temps and sinking dew point, my heart rate stays low even at brisk pace.

So, for now this blog should be called Chasing 20 Minutes.  Hey, I'm kinda excited!

How Bad do I Want This?

My running life since the 2016 Boston Marathon has been one of resignation, then fighting that resignation followed by the same cycle over and over again.  I've been running consistently, but all of it very relaxed and easy.  None with the passion, vigor and drive that was part of my running the past 8 to 10 years.  I have moments when I think it is back, but when the alarm goes off at 5 am, it is nowhere to be found.

It was back again this morning, when I ran my 10 mile Saturday progression run.  I cranked up the Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down and it felt pretty damn good, but will it stick?

Perhaps I need a couple of short term goals, stepping stones to getting back to 3 hour marathon shape?  Right now I don't even think that I could finish a marathon, so it would need to be many, many steps.  To be honest, I think it will take at least 18 months to get into any type of condition to get close to sub 3 shape.  So, maybe spring of 2019?  Maybe Grandma's?

So, where do I start and how do I get there?  I am running the Nersyrand Big Woods Half next week end, so that will be a good measure of where I am at fitness wise.  It's a trail marathon, so I thing even close to 1:45 would be a positive sign.  I'm guessing though that I am closer to plus 1:50 shape.  Regardless, it's a great starting point.

From there, I need to wring together a couple of months of base building, and not the random mishmash of miles I tend to put together.  I need 40 miles per week, building to plus 50 by early December.

December it sold be time to crank up the intensity and set my sites on the Meet of the Miles.  Setting a modes goal here of sub 5:45 would be a huge step.  January and February should see significant mileage gains, say in the 60 and maybe even the 70 mile range.  This will give me some decent endurance gains and the fitness to run a decent 5k in the spring.  Perhaps shoot for a sub 19 performance at the Brian Kraft 5k?

The summer should be the next mileage jump, where I hope to be in the 70 and 80 range.  I will kick off the summer training with Dam to Dam race in Des Moines.  I would hope in be in 1:30ish shape and possibly win my age group and redeem myself from last summer's debacle.  I will also end the summer with another half, seeing how much progress I can make with a long summer of high mileage.

Early fall will see the start of the next phase of mileage building, strengthening the body for the big ouch leading up to Grandma's Marathon.

So there you have it; 21 months of rebuilding and rekindling my romance with long distance running.  I really need it back in my life.  I am not ready to shut down my competitive spirit.  I have a lot of good running to do and races to compete in!

I have to be smart though and make the right decisions.  This blog will be my weekly check in to see how things are going.

In the short term, this week will be one of easy, relaxed and social running.  I want to rest my body for Saturday's race.  Tuesday is the Keith Ainsworth Memorial 10k and Wednesday I run with my Como Park Relay pal, Patrick.

Talk to you next week.

Rick

Chasing 3 Hours: Kinda Feeling Like a Runner Again

Chasing 3 Hours: Kinda Feeling Like a Runner Again: After last week's mileage debacle, I had a pretty good bounce back week this week.  I hit my mileage goal of 54 miles and on Sunday&#39...

Kinda Feeling Like a Runner Again

After last week's mileage debacle, I had a pretty good bounce back week this week.  I hit my mileage goal of 54 miles and on Sunday's progression run, I finally felt "normal," working my way down to a 6:45ish pace by the last part of my run and was able to hold it fairly easily for a few miles.  Much better than some of my previous efforts, where it felt as though I am pulling a plow  All this after a 13 mile slow burn on Saturday.  I still have a long way to go to get back in to sub-3 territory, but it is always nice to see a little progress.

 

Next short-term goal is to get over 60 miles in the next week or so, then maybe look for a race, just to see were I am really at, fitness-wise.  And it is April, so time to make the transition from evening running to early morning runs.  April 17th, training begins for the Torchlight 5K.  I will then be in the 60 and 70 mile range comfortably and can start adding some 5K specific workouts into the routine.  Still haven't signed up for a fall marathon yet, but I am still considering Twin Cities.

 

Rick

Chasing 3 Hours: Excuses Week

Chasing 3 Hours: Excuses Week: Yeah, so this was not a good week.  Let the litany of excuses begin.  Monday started off the week well, an easy 6 turned into an easy 7, so...