September 16, 2013
My last Monday before I return home and go back to work has arrived. It is also time to start incorporating 30 minute runs into my week as the 4th quarter is just around the corner. Once October begins, the plan is to run 30 minutes a day. This does present a bit of a problem for when I return home.
My goal was to race on 9/29. To do this, it would be a good idea for me to try and taper my workouts. I can easily taper the intensity and I can even do a short Sunday run (especially since I will have just returned home and I will be tired from traveling) but if I follow the pattern I have used for quarter 1, 2 and 3, I will need to run 30 minutes 4 times next week. That doesn't help in my taper. I may just do 2 days instead of 4 and that might work. Compromise. I will still start running 30 minutes starting 10/1, I will just not be smoothing my way into it like I did in previous quarters.
You have to learn to be flexible in your training when life gets in the way. Speaking of flexibility, lets talk about lesson 8 from the 22 Essential Pieces of Marathon Training Advice from Active.com.
Balance Your Training With Life
No matter how well prepared you are for the training season, disruptions will occur. Illness, schedule conflicts, bad weather ... you just can't control such things, especially over a multi-month period. The key is to look at such disruptions as opportunities to enhance your training where possible or, at the least, to avoid letting them become sources of stress. —Greg Strosaker
My goal was to race on 9/29. To do this, it would be a good idea for me to try and taper my workouts. I can easily taper the intensity and I can even do a short Sunday run (especially since I will have just returned home and I will be tired from traveling) but if I follow the pattern I have used for quarter 1, 2 and 3, I will need to run 30 minutes 4 times next week. That doesn't help in my taper. I may just do 2 days instead of 4 and that might work. Compromise. I will still start running 30 minutes starting 10/1, I will just not be smoothing my way into it like I did in previous quarters.
You have to learn to be flexible in your training when life gets in the way. Speaking of flexibility, lets talk about lesson 8 from the 22 Essential Pieces of Marathon Training Advice from Active.com.
Balance Your Training With Life
No matter how well prepared you are for the training season, disruptions will occur. Illness, schedule conflicts, bad weather ... you just can't control such things, especially over a multi-month period. The key is to look at such disruptions as opportunities to enhance your training where possible or, at the least, to avoid letting them become sources of stress. —Greg Strosaker
The article above gives some tips on how to be flexible with your training schedule, although the focus does appear to be more geared towards keeping your workouts interesting while slowly pushing your workouts throughout the training period.
While I think it is important to come up with a plan, even a detailed one, I think you need to not stress out when life gets in the way and keeps you from completing some of your workouts. Maybe you had a late night because your kids kept you up. Maybe you had a long week at work. Maybe your wife is a pain in the ass and she complains about all your running. Whatever the issue is, sometimes you have to stray from your plan and either skip a workout or alter one. This is fine. Sure, you need to try to hit your milestones and your key workouts, but doing so a little late won't kill you. Just adjust your schedule, relax, take care of any roadblocks to your training, and move on!
While I think it is important to come up with a plan, even a detailed one, I think you need to not stress out when life gets in the way and keeps you from completing some of your workouts. Maybe you had a late night because your kids kept you up. Maybe you had a long week at work. Maybe your wife is a pain in the ass and she complains about all your running. Whatever the issue is, sometimes you have to stray from your plan and either skip a workout or alter one. This is fine. Sure, you need to try to hit your milestones and your key workouts, but doing so a little late won't kill you. Just adjust your schedule, relax, take care of any roadblocks to your training, and move on!
Here are my numbers:
Time: 30:00
Time: 30:00
Distance: 3.17 miles
Pace: 9:29/m
Max Pace: 6:53/m
Calories: 279
Avg HR: 123
Max HR: 139
Today was interesting. I hadn't intended on running 30 minutes. In fact, I just remembered today that I have to start doing that. Honey and Derek accompanied me down to the lake to run and Derek wanted to run with me. Normally, I tell him he can't run with me because he is 4 (will be 5 on 11/2) and he runs too slow. It is one thing to run with Honey, but quite another to run with a 4 year old. Not only that, children that age should not do too much endurance running. Today, though, I am running around a lake where the loop, if I take the long way, is only .35 miles. The shorter loop is closer to maybe .2 miles.
So, when he first asked me to run, I said ok and I turned off my GPS so it wouldn't affect my time. He ran pretty good. Then I ran a lap by myself and when I came around again, he wanted to go again. This time, I turned my GPS off again, but halfway though, I turned it back on because he was running pretty fast. His little legs were going so fast to keep up and he was, at his fastest, running close to 10 min miles. He couldn't maintain that pace, but he put in a really good effort. Not only that, the little guy was barefoot running on asphalt! I was impressed with his effort! Perhaps I have a little endurance athlete on my hands!
When I get back to Florida, I will have to come up with a way to let him run with me. Normally, I run an out and back loop that would preclude him from running because he would not be able to go that long or keep up. Maybe I can run shorter loops while he remains interested and then go from there. Great job little Derek!!
Run for Life!!
Today was interesting. I hadn't intended on running 30 minutes. In fact, I just remembered today that I have to start doing that. Honey and Derek accompanied me down to the lake to run and Derek wanted to run with me. Normally, I tell him he can't run with me because he is 4 (will be 5 on 11/2) and he runs too slow. It is one thing to run with Honey, but quite another to run with a 4 year old. Not only that, children that age should not do too much endurance running. Today, though, I am running around a lake where the loop, if I take the long way, is only .35 miles. The shorter loop is closer to maybe .2 miles.
So, when he first asked me to run, I said ok and I turned off my GPS so it wouldn't affect my time. He ran pretty good. Then I ran a lap by myself and when I came around again, he wanted to go again. This time, I turned my GPS off again, but halfway though, I turned it back on because he was running pretty fast. His little legs were going so fast to keep up and he was, at his fastest, running close to 10 min miles. He couldn't maintain that pace, but he put in a really good effort. Not only that, the little guy was barefoot running on asphalt! I was impressed with his effort! Perhaps I have a little endurance athlete on my hands!
When I get back to Florida, I will have to come up with a way to let him run with me. Normally, I run an out and back loop that would preclude him from running because he would not be able to go that long or keep up. Maybe I can run shorter loops while he remains interested and then go from there. Great job little Derek!!
Run for Life!!
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