Running this year was full of "ups" and a lot less "downs" than usual. The training was consistent, the injuries not very prevalent, and the race results were all that I could have really hoped for. I logged many weekend long runs over the 20 mile mark with one marathon distance training run and one 50k distance training run. All of those long runs were met with a run of 90+ minutes the day after. A short recap of race results:
Comlara Park 50K: 2nd place male 4:43:?? (the course was more like 33-34 miles b/c of an unintentional reroute due to some course markers removed by pedestrians. Sub 9min mile pace)
Farmdale 8.35 mile trail run: 1st place male (By 5 minutes)
Run the Woods 5K: 2nd Place Male
Tri the Illini: Fastest 5k I've ever ran off the bike at 18min and change. 3rd or 4th in my age group.
**NOTE** In some early posts I was training for the Farmdale 50 Mile Trail Run. Due to a change in interests I decided to focus on the 50k. The training was spot on for the 50 mile race, but I just didn't feel like running that slow for that long.
5 tips for a Succuessful 2012 Running Season
1.) Balancing your workload
When looking at training plans pay special attention to recovery runs and rest days. No matter how good you feel while out for a recovery run, hold yourself back. These runs are supposed to be therapeutic. If you go out there and trash your legs because you were "feeling it," chances are that in 2 or 3 runs later that week you'll tweak something. Rest days are exactly what they sound like. Can you go out and enjoy a brisk walk? Yes, by all means do so. Can you go on a leisurely bike ride? Of course! Just keep your extra activity to a minimum on rest days to really reap the benefits and to help improve your day to day running.
2.) Pacing
This could also be lumped into the above heading but I'll seperate it in case I can't think of 5 tips :) . I know a lot of runners that have the mindset, "I have to run fast all the time to improve. I'm going to run a PR during every training run." Newsflash: It's training. Check the ego at the door and save it for race day and your weekly speed session. I'm not all that fast, but with minimum speed training I can pull together a 5k in sub 18 minutes with my long runs being close to 10min per mile. I rarely ever hit my race pace during weekly training sessions, and when I do it is every 7 to 10 days. Be consistent, run slow on recovery runs and long runs, and you will get faster.
3.) Diet
80% of your body composition is what you eat. Believe it or not, you can go out there and log 50 mile weeks and not lose a pound (and perhaps gain weight). I saw it all the time at the running store I worked for. People would come in during the middle of the marathon training season, yes, their legs were tone and sinewy, but they were still lugging their gut around. On the weekends I would see these people packed into bars during Happy Hours drinking to their hearts content, "I ran 20 miles today, so I'm going to treat myself to a drink." That's all fine and dandy, but the carb reload you did after the run, the full pasta dinner, and the beer are a bit overkill. I'm not going to say what to eat and how much, but make smart choices.
4.) Weight training
The often neglected step child to running. Many people say that you don't need to strength train to be a good runner. Partly this statement is true. If you go out and run in the woods where the directions change, elevation changes, you have to vary your stride, and jump over obstacles, then the strength kind of comes naturally. But if you are like the 95% of runners who never stray from the roads or treadmill, you should incorporate some strength training. When running on the road and on the treadmill, the focus tends to be to run forward and get from point A to point B. You're moving in one plane like the old side-scrolling Mario video games. What happens is that the muscles used to stabilze often get weak. When these muscles get weak, they can't help out the major muscle groups when they get fatigued. Hence the formation of knee and hip problems. Here are a few exercises to do: Lungewalks, hip adductors and abductors, calf raises, and planks for your core. Short sweet and to the point. Do these 2-3 times a week and help keep yourself balanced.
5.) Have Fun
When running starts to feel like a job, step back and reevaulate why you are doing it and what got you into running. My biggest tip for getting out of a rut is to ditch the fancy sports watches, the heart rate monitors, and your pre-determined running routes. Go out unadulterated and just enjoy running. I guarantee that if you do a couple of runs like this, you'll zap yourself out of the rut and get back into the game again.
No comments:
Post a Comment