Running Around 5-27-07

This is the time of year when we usually cut back on the intensity and give our bodies a chance to recover from a hard stretch of training and racing. This week in particular, I'll recommend an easy road run for those who raced Expo.

If you've been training hard since December or January, now would be a good time to take a break. A week off is not a bad idea. I'll wait one more week before I take my break, but do what works best for you. Rest is an important part of the periodized training that we do. I'll discussed periodized training in a little more detail over the coming weeks.

I understand that not everyone is on the same schedule or has the same goals, so I'm including a maintenance workout of T-pace mile repeats. This is a great workout any time of year, and we haven't been doing much T-pace lately.

Now for the workouts ...

1. Road run 6-10 miles.

2. 3-5 x 1600m @T pace w/1 min rest.

3. Striders. 4-6x100m twice this week.

Get your paces here: http://www.panix.com/%7Eelflord/vdot.html -or- http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/rp.php

Running Around 5-21-07

Expo week is here ... we've been training hard, and here is where we get to see the payoff. We'll keep the intensity fairly light this week. Everyone seems to respond well to the workout we did before Dogwood, so we'll go with that again. In addition to the workout, try to do some striders on Thursday or Friday.

If you're not running Expo, pick your favorite workout from the month of May.

Now for the workouts ... 5 training days until Expo 10k:

1. 2 x 1200m @T pace w/60-90 seconds rest + 2-5 x 200m @R pace w/200m jog recovery. You can super-size the workout by changing 1200s to 1600s and one or more 200s to 400s.

2. Striders. 4-6x100m twice this week.

Get your paces here: http://www.panix.com/%7Eelflord/vdot.html -or- http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/rp.php

Running Around 5-13-07

First, congratulations to to Sara Beth and Danielle, who both officially earned their PhD's from UT this week!

If you're focusing on Expo as your peak race for the Spring, now is a good time to start tapering. Obviously tapering for a 10k is not quite as significant as it would be for a marathon, but getting a little extra rest and running a few less miles will certainly give your legs some added bounce. You might benefit by cutting your mileage as much as 20% off of your peak mileage.

Also, it's getting hot out there, so remember that hydrating is a full-time job. You can't just drink at the track. Make sure you're well-hydrated by drinking throughout the day.

We're going to do 400's again. If you feel like they are a little too intense for you, alternate 400's and 200's, but keep the total volume the same. The key to these is fast but controlled. Concentrate on good form and quick turnover. We've done more 400's this year, and I'm interested in some feedback. Do you feel like you're running better because of it or not?

Now for the workouts ... 12 training days until Expo 10k:

1a. 4-10x400m @R pace w/400m jog recovery. Volume of the hard running should be 5% of weekly mileage. Minimum of 4 repeats.
1b. Same as 1a, but alternate 400's and 200's. Jog recovery should be same distance as the repeat you just ran. So ... 400m@R, 400m jog, 200m@R, 200m jog. Repeat as needed to reach 5%.

2a. 20-25 minutes continuous run @T pace.
2b. Secondary workout: 3-6 x1200m @I pace w/ equal time recovery (400m jog). Volume of the hard running should be 7-8% of weekly mileage. One adjustment: If your time for 1200m will be over 5 minutes, do 1000m repeats instead.

3. Striders. 4-6x100m twice this week.

Running Around 5-09-07

Back to the track this week. Last week we had an enjoyable run on the new Expo course - which should prove to be faster than previous versions. An added, unexpected bonus was free ice cream after our run! We had a few new folks, and that's always good to see.

We're getting close to our peak race, so after this week, we'll back off on the intensity and/or volume as part of our taper.

I know we have some new runners who may not be familiar with all the workout terms, etc. Stick with me for a few more weeks. After Expo, we'll start a new training cycle, and I'll make sure to revisit the basics. In the mean time, just ask someone if you have questions. You can also look back at the website which has all of the workouts back to January '05.

Now for the workouts ... 3 weeks until Expo 10k:

1. 3-6 x1200m @I pace w/ equal time or less recovery (400m jog). Volume of the hard running should be 7-8% of weekly mileage. One adjustment: If your time for 1200m will be over 5 minutes, do 1000m repeats instead. Maximum rest should be 4 minutes.

2. Secondary workout: Your choice of ...
a. 3-6 x 1600m @T pace w/1 minute rest. Volume should be 10% of weekly mileage.
b. 4-10x400m @R pace w/400m jog recovery. Volume of the hard running should be 5% of weekly mileage. Minimum of 4 repeats.

3. Striders. 4-6x100m twice this week.

Get your paces here: http://www.panix.com/%7Eelflord/vdot.html -or- http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/rp.php