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.