I'm Baaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm back after a long hiatus from blogging. Sorry to all of you who check my blog periodically to encourage me in my running. Honestly, I've been in a little bit of a running slump lately and it is showing up in my blog.
I was a little disappointed in the calf injury in the weeks leading up to the Gum Tree. I decided to take it easy the week after but it has kinda' leaked into the week after that. Due to the lack of consistency in my running the last month (partly due to the injury), my running seems more laborious.
I am going to try and put more variety in my exercise and will mountain bike more, try to find a racquetball partner, and do some more resistance training. As it normally goes with me, the lack of running has meant I often ate more than I should. Something about lack of discipline in my running carries over to my eating. I have added a few pounds as a result but I think it is mostly water weight.
I only ran a little over twelve miles this week but plan to kick it up next week to close to 20. The next race I have planned is the Tupelo 14.2 miler on September 3rd. It is a small race that's part of the Tupelo Marathon. I have had very few runs 10 miles or more and I have NEVER run more than 12 miles.
I will be looking more to endure more than anything. I know the nervousness of racing with most of the runners in a different class than me will make it a difficult race. If I run it in under 2:15 I will be extremely happy but, again, time is not as important in this run. Hopefully, it will help me get geared up for the Memphis Marathon the first Saturday in December!
By the way, I have now changed the running log link to the right and it should go to my new running log. I haven't really decided if I like the new one better but I am too lazy to switch back regardless! I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend and thanks to any soldiers out there reading this blog for all of your sacrifices so we can enjoy freedom in this country!!
posted by Shane (mississip) at 5:37 PM
3 Comments:
I not on my computer and wanted to let you know about running places in Knoxville. If you are going to be downtown, then you can go to Volunteer Landing and onto the Neyland greenway. If you are staying on the east side of west Knoxville, there is the start of the Third Creek greenway
If you are staying out west of west knoxville there is the Parkside Greenway.
Those are the big ones, if you comment back on my blog or make a new blog entry with closer to where you are going to be staying I can let you know what's around and/or a close drive.
perhaps there'll even be a chance that we can run together... if all the scheduling, family stuff works out.
14.2 miles, that's an odd distance. well, I guess it's techincally 'even' but cool... and I look forward to see how you train for it during the summer.
12:06 PM
Shane,
I took a look at your running log and wonder if you really want to "kick up" your mileage at this point. Reading through your running log, it appears that you are training very near your race pace. I'm no running expert, but I've never seen a running program that recommends that your easy runs be run so near you maximum effort. This might be contributing to your injuries.
I also noted that you aren't very consistent week to week and tend to shift your weekly totals for 10 to 25 miles per week over a two week period(take a look at your weekly totals graph in the Feb / Mar time frame.
Instead of dinking around with your mileage, I would recommend that you spend some time building up your general conditioning with the following:
1) Slow down a bit ... you're race pace is around 8:30, slow your easy pace down to 9:30. No one will think less of you. I think if you looked at any of the pacing calculators they'd tell you to slow down even more, but I know you wouldn't do it.
2) Increase your mileage slowly ... around 10% per week
3) Add one long run per week and increase the long run distance at no more than 10% per week. Your log indicates that you a running 7 to 10 mile long runs every 10 to 14 days. Start with 7 as your base and build on it. You can fudge the 10% rule a bit, try running 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 mile long runs on the same day over the next 10 weeks. This will have you running 14 miles as a weekly habit 2 or 3 weeks before you want to do it in your race.
4) Once you get your distance up over 30 miles a week, start to add a bit of variety and work on your speed.
I think this approach will maximize your aerobic conditioning and I bet that you'll see a dramatic weight lose also, which will help with you're running. I'd hate to see you get injured again and give up on running.
Good luck
Phil
10:06 PM
Thanks for the comments Phil! They were right on and I actually used them to write a new blog entry.
Terry - I will post a comment to you when I get more firm plans from the fam-in-laws to see if you can drag me around K-town someplace. :-)
7:13 PM
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