6.26.2008

Becoming a 4-dayer :)

So I've joined the Virtual Run Club which is an accountability club, and I think it will be great for me, as I have a tendency to talk myself out of runs occasionally (but I have so many GREAT excuses). I've also made the executive decision to start running 4 days per week. My current plan calls for 3 days of running, 2 days of cross-training, and 2 days of strength training (one of those being concurrent with a run day). I'm adding a run to the other day of strength training as well. I'm doing this for 2 reasons: 1. I just don't FEEL like 3 days a week of running is enough. 2. The mileage is only going up .5 miles every 3 weeks on the long runs and I would like my weekly mileage to be higher so that I am approaching the 15-18 mile/week range by 10K time. The extra run will be a "no rules" run. If I'm not feeling it, I'll still go, but it can be a mile and I'll accept it. On the other hand, if I'm feeling good, I might try to do a little speed or a longer run (up to but not exceeding the most recent "long run").

So to reiterate:
Sun: cross (hopefully swim as a long run recovery)
Mon: "no rules" run, yoga
Tues: shortish run (2.5 - 4 miles as training progresses)
Wed: cross (usually wallyball)
Thurs: short run (2-3 miles as training progresses), yoga
Fri: NOTHING
Sat: "long run" (3-6 miles as training progresses)

I did a 2ish-miler yesterday (I didn't get to it on Tuesday). I didn't map it out exactly and I didn't take my watch. I just went. I felt like I was going faster though so ... that's good right?

I wanted to announce my current pace goal: this is not the time for speed, this is the time for endurance. However, I don't want endurance to equal slow. So for the time being, my only goal is to keep the runs under 12:00 pace.

1 comment:

Aaron Cunningham said...

I'll have to go take a look at the the Virtual Run Club, thanks.

If you need more running, do more running. :) 4 days seems to be working for me right now. I can see where I might go to 5, but I want to keep the marathon club runs on Monday, and I'd make Friday and Monday my non running days.

I think the "no rules" makes sense. It means you are allocating the time, and will probably do it, but you can be flexible with it. Expecially at first.

I felt much more confident with the second 10K being in the 15-18 mile range. I think slightly longer long runs shouldn't be a bad idea for me personally, but it's a good mileage range. (I'm doing 3, 4, 3, 7)