Volume Up.. So Far, So Good....
Last year, I used the FIRST method, running 3 days a week en route to a successful marathon. This year, I'm using a 6 day per week plan. Here's what I've learned so far:
1) Mentally, six days per week is tougher. With the FIRST plan, I started each run fresh. With six days per week, most of the runs involve a first mile where my legs are saying, "Are you kidding me?"
2) My long slow build over the spring was just what the doctor ordered to stay healthy. Though my legs are more tired than they were on FIRST, I'm surprised how injury-free I am at the moment. Only a year ago, I couldn't imagine staying healthy on six days per week of running, but so far, so good.
3) Even though my legs "feel" slower, I'm actually a good amount quicker. This isn't really a fair comparison, as I'd only been running a year when I did FIRST, but my tempo's are roughly 20 seconds per mile faster than last year. I found this particularly interesting because - like I said - mentally I feel like I'm sucking wind whereas last year I thought I was tearing things up.
4) I've pretty much settled into the hard-easy mode. With FIRST, every run was hard. Then for several months, I did every run easy-ish. Now, I'm pretty much into specificity training. The easy runs are slower. The other runs are faster.
So that's that... Last year, I had a goal of 3:15, and finished Harrisburg in 3:18:57. This year, I'm setting a goal time of 3:10. In about two months, I'm going after a sub 1:30 half, which will tell me how realistic a 3:10 full is.
1) Mentally, six days per week is tougher. With the FIRST plan, I started each run fresh. With six days per week, most of the runs involve a first mile where my legs are saying, "Are you kidding me?"
2) My long slow build over the spring was just what the doctor ordered to stay healthy. Though my legs are more tired than they were on FIRST, I'm surprised how injury-free I am at the moment. Only a year ago, I couldn't imagine staying healthy on six days per week of running, but so far, so good.
3) Even though my legs "feel" slower, I'm actually a good amount quicker. This isn't really a fair comparison, as I'd only been running a year when I did FIRST, but my tempo's are roughly 20 seconds per mile faster than last year. I found this particularly interesting because - like I said - mentally I feel like I'm sucking wind whereas last year I thought I was tearing things up.
4) I've pretty much settled into the hard-easy mode. With FIRST, every run was hard. Then for several months, I did every run easy-ish. Now, I'm pretty much into specificity training. The easy runs are slower. The other runs are faster.
So that's that... Last year, I had a goal of 3:15, and finished Harrisburg in 3:18:57. This year, I'm setting a goal time of 3:10. In about two months, I'm going after a sub 1:30 half, which will tell me how realistic a 3:10 full is.
Your goals are similar to mine. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAre you running any hills in your training? For me, doing all rail trail runs last year made the Wildwood Lake section very uncomfortable. I'm going to try to hit something fairly hilly once a week.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your running is going well. I'm aiming for a 1:32/33 at the Harrisburg Half.
Bill -
ReplyDeleteYeah, I really wasn't prepared at all for the rolling hills in Wildwood last year.
The Yasso plan has hills one day per week, and even though I plan on doing a lot of long runs on the Conewago, I'm doing to try and do the final couple miles of those along Rt. 230 to simulate some elevation.