Some stats
Posted By Jon on September 27, 2004
I was just looking at the stats in my log and discovered:
1) This past week was my highest mileage week ever. Its only 17 miles total. What has happened in the past is that when the mileage begins to build, I would get injured and end up cutting out the mid week runs, and just do long runs.
2) I am within 2 miles of making this the highest mileage month ever. That puts it at 54 miles which, again, is because in the past I have cut my mileage down due to injuries.
Its funny, looking at the graph, I can see a big ramp up, and then it drops to nothing (injury), then another ramp up, and then a drop. Here’s hoping that there isn’t another drop coming soon. It seems to hit right about this time.
I spent some time this morning looking McMillan’s pace charts and I am way too fast in my training. What I lose in doing my long runs too fast is time endurance like Richard said. I need to train myself to be on my feet running for a long period of time. Cutting back on that time will rob me of training time. McMillan has alot of discussion of the physiology of running and what your body chemistry is doing during that long run. One of them is “teaching” your body how to store and use glycogen more efficiently. Don’t want to miss that training.
If I back calculate my long run pace only, I’m basically training for a 1:40 half marathon. Does that seem reasonable? It doesn’t to me. Maybe if I were doing all the other parts of the training, it would be ok, and I’d just think that I had made a miraculous recovery from my ITBS and that I would have shaved a full 10 minutes off my 10K time. Uh, huh.
Time to go back and do more reading. I think I’m losing site of the training plan.
Well, congratulations! I’m learning that racking up the mileage really has to be a SLOW and STEADY process, unless you want those pesky injuries to sideline you. Keep it up!
Building up mileage… is long… tiring… and very frustrating.. but the goal is all worth it!
Hey Jon – I hear you about the injuries dropping your overall time off. My training partner and I ran the Capital City River Run yesterday in Lansing and today …….. for the first time EVER ……. I am having a really hard time recovering. My feet are both aching to the point where I have a visible limp. I did it – you know, I finished the race, but that distance was about 4 miles further than I’ve ever run – including training sessions so it seems to me that yesterday, although fulfilling at one level, may have been a mistake as it may knock me out of my training for a few days.
Hey :) thanks for checking out my blog. Running and chocolate. woohoo :)
The only problem with adding distance slowly is that you add distance slowly. Here I am months later just getting to 5 miles. But I haven’t had any real injuries:)Good for you on the progress, though!
Cutting out the mid-week runs is probably why you got injured. I know that it was for me…
Aargh – forgot to add “Congratulations!” for hitting your mileage records. That’s pretty damn cool, ya know.
Yeah. Really nice going there Jon. The problem with reading is there is so much out there and so much of it is contradictory. Having said that, I agree with the glycogen storage theory. I tried to follow McMillan’s long run strategy – to do one long and slow without fueling on the run and the next fast with fueling. I THINK it is working but I guess I’ll see in a couple of weeks.
Good luck with your goals!
My father is a retired (amateur) marathoner. Ran 17 marathons from the time he was 30 to about age 47. I watched most, if not all of them, and I am still amazed at the human body.
My dad’s advice to me not long ago was, “make your long runs longer and slower, and make your short runs shorter and faster.”
I like the point about training your body to stay moving for longer and longer periods of time. Dad tells a story of some Ethiopian runners who were used to these 75 miles runs. When they came to the states to compete, the officials had to stop them at 26.2 miles and they cried. They sobbed, saying “please, please let us run more.”
Er, uh, I’m a ways off from THAT milestone. I ought to blog a few of Dad’s other running stories.
Sean – Thanks! I’m very impatient but trying. At least, people always say that I’m “trying”.
Elizabeth – yes, long and tiring I definately know about :)
Ed – Lately, I’ve been weary of extra races. They always wear me out like you describe. Too many for a novice like me and I’m toast. :)
Hi Amy! – Love your site! Waiting for the pictures ;)
Susan – Yes, its slow. I know when I started months ago I was building mileage too fast. Maybe I never really recovered. Working on it though. :)
Richard – Thanks! Actually, I got injured before the midweek runs got cut, but I know I could have taken better care of myself before that. Too ambitious trianing schedule for beginner (insert sheepish grin). :)
Mark – I need to reread McMillan’s plan about 10more times. There’s so much to digest (so to speak). Also waiting for Explosive Running to arrive! :)
Tracy – That’s very cool! Marathoning is in your blood! That’s half the battle (genetics). I haven’t got good running genes. My sister got those. Me – built for comfort not for speed. :)
Whoa – I never said “speed” :)
I’m a slow-twitcher! hahaha