Long Runs: Progression Style

To me, long runs have always meant getting out there and hitting a certain distance goal no matter how long it took me.  Twenty miles?  No problem, I’ll just run out for 10 miles, turn around and run back home:  slow and steady the whole way.  That is, until now. I am taking a different approach to my long runs during this marathon training cycle.  

The plan I’ve put together for the Charleston Marathon in January (and my first attempt at running a marathon in under 4 hours) incorporates Progression Long Runs.  With 40 minutes left in the run, I am incrementally picking up the pace over the last four miles until the last mile hits my goal marathon pace (roughly 9 minutes per mile).  Knowing what certain paces feel like and being able to hit certain paces is not one of my strengths as a runner so I am not going to be getting too hung up on numbers.  Rather, my goal is to be able to hit the distance goal for the day and still be able to pick up the pace at the end to get somewhere in the vicinity of 9 minute miles.

Saturday was my first attempt at a progression long run – 13 miles with the last 4 getting close to goal marathon pace.  It was a gorgeous morning for a run.  The air was crisp and on the chilly-side but the sun was shining and there was promise that the temperatures would rise to be more comfortable. 

I headed out for a relatively flat 6.5 miles before turning back for home.  As I passed the four mile mark on the way out, I mentally checked off the location and told myself, when you run by here on the way home it’ll be time to pick up the pace.  I hit the turn around point and then headed back toward that spot (and home). 

I actually found myself looking forward to hitting the 9 mile mark (4 miles on the way out) and picking up the pace.  It made the long run seem a bit shorter, having something other than the end to focus on.

My Garmin beeped at the Mile 9 mark and I picked up my pace.  “Just a smidge faster,” I told myself.  I always have trouble hitting race paces when I’m not actually racing so I wasn’t expecting much.  I told myself not to be disappointed if I couldn’t find a faster pace and to just be happy if I was under a 10 minute pace.  I was pleasantly surprised to see my Mile 10 pace at 9:02.

Okay!  But back off just a little bit.

Mile 11 was 9:08 and I was surprised to still feel good.  I felt like I was running only slightly faster than easy pace.  Miles 12 and 13 would have some hills and I expected to slow down (and gave myself permission to have a slower pace).  I ran these two miles in 9:18 (bigger, longer hill) and 9:10.  It was a reverse of what I intended but still better than I expected. 

I felt great at the end of the run and not just because of the successful progression run.  I felt like I could have run further and most importantly, I felt comfortable running at a pace close to goal marathon pace after running with 9 miles already on my legs.  When it comes to running faster and increasing my race paces, I think that one obstacle for me can be confidence.  I’m afraid to run fast – my legs feel like lead, my lunges are burning, I can’t breath, I’m huffing and puffing, and most importantly my mind is telling me to shut it down, running slower just feels better in the long run.   I want to learn how to shut my brain off. 

I think my faster race times recently have shown me that I can run faster and that there is nothing to be afraid of when I stretch my running abilities.  Saturday’s long run gave me another great confidence boost.

I celebrated with a hot mug of hot chocolate (made with milk, I call that my recovery drink!) and an ice bath. 

Daily Dozen:

9 mile run to work

Push-ups, walking and stretching @ lunch hour

Picking a Training Plan

I’ve run 5 marathons.  I’ve used 5 different training plans:  Hal Higdon’s Novice for the Shamrock Marathon, Hal Higdon’s Intermediate I for Marine Corp, my own plans for Vermont City (focusing on longer, long runs w/ 5 days of running per week) and Nashville (focusing on hills with 6 days of running each week).  Bob Potts was just a retreat, recovery and hope for the best sort of plan. 

After a few years of trying my hand at creating a plan, with some limited success, I decided to find something a bit more structured since I have the specific goal of running a sub-4 marathon in Charleston n January. 

I found a plan on Runner’s World that is only 12-weeks and focuses on speed.  I know I can go the distance.  Now, it is a question of can I go the distance faster?  We will find out.

Marathon training started today with a 9 mile run.  I ran to work, taking a longer way past Arlington National Cemetery over to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and then up the National Mall to the Capitol before swinging over in to Chinatown. 

I am excited about this plan and I felt strong on this morning’s run.  I’m looking forward to seeing where the speedwork takes me this go ‘round.

Daily Dozen:

8.86 miles run to work

Push-ups and walk @ lunch time

Race Report: Jonas Cattell Ten Miler 2010

This is the third year I ran this race (second year I finished). This race is never one of my goal races but rather one I just run for fun because of a family tradition. That said, each time I’ve lined up, I always have the time 1:20:00 in the back of my mind. That time is the fastest time anyone in my family has run this race and one day I’d love to beat that time. Sunday was not that day.

It was a nice fall day – sunshine but a little on the chilly side – but I could have done without the wind. Windy conditions are about the only weather I can say I “hate” running in. Rain and snow can be fun. With the right running clothes both cold and hot can be overcome. Hats were made to block the sunshine. However, there is nothing you can do about the wind and it seemed that not matter which way we headed Sunday, the wind was headed straight toward me.

We started the race and I felt alright. Racing/running in the afternoon isn’t my favorite; it just isn’t the time of day that I prefer. I fought the urge to chase people down as they paced in the first mile and told myself that I’d have my revenge eventually. “Push not too hard” was what I kept telling myself.

For the first two miles we ran down a nice tree-lined street. I found my groove by mile 2 and told myself not to let any more people pass me at that point. I also told myself to hold off on chasing anyone down; “just keep it steady, B.” I ran those two miles in 17:16.

By Mile 3 we are heading out of the tree-lined town and hitting some more hills. I’m able to sail up the hills without much pause and even started passing some people as I made my way through Mile 4 in 17:24. I’m running a little slower than I had hoped so I give myself permission to start chasing people down.

I hit the halfway mark with an 8:06 Mile 5. Now that is more like it. I sipped/chocked down a gulp of water from the aid station, zoomed past three women I had my eye on and picked my pace just a smidge in order to ensure that I stayed ahead of them.

Mile 6 came up quick but I was a little surprised to see that my pace for that mile was 9:18. I felt like I had kept it even but I guess not. I made it my goal to hit the 7 mile mark in 1 hour but with that slower Mile 6 I knew I probably wouldn’t make it. As we approached Mile 7, I was surprised to look down and see 1:00:52 on my watch. If the Boston Qualifying times can give you an extra 59 seconds to make the cut-off then I’ll take those 52 seconds and consider it a 1 hour 7 miler.

The one hour mark was important because I knew I had hit that mark last year at the 7 mile marker and I wanted to be ahead last year’s time. It was at this point that I knew I was going to have a tough time beating last year’s time of 1:26:44. If I ran the remaining 3 miles at a 8:30 pace, I could do it but I was getting tired and even when I made the next turn, the wind was still blowing right in my face.

The final three miles was a straight shot with some small hills as we approached the stop lights. I had my eye on two women ahead of me. One, in a white top wasn’t that far ahead of me and I knew I could pass her in the next mile and the second was in a blue top and seemed very far away. I picked it up and passed white-top-woman and told myself to just settle in and not let anyone pass me – blue-top-lady was just too far ahead. However, as we made our way passed Mile 8, which was a 9:20 mile, I knew I needed to dig deep and pick it up if I wanted to beat last year’s time.

Oddly, I started to feel great. It was the only time during the race that I felt like my pace clicked. I was cruising along and blue-top was getting closer and closer. At first I told myself it was too early to kick but as she got closer to me I knew I didn’t want to rein myself in. I just let it go and smoothly ran past her. The next runner was barely a speck in the distance that I didn’t have a prayer of catching. I told myself to think of blue-top lady as the #3 female runner and I just had to stay ahead of her if I wanted to place. I have no idea what my ranking is among all the other women out there and had no idea then but it worked and gave me a fun motivation to keep pushing.

I hit Mile 9 with a 7:30 mile. It was my fastest mile all race and I knew that pace wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) last. I just hoped that I could hold on long enough to get across the finish line before blue-top lady kicked it in. I couldn’t feel my legs getting heavy and for the first time during the race my breathing was getting very heavy. I knew I had better get my butt across the finish line soon.

Finally, I saw it – at first, just a speck in the distance – and then I got closer and closer. I didn’t dare look behind me for blue-top because even if she was right behind me trying to kick past me I didn’t have anything in me to fight her off. I didn’t want to know. Finally I saw the clock and it read 1:25 something. Just push, I told myself. Come on – 1:25 something is at least a whole different number than 1:26 something.

There really wasn’t anything left in me. I came across the line was an 8:47 final mile, with a recorded final time of 1:26:10. I’ll take those 30 seconds. A PR is a PR. I was the 36th person to cross the finish line.

Once again, it was a fun race because I got to run with my family and hang out with the family again. The second place finisher for Females 25-29 was a nice touch.

Pros:
Nice day for running (even though it was windy)
Plenty of subs/food/water/Gatorade at the end

Cons:
No chip timing
Course is open to traffic (I nearly got squished by an RV making a right-hand turn)