I got word in February that I got selected to the 2015 Saucony Hurricane Team. This is a wonderful new start for me, as I have been in search for a team for the past several months. The end of last year was a time where I was a little bit in no-man's land. I wasn't on a team anymore, I had left =PR=, and I was looking at options on what was the next phase. On a whim I entered the USA Club XC Championships, buying a pair of Saucony Kilkennys in the process, in not very fit condition. But I felt it was a good idea to get a race in, and actually did more decently than I thought, finishing near the top 1/3 of the race. But I needed to get to work.
I worked hard over the winter on my endurance, under Roland's guidance. The training was unlike anything I have been able to do before, and actually came quite naturally to me. I ran in the snow. I ran in the single digits temps. Heck, that's really not that bad if you think of the tough Minnesota runners and what they have to deal with, or Tyler McCandless training in the mountains of Colorado. It gave me perspective when I thought of those guys training in those conditions. If this winter was going to be tough, I welcomed it. One day during the middle of the week, I ventured off onto snowy trails with my yaktrax on. I ran for 2 hours. By the time I was done, I collapsed in my car, exhausted. Running in the snow was a slow pace, but trudging through it works your whole body. I only ran on the treadmill a few times this winter, only because it was tempo stuff that couldn't be done on a snow covered track.
"Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win."
-sign on Tom Fleming's wall while training for the Boston Marathon
This was pretty much a 2 month training phase, which finished in mid-February. I'll pick up from my last post:
Week 2/9-2/15: 110 Miles(last week of endurance segment)
M-AM: 5.5 miles with drills/PM: 3.5 miles
T-AM: 9 miles/PM: 7.5 miles
W-AM: 4 x 5:00 fartleks, 9.5 miles/PM: 5 miles
Th-AM: 14.5 miles/PM: 6 miles
F-AM: 8 x 200m strides, 6 miles/PM: 6.5 miles
S- AM: 12 miles progression(total 70 min)/PM: 3.5 miles
S- AM: 21 miles in the snow/PM: Strength Training
After Mid-February, we did a 4-week transitional period consisting of tempos and faster paced running.
Week 2/16-2/22: 105 Miles
M-AM: 5.5 miles with drills/PM: 5 miles
T-AM: 16 miles
W-AM: Hill Repeats(high knees, bounds, sprints), 9.5 miles/PM: 8 miles
Th-AM: 16 miles on snowy trails/PM: 5.5 miles
F-AM: 4 x 200m strides, 7 miles/PM: 4 miles
S-AM; 3 mile tempo: 15:40, 9 miles/PM: 5 miles
S-AM: 10 miles/PM; 4 miles
Week 2/23-3/1: 96 miles
M-AM: Pool Running 45 minutes+ Drills/PM: 5.5 miles
T-AM: 14 miles/PM: 4 miles
W-AM: 10 miles with 5 x mile on road(@5:08, 4:54, 4:58, 4:52, 5:01)/PM: 4 miles
Th-AM: 8 miles/PM: 7 miles
F-AM: 8 miles with 4 x 200m strides/PM: 5 miles
S-AM; 4 mile tempo on road: 20:15, 9 miles/PM: Strength Training
S-AM: 20 miles
Week 3/2-3/8: 102 Miles
M-AM: 5.5 miles with drills/PM: 3.5 miles
T-AM: 5.5 miles/PM: 10.5 milesf
W-AM: Hill Repeats(high knees, bounds, sprints), 11 miles/PM: 5 miles
Th-AM: 19 miles in snow
F-AM: 4 x 200m strides, 7.5 miles/PM: 4.5 miles
S-AM; 3 mile tempo on treadmill @ 12mph w/ 1.5-2.0 incline: 15:00, 7 miles/PM: 5 miles
S-AM: 18 miles @ 6:20 pace(easy)
Week 3/9-3/15: 92 miles
M-AM: 5.5 miles with drills/PM: 3 miles
T-AM: 10 miles/PM: 4 miles
W-AM: 10.5 miles with 6 x mile on road(@5:01, 4:53, 4:54, 4:49, 4:55, 4:45)/PM: 2 miles
Th-AM: 9 miles on snowy trails/PM: 5.5 miles
F-AM: 4 x 200m strides, 4.5 miles/PM: 3.5 miles
S-AM: 5 mile progression(5:00-5:10 pace)+1.5 mile cool down/PM: 3.5 miles
S-AM: 19 miles/PM: 3.5 miles
This week started the sharpening period, and I am on the track again. I've been working out at the AU track, which might be my new favorite track. I am also racing this weekend, at the Van Metre 5 Miler. It is merely a tune-up for Cherry Blossom, and I will train through this race, so I will race it not completely fresh. The idea is to run fast and race while tired. My target will be my Cherry Blossom Race Pace.
Week 3/16-3/22:
M-Track: 1 mile of 50s(50m sprint, 50m float), 5.5 miles
T-AM: Track: 1200m(3:41), 1600m(4:51), 2000m(6:05), w/ 1 lap jog between, 9.5 miles/PM: 3 miles
W-AM: 10.5 miles/PM:
Thursday will be another 3 mile tempo, and then Saturday is the race. This should simulate the last 5 miles of Cherry Blossom.
SPRING RACING SCHEDULE:
3/21: VAN METRE 5 MILER
4/12: CHERRY BLOSSOM 10 MILER(Goal: SUB-50:00), current PR is 50:57
4/26; PIKES PEEK 10K(Goal: SUB-30:00), current PR is 30:43
5/11: SWARTHMORE TRACK 5,000M(Goal: TBD)
5/25: LOUDOUN STREET MILE
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