Training the Body + Mind

After the 12K Championship on 11/15, my coach and I sat down and talked about where to go from there.  Things are always interesting with my running, I'll say that.  I have a solid built up foundation of marathon training from the late summer/fall, and one thing I have noticed is that it has made me even tougher/stronger physically than before.  The amount of workouts I have been able to do during the week now are something I never could have done years ago.  It's like the marathon training just makes me super strong-and I have the foundation to handle the amount of intensity later on.  While my volume isn't crazy high right now, it doesn't need to be.  But I've still been coasting around 95-100/week-I'm pretty comfortable with that combined with hard speed work.  My long runs aren't very fast right now, but they don't really need to be either.  The track work, threshold, even sprinting and other sharpening stuff is what I am working on now.  We'll continue to work on my racing sharpness all the way towards April.  We're basically in quality phase now, after the base from the fall.

Training the Body and Mind

I have begun working with Terrel Hale(http://www.georgetownsportsmassage.com/), who is a fantastic sports massage therapist and who also specializes in Active Release Techniques and Active Isolated Stretching.  Terrel knows the level of running I am at and am trying to get towards.  He is working with me on practicing breathing and the parasympathetic state.  The parasympathetic state is where the body is letting the massage do the work-which is hard for me to do!  It takes time.  I am learning more methods of training myself to relax my body, and to focus on my breathing.  I am also taking this focus towards mentally visualizing what a certain pace might feel like, and visualizing achieving my goals.  My coach and I have talked about this too.  Days after I see Terrel, I feel so much more fluid and more efficient on my runs.  The reason I would recommend Terrel is that he cares about your goals.  He knows what I am trying to achieve and because I am serious, so is he.  Ultimately, I know the combination of hard training, my coach, massage, diligence, and mental training can help me achieve my ultimate potential as a runner.  I am approaching the highest level of dedication the athlete needs in order to get the most out of everything.  I now have all the pieces that I must begin to use to put together.  If you are a serious athlete who is serious about achieving goals-and your potential, contact Terrel.  Please check out his website: http://www.georgetownsportsmassage.com/.    


The past few weeks of my training are below:


11/30-12/6:

Mon: AM: 5 miles /PM: 3.5 miles
Tues: 2 mile warm up, 4 x 1600m w/ 400m jog between: 5:20, 5:07, 5:00, 4:59, 2.5 mile cool down
Wed: 16 miles
Thurs: AM: 2.5 mile warm up, 3 mile tempo: 15:24, 2 mile cool down /PM: 7 miles
Fri: AM: 6.5 miles /PM: 2.5 mile warm up, 8 x 100m sprints @ 95%, 2.5 mile cool down
Sat: AM: 2 mile warm up, 16 x 400m w/ 400m jog between: 
72, 72, 70, 70, 71, 70, 71, 71, 72, 70, 71, 70, 70, 70, 70, 71. + 1.5 mile cool down
PM:  7miles
Sun: 20 miles

Total: 100 Miles

12/7-12/13:

Mon: AM: 5 miles /PM: 4 miles
Tues: AM: 1.5 mile warm up, 8 x 800m w/ 400m jog between: 2:27, 2:27, 2:26, 2:26, 2:26, 2:25, 2:27, 2:26, 2 mile cool down
PM: 3.5 miles
Wed: 15 miles
Thurs: AM: 2 mile warm up, 5 mile tempo: 26:04, /PM: 7.5 miles
Fri: PM: 4 mile warm up, 4 x 200m sprints @ 95%, 31, 31, 31, 30, 3 mile cool down
Sat: AM: 4 miles
PM: 2.5 mile warm up, 11 x 600m w/ 400m jog between: 1:48, 1:47, 1:46, 1:46, 1:46, 1:46, 1:46, 1:46, 1:48, 1:47, 1:47, + 2 mile cool down
Sun: 20 miles

Total: 95 Miles