Training Diversity: An Important concept, and sometimes it happens by accident!
Before I start this week's post, just a little housekeeping note. I've gotten some nice feedback on a few of my recent blogs, so thanks to everyone who has provided that. It is definitely appreciated. I think the portion of the blog that precedes my training breakdown likely has the broadest appeal, so I'm trying to keep the more detailed running discussion "below the fold" so to speak, in order to allow anyone who isn't interested in that to stuff to skip it if necessary.
I know I've said this before, but if anyone has anything they'd like to see me discuss feel free to ask a question or suggest a topic. It's not always easy thinking of what to write, so any suggestions would be welcomed. :)
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One important aspect of training as a runner is to diversify your workouts. For most of us, we start out just running. We don't think too much about how long or how fast we are running, what route we are taking, or what the purpose of the run is. We just do it.
For many of us, there comes a point when our goals change. We want to run further, or we want to run faster, or quite often both. Once you get to this point, you will learn the importance of mixing up your workouts.
If you want to run faster, tempo runs and interval repeats are your friend. As the saying goes, "You have to run fast, to run fast."
Nothing builds strength in your legs quite like a good hill repeat workout, and if you have dreams of running a Cape to Cabot one day these are pretty much a requirement.
Even outside of your runs, diversifying your workouts with things like strength training, swimming, yoga, etc. are all ways to improve your performance as a runner.
Since I've been doing this for a while, I have familiarity and experience with all of these concepts. That doesn't mean it's too late to learn though. And yesterday I stumbled upon an interesting new way to mix up my training.
I've said here before that I don't normally run in the winter. Admittedly, I've broken out of that for the most part this winter. But yesterday was the first day I ran where there was a decent amount of snow on the ground, and it just so happened to coincide with a 12km run I had planned over a moderately difficult route. What a workout it turned out to be! Right from the start, it became clear that my legs were going to be engaged in a completely different way given the conditions. Every step of the way, there were little adjustments being made to maintain traction and balance. It was exhausting.
I am thankful that my fitness is at a point where a 12km run is usually quite manageable, but yesterday that was far from the case. My legs were extremely heavy by the halfway point, and the fatigue carried through well after the run. I'm not usually much of a napper, but I had a solid 40 minute nap yesterday afternoon, and was still tired for the remainder of the day.
I can often be a creature of routine, and in a way that has been very beneficial to my progress as a runner. I can set a plan and follow it, and see the fitness gains accumulate over time. Yesterday was a good lesson though, in that sometimes doing something completely different can introduce you to a new challenge that may help you improve that little bit more. I may even find myself doing some trail or beach running this summer to try and recreate some of the conditions from yesterday's workout.
So, don't be afraid to push yourself and try something new. Even if you can't see the benefits before you start, they may be waiting for you along the way.
Weekly Summary (February 19-25)
Mon. (Lunch): 6 km [treadmill] @ 7.4-8.2 mph, 28:55, 4:49/km pace
Tue. (Afternoon): 2km warmup, 5x400m (11mph/82 sec, w/ 60 sec rest), 2 km cooldown [treadmill] (Workout total: 6 km, 27:10, 4:31/km pace)
Wed. (Lunch): 6 km [treadmill] @ 7.4-8.4 mph, 28:29, 4:44/km pace
Thu. (Lunch): 10 min warmup, 10 min tempo (9.5-8.9 mph, 4:02/km), 10 min cooldown [treadmill] (Workout total: 6.4 km, 30:00, 4:41/km pace)
Fri.: Off
Sat. (Morning): 12 km, 1:00:28, 5:02/km pace
Sun. (Morning): 6 km [treadmill] @ 7.2-7.8 mph, 29:36, 4:56/km pace
Total: 42.4 km
As I mentioned last week, this was my first week getting back to full-time running training. For that reason, I'm going to give a little detail on how I structured my Tuesday and Thursday workouts.
Tuesday was interval repeats, which I have been doing at the track for the last month. Our regular group wasn't able to meet up this week, so I reverted to the treadmill. When I do intervals on the treadmill, I always do a full rest period between intervals, mainly to avoid having to constantly change the speed.
After I warm up for 2km at a comfortable pace, I step off the treadmill and turn it up to the desired pace. The tricky part is then getting back on the treadmill at full speed! I run my 400m interval, and then I jump off for 60 seconds of rest. I repeat the required number of times, and then I turn the speed down and do a 2km cooldown.
One thing I find difficult about doing intervals on the treadmill is determining the right pace. Last year, I did all my interval work outside, and it was effectively a "feel" workout. I tried to run at about the pace I would in a 1500m race, which is what my training plan suggests for 400m intervals.
When doing them on the treadmill, I use an online calculator which calculates your "equivalent" pace for a number of different distances, given a recent race result. I cheat somewhat, in that I usually use my goal Tely 10 time. This likely leads to me doing my intervals a bit faster than my current fitness dictates. If you are just starting out and doing treadmill intervals, I would definitely suggest erring in the other direction.
Thursday was a tempo workout, and for this one I did a 10 minute warmup to begin. My training plan called for a 10 minute tempo section in this workout, and it recommends slowly building to your goal pace for about 5 minutes in the middle. I prefer to start at my goal pace and see how long I can hold it. So I started my 10 minute tempo at around goal 10 km pace, and after about 6 minutes I had to dial it back. That's why my treadmill speeds are listed in reverse for that section of the workout (9.5-8.9 mph). Overall, I was pleased, as I did the 10 minute section right around my goal Tely pace for this year. Obviously 10 minutes is a small fraction of that race, but I was satisfied given the time of year and the fact that I'm just getting back into training.
Well, I think that's more than enough for this week. I'm pretty sure this is my longest post yet, which I know will make at least one reader happy. (He knows who he is! Haha) Thanks for reading. Cheers!
I know I've said this before, but if anyone has anything they'd like to see me discuss feel free to ask a question or suggest a topic. It's not always easy thinking of what to write, so any suggestions would be welcomed. :)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One important aspect of training as a runner is to diversify your workouts. For most of us, we start out just running. We don't think too much about how long or how fast we are running, what route we are taking, or what the purpose of the run is. We just do it.
For many of us, there comes a point when our goals change. We want to run further, or we want to run faster, or quite often both. Once you get to this point, you will learn the importance of mixing up your workouts.
If you want to run faster, tempo runs and interval repeats are your friend. As the saying goes, "You have to run fast, to run fast."
Nothing builds strength in your legs quite like a good hill repeat workout, and if you have dreams of running a Cape to Cabot one day these are pretty much a requirement.
Even outside of your runs, diversifying your workouts with things like strength training, swimming, yoga, etc. are all ways to improve your performance as a runner.
Since I've been doing this for a while, I have familiarity and experience with all of these concepts. That doesn't mean it's too late to learn though. And yesterday I stumbled upon an interesting new way to mix up my training.
I've said here before that I don't normally run in the winter. Admittedly, I've broken out of that for the most part this winter. But yesterday was the first day I ran where there was a decent amount of snow on the ground, and it just so happened to coincide with a 12km run I had planned over a moderately difficult route. What a workout it turned out to be! Right from the start, it became clear that my legs were going to be engaged in a completely different way given the conditions. Every step of the way, there were little adjustments being made to maintain traction and balance. It was exhausting.
I am thankful that my fitness is at a point where a 12km run is usually quite manageable, but yesterday that was far from the case. My legs were extremely heavy by the halfway point, and the fatigue carried through well after the run. I'm not usually much of a napper, but I had a solid 40 minute nap yesterday afternoon, and was still tired for the remainder of the day.
I can often be a creature of routine, and in a way that has been very beneficial to my progress as a runner. I can set a plan and follow it, and see the fitness gains accumulate over time. Yesterday was a good lesson though, in that sometimes doing something completely different can introduce you to a new challenge that may help you improve that little bit more. I may even find myself doing some trail or beach running this summer to try and recreate some of the conditions from yesterday's workout.
So, don't be afraid to push yourself and try something new. Even if you can't see the benefits before you start, they may be waiting for you along the way.
Weekly Summary (February 19-25)
Mon. (Lunch): 6 km [treadmill] @ 7.4-8.2 mph, 28:55, 4:49/km pace
Tue. (Afternoon): 2km warmup, 5x400m (11mph/82 sec, w/ 60 sec rest), 2 km cooldown [treadmill] (Workout total: 6 km, 27:10, 4:31/km pace)
Wed. (Lunch): 6 km [treadmill] @ 7.4-8.4 mph, 28:29, 4:44/km pace
Thu. (Lunch): 10 min warmup, 10 min tempo (9.5-8.9 mph, 4:02/km), 10 min cooldown [treadmill] (Workout total: 6.4 km, 30:00, 4:41/km pace)
Fri.: Off
Sat. (Morning): 12 km, 1:00:28, 5:02/km pace
Sun. (Morning): 6 km [treadmill] @ 7.2-7.8 mph, 29:36, 4:56/km pace
Total: 42.4 km
As I mentioned last week, this was my first week getting back to full-time running training. For that reason, I'm going to give a little detail on how I structured my Tuesday and Thursday workouts.
Tuesday was interval repeats, which I have been doing at the track for the last month. Our regular group wasn't able to meet up this week, so I reverted to the treadmill. When I do intervals on the treadmill, I always do a full rest period between intervals, mainly to avoid having to constantly change the speed.
After I warm up for 2km at a comfortable pace, I step off the treadmill and turn it up to the desired pace. The tricky part is then getting back on the treadmill at full speed! I run my 400m interval, and then I jump off for 60 seconds of rest. I repeat the required number of times, and then I turn the speed down and do a 2km cooldown.
One thing I find difficult about doing intervals on the treadmill is determining the right pace. Last year, I did all my interval work outside, and it was effectively a "feel" workout. I tried to run at about the pace I would in a 1500m race, which is what my training plan suggests for 400m intervals.
When doing them on the treadmill, I use an online calculator which calculates your "equivalent" pace for a number of different distances, given a recent race result. I cheat somewhat, in that I usually use my goal Tely 10 time. This likely leads to me doing my intervals a bit faster than my current fitness dictates. If you are just starting out and doing treadmill intervals, I would definitely suggest erring in the other direction.
Thursday was a tempo workout, and for this one I did a 10 minute warmup to begin. My training plan called for a 10 minute tempo section in this workout, and it recommends slowly building to your goal pace for about 5 minutes in the middle. I prefer to start at my goal pace and see how long I can hold it. So I started my 10 minute tempo at around goal 10 km pace, and after about 6 minutes I had to dial it back. That's why my treadmill speeds are listed in reverse for that section of the workout (9.5-8.9 mph). Overall, I was pleased, as I did the 10 minute section right around my goal Tely pace for this year. Obviously 10 minutes is a small fraction of that race, but I was satisfied given the time of year and the fact that I'm just getting back into training.
Well, I think that's more than enough for this week. I'm pretty sure this is my longest post yet, which I know will make at least one reader happy. (He knows who he is! Haha) Thanks for reading. Cheers!
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