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figuring out how to space my running & xt for fall-- help? (Read 1046 times)

    i'm trying to stitch together my fall workout schedule and need some advice. background: i had to take most of the summer off for various reasons, but i'm READY and EXCITED to jump back in... and i dunno, that may be part of the reason i'm having trouble firming up my plans. this is the most recent schedule i'm toying with based on the rec class schedule at my alma mater (really, it's the classes that interfere with my normal running schedule, and as a runner, i feel really, really guilty about that! in addition to what i've got on the schedule, i WANTED to take an assortment of pilates, dance and martial arts classes... oh and they have a MASSAGE class and aromatherapy, too! nuts! but i digress...): mon: track/speed, swimming class (hour off in between for a light snack, hydration, foam rolling, etc) tues: off wed: tempo run thurs: cycling class, capoeira class (hour off in between for light snack, traveling b/t campuses, etc) fri: off sat: long run sun: off or recovery run, depending on how i feel so basically, monday and thursday and saturday would be really challenging days for me, but i have off days after each of them so maybe it would be okay? ech, i feel like i am overthinking this and keep switching stuff around. your input would be WONDERFUL.


    The voice of mile 18

      my lousy .02 take as much recovery as you think you'll need and with those double workouts i think you'll need 'em. your body needs to rest after you break it down like that to rebuild itsefl stronger. listen to your body and adjust accordingly and what is capoeira?

       Tri Rule #1 of Triathlon Training/Racing - If Momma ain't happy nobody is happy 

        capoeira (Dancing... the reason I would consider getting gym membership haha)

        Vim

        Ed4


        Barefoot and happy

          What is your goal? That's a fairly intense running schedule on relatively low milage. If you already have a good base of miles, it will probably prepare you well for an upcoming race. If not, you'll probably improve for a little while and then plateau. On the other hand, if your goals are longer term (or involve longer distances), you'll get more benefit by increasing total mileage, with lower intensity. In my experience, if you want to be as fast as you can two months from now, your high intensity, low-mileage plan will work. But if you want to be as fast as you can a year or two from now, you'll do better with some extended base building.
          Curious about running barefoot? Visit the new barefoot running group.
          t_runner


            I am beginning to agree with the argument against high intensity/low mileage running for long term results. I feel I am a good example of short term success followed by long term plateau and problems. I was a proponent of it for a while (without much research on other options). I started training seriously in 2004 and did improve a lot. I even had a good marathon time in 2005 (enough to get to Boston) off running 3x a week in a similar fashion (1 long, 1 tempo, 1 interval) for a total of around 30 miles per week. However, every single one of my PR's was from 2005. Shortly after qualifying for Boston, I have been riddled with exhaustion / sickness / minor injuries that never ended. I had a goal of getting up to 40 MPW and eventually running ultras. I got to 40 miles per week once this year in January/February, and then got sick afterwards. I have just recently gotten a HR monitor. I was shocked to see how hard it was to keep my heart at an aerobic level (granted it has been hot/humid recently). I am beginning to hopefully see the light at the end of a long phase of physical + mental burnout though. I plan on doing what Ed4 suggests with extended base building, I fear I have done my whole running training without ever building a good aerobic base. Back to the original point, littlem, I think the cross training should be good, as long as it's not super high intensity. It sounds fun and probably helps your body to mix things up a lot.
              i don't have any intense race goals coming up-- i have a half in november, but i'm running it w/ a friend and we'll be going slowly (which works for me b/c of the knee crap) so i'm actually not stressed about time or pace or anything like that. that's mainly for base-building and longer-distance race experience (longest race distance so far = 10 mi). i think the knee thing has just made me realize that while i WANT to get my physical hours in, but that i probably need to round out the SORT of activity/ies in which i engage. running is my first and most consistent love, and although i am sloppy with my log lately (no internet in my new classroom! whoa!), i've been enjoying myself with running again and feel really good/happy about it. but i dunno. i'm watching my dad hobble around on painful, busted knees (ex runner) in his supposed golden years and it worries me. joint issues make me nervous. i have a lot of energy to burn in a given week-- i just want to spread the wear and tear across my WHOLE body, ha.


              Along for the Ride

                Michelle, I am in the same boat. My body doesn't want to take more than 20 mile weeks. I love running and racing. I tried to gently coax my body into more mileage - hey, after all the extra runs are easy and fun. Right? No. My body says it wants to rest after the long run. Or swim. Or ride the bike. But not run again. Another example: Just talked to a friend who is a very talented runner. She's ran Boston twice, ran a 1:35 HM this spring and runs Ultras now. She has been running since college and has NEVER had a overuse injury (she is 39 now). But she also doesn't run every day. She averages 20 mile weeks. She likes having a goal for every run and not putting in "junk miles". She is very active otherwise (soccer etc.). She works, has 2 kids. My friends quote this morning was "if I aim towards 100 mile weeks, I better get paid for the running and try to get into the olympic trials." We are all different.

                Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.

                Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.