Runners run.
CPT Curmudgeon
Was it ever not ok to talk about running in here? I mean, we joked about it, sure, but we've always talked about running. If that died off, I think it has to do more with what Mikey said than anything else.
I think a number of people here have experience. They aren't looking for magic workouts or training plans. They are looking for kindred spirits.
Not that I have a problem talking about running. I think it's great when we do, mostly because we can generally get past a lot of the BS that plagues other conversations, and focus more on general philosophy and overall approaches. So, in the spirit of that, I'll say that the initial post is pretty basic. Running IS simple, people like to make it way too complex, for a multitude of reasons. Part of the reason for simplistic advice, however, is the fact that no one can tell anyone what the proper path is. There are no magic workouts or silver bullets. What works today may not work exactly the same tomorrow. Today's "hard" is tomorrow's "easy".
I don't think Canova was talking about how to categorize the runs in your running log. I don't think he gives a rat's ass about that. And he's intentionally not defining easy, steady, medium as paces--nor does he expect someone else on some other message board to explain those terms for you. He's saying, "You figure it out. It's not rocket science."
Yes, this is true.
Maybe it would be more helpful for folks to talk about what they are actually doing--or thinking about doing--in more concrete ways, more in order to generate real ideas than to nail down magic bullets.
"What we are doing"--this could be favorite workouts, general training structures, thoughts on balancing quality and volume, things that we keep trying to accomplish but fail, etc. Instead of aiming for banal generalities (as my initial post sort of does), we might try to keep things specific.
The idea is to produce a thread that folks can look to when they want to try something different. A thread that has some concrete strategies, some actual workouts, and maybe even how we would train if we could get our shit together in real life.
The Logic of Long Distance
OK, so, this is what I currently do:
I just go out and run. No structure, no watch, no records. I hit a low point, and really disliked running. So I stopped for several months. Right now, I'm working on getting back into it. I've been running somewhat consistently for a few months now. Some days, it's still a struggle; I still feel like I should be...working towards something. But, that's not the goal right now. If I don't run on a given day, I don't beat myself up. I just try to get out there tomorrow.
What I'm thinking about doing is following a more Lydiard-esque approach, maybe starting in January. For the first whatever months, just go out and run by time, mostly easy, maybe one or two more intense days. If I decide to do a marathon next year, I'll just go back from there, leave about a week or two for taper, maybe 4 weeks for hard stuff, 4-6 for hills, the rest just getting in time/miles.
One advice that will always stay with me is Scovill telling me on my last leg of the TIR "expect the legs to be tired". That has helped me in longer races as I was better at holding my pace in the late miles at the half marathon distance.
One other thing is someone saying don't be afraid of running all out once in a while, I used to be scared of some impending injury all the time, and now I realize that the little aches and pains are part of getting stronger.
So while there is no magic bullet, some small advice that the experienced runners give or just talking about what they do/experience goes a long way in helping the newer runners.
The King of Beasts
....maybe even how we would train if we could get our shit together in real life.
it needed to be said.
"As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man I have chalked up many a mile. Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks, And I've learned much from both of their styles." ~ Jimmy Buffett
"I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit. "No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way."”
What I'm thinking about doing is following a more Lydiard-esque approach, maybe starting in January. For the first whatever months, just go out and run by time, mostly easy, maybe one or two more intense days.
This thread is showing some possibilities. Not that I can offer much to the crowd since most everyone here is more experienced or faster or whatever, but...... You knew it was coming.
I'm sort of in the same boat as Scout. I spent most of the last year and a half running Maffetone (you can stop laughing now). Mostly so I could build miles without injuring myself. What I found out was I learned more about myself and how to listen to my body better. I still don't have this right but I suspect its a journey of years and not months.
Anyway, I've sort of ditched the Garmin and the HRM (and on the last three races the watch). Tough thing for an engineer to let go of massive amounts of data, but it seems right. Next year I plan to hit a more Lydiard structure based on time and feel. I'll use the Garmin to collect mile info but it's going to be between 9 and 10 hours per week. During base, easy miles but mixing in some increased effort days. Striders will be a staple on most days but I will let my body tell me how much. I will run hill segments in the spring and add speed work after. All coupled around easy miles. I will define "easy" as comfortable for that day. No clue on pace and really don't care.
Workout types? Not a fucking clue. Currently I enjoy fartleks. Both for the sound, connotation and that it adds some fun. Haven't done any in a while but this thread has jazzed me to get after it again. I need something to add fun and some that are just tough. I'll read what you people post and probably try most of them and see which one's I like. My guess is that if you understand your limits and don't select workouts that increase the probability of injuring yourself, most all of the workouts will help you in some way. Variety is the spice of life and all that crap.
So there.
Here's my conundrum, and it's something you can probably attest to as well....
How do I maintain any sort of training log? Do I run by time, but still track miles to maintain consistency in the log? Or do I say screw it all, and don't worry about that?
I guess my fear is that I will get caught up in pace and miles, and effectively destroy what I've done so far. Sometimes it's easy to lose the forest for the trees, especially when you start looking at other people's training.
Big part of me says fuck the log, it's for me and me alone. As long as I derive some sort of meaning from it, that's what matters.
Not in Chicago
You suck. You should just quit. Jackass. Welcome back.
Prince of Fatness
I'm also hoping to be able to run my easy runs faster, sort of redefining my easy pace to be not quite so easy.
Why force that? Unless I don't understand the point. How fast I run my easy days is probably the thing that I care about the least.
Semi-retired.
I currently don't care about enjoyiong my running. I would rather enjoy the result.
Wrong way around I think.
If you enjoy your running the results will take care of themselves.
http://www.everyclick.com/145miles#
Wrong way around I think. If you enjoy your running the results will take care of themselves.
That's kinda what I'm hoping.
A Saucy Wench
+1 I've pretty much hated running all year. For some reason monkey turned that around (heh...psychological advantage of a damn near FIVE hour training run?) Now it is time to have some fun. I know Boston is there in the spring but I just tore up my training program.
ironically my back hamstring issue feels BETTER since Monkey. Apparently the cure is to run really really stupid long with hills.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
"run" "to" "eat"
+422
i suspect this will come as a big shock to anyone who's ever read anything i've posted, but i approach my running somewhat differently than most of the posters here. for starters, i do not divide my running into "training" and "racing". i don't have goal races.
yeah, we're back to that pesky goals thang, but i suppose if i were to say my running has a goal, that goal would be "have fun". i simply wish to enjoy the time i spend running. some people would say that it's fun to go fast or fun to race or fun to push the limits, and it's not that i don't understand all that. it's simply that fun is something different for me.
the closest thing i get to an actual, concrete goal - something that i wish to attain - is distance. i do want to run far. i want to go out on a saturday morning and la-la-la around for 10 or 12 or more miles. hell, i want to go out every day and do that. back in the spring, i was putting in some fairly serious mileage and i LOVED it. loved it. but it was too much for my bones. having been injured this summer really brought this into focus for me. i don't miss running fast - i miss running far. i want my mileage back.
the sad thing to me is that in order to get my mileage back, i will probably end up having to apply some structure to my running. training? eh - whatever. that sounds like something that goes on a spreadsheet. i don't want to train. i just want to run.
i find the sunshine beckons me to open up the gate and dream and dream ~~robbie williams
Here's my conundrum, and it's something you can probably attest to as well.... How do I maintain any sort of training log? Do I run by time, but still track miles to maintain consistency in the log? Or do I say screw it all, and don't worry about that? I guess my fear is that I will get caught up in pace and miles, and effectively destroy what I've done so far. Sometimes it's easy to lose the forest for the trees, especially when you start looking at other people's training. Big part of me says fuck the log, it's for me and me alone. As long as I derive some sort of meaning from it, that's what matters.
Exactly. I find myself being a mile whore (at a modest level of course). I'll still track the miles and paces but, for me, focusing on time will help me get the most out of my workout knowing that when my hour is up my hour is up.
Taking a page from Field of Dreams - "if you run it, they will come". "they" being improvement in a relative sense.
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