So, here is the story: about a month ago I felt as though I needed a break from running and just plain training hard (also, I sprained my ankle, which has healed). The goal was to take a few down weeks. Do nothing hard for a solid month, get my mojo back and then get back to it. Well, that month has gone by and I still haven't gotten my mojo back. It would seem that more time off is required of me and as such, I plan on taking two or three weeks completely off of running(one week pretty much down).
So what does the title of this thread have to do with anything I just wrote? Well, I need something to train for after I take my time off. And I just can't decide on something. I am torn between a lot of things. Do I do what I've done the last couple years and just run track races in the spring? Or do I bag that and hit the roads.
Essentially, my training is at a cross-roads. At the moment, the half-marathon seems to be the most likely thing for me to try. Oddly enough, I feel that the next most appealing thing is to do an ultra-marathon (probably a 50 miler). Here are the reasons why these appeal to me:
The half-marathon (and perhaps some shorter races) appeals to me because I can still do a lot of fast training with it. It's alot more in touch with the training I've done the last 5 or so years, and I do think I could run a decent half(70-72 minute range, nothing special).
The ultra-marathon appeals to me because it so different than anything I've ever done before. Longer long runs, slower intervals, but i figure the weekly mileage won't be drastically different.
So here is the question: what do YOU think I should do? What would you do in the same situation? What have you done in a similar situation?
Ready, set, DISCUSS!
Dang. I've essentially got nothing to help a fast guy like you but I will say that over the few years of going at marathons I have come to the conclusion that HM's are the way to go. You can burn one of those each month or two and not feel like you pissed away 6 months of training in case life happens. Miles stay the same so what's the diff. right. I've only run one ultra and I liked it. Can't really compare it to road races. Its tough and fun and the runners are a different (in a good way) crowd. I have no desire to race and ultra.
As for the mojo, I'm still searching for mine after 4 months of wading in the wilderness. Mine came back after a great workout run where I tweaked a calf but I think I am now back and looking for time to train (damn busy falls with soccer, football, horses and oh yeah - work)
Good luck, it will be fun to watch your decision.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
C-R, that was a helpful post.
I hope you get your mojo back as you're one of those people whose progress is fun to follow. I still remember the day you ran the 1:25.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Feeling the growl again
Where are you at with your collegiate career? I've lost track.
My 2 cents, as a former decently-but-not-specially-fast guy now getting old....
Don't sell yourself short, you'll past 1:10 in a year if you put your mind two it. 18 months, on the outside. I'd see you more in the 1:08 range with 2-3 years of good development put in. Is that worth it? Well, none of us are winning Olympic medals, so you'll have to decide that. I second what C-R said, I probably wasted too much of my prime years chasing the marathon. In the end I never executed a really good one in top shape, and as a result I missed the opportunity to run a lot of shorter races and all my PRs except my 10K are very soft compared to what they could have been had I raced more while in top shape.
Regarding ultras, I don't see why you cannot train well for the HM and jump into some ultras. Perhaps the ultra crowd here can comment, but with your raw ability as long as you do a minimal amount of ultra-specific training you'll probably do very, very well. Yeah, if you want to win the big ultras you may need to get specific but there are some fast shorter-distance runners I am aware of that have done ultras after minimal specific work and done quite well. If your goal is more the experience and doing decently than really excelling at and winning them, I don't see why you can't have your cake and eat it to. Personally, as I cannot train well in the hot summers anymore, I'm thinking of running marathons and under in the spring when I'm coming off good winter training, and doing dumb stuff like ultras and duathlons in the fall.
MTA: As DB and Purdey prove you can excel at ultras into your 40s....like it or not you will start losing your speed and ability at shorter events much sooner.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Ostrich runner
Ultra. There aren't that many younger people who do them, but some do them really well. I don't think the training is as sensitive as it is for shorter distances so long as mileage is maintained. If I could go back to being 21 or 22, I might have spent a year or two as a nomad doing ultras instead of the other fun stuff I did.
http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Indy/forum
Oooo! Oooo! let me pick
1) Train seriously for the 1/2 marathon
then after knocking that out of the park
2) Take out out 1 speed workout a week - the really fast one - Keep Tempo or LAT and add one really long run each week. Work up to 30+ miles, then if you work up to 40+ miles, do 1 week 50K long run and one week 40+ miles. Keep at least one solid tempo or LAT. Do these long runs on the surface and similar hilliness to the goal race.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
Oooo! Oooo! let me pick 1) Train seriously for the 1/2 marathon then after knocking that out of the park 2) Take out out 1 speed workout a week - the really fast one - Keep Tempo or LAT and add one really long run each week. Work up to 30+ miles, then if you work up to 40+ miles, do 1 week 50K long run and one week 40+ miles. Keep at least one solid tempo or LAT. Do these long runs on the surface and similar hilliness to the goal race.
This was pretty much my plan for next year.
Thanks for the responses, everyone.
Where are you at with your collegiate career? I've lost track. My 2 cents, as a former decently-but-not-specially-fast guy now getting old.... Don't sell yourself short, you'll past 1:10 in a year if you put your mind two it. 18 months, on the outside. I'd see you more in the 1:08 range with 2-3 years of good development put in. Is that worth it? Well, none of us are winning Olympic medals, so you'll have to decide that. I second what C-R said, I probably wasted too much of my prime years chasing the marathon. In the end I never executed a really good one in top shape, and as a result I missed the opportunity to run a lot of shorter races and all my PRs except my 10K are very soft compared to what they could have been had I raced more while in top shape. Regarding ultras, I don't see why you cannot train well for the HM and jump into some ultras. Perhaps the ultra crowd here can comment, but with your raw ability as long as you do a minimal amount of ultra-specific training you'll probably do very, very well. Yeah, if you want to win the big ultras you may need to get specific but there are some fast shorter-distance runners I am aware of that have done ultras after minimal specific work and done quite well. If your goal is more the experience and doing decently than really excelling at and winning them, I don't see why you can't have your cake and eat it to. Personally, as I cannot train well in the hot summers anymore, I'm thinking of running marathons and under in the spring when I'm coming off good winter training, and doing dumb stuff like ultras and duathlons in the fall. MTA: As DB and Purdey prove you can excel at ultras into your 40s....like it or not you will start losing your speed and ability at shorter events much sooner.
I think it's safe to say that spaniel, as usual, has pretty much summed up my general line of thinking. as for your question about my collegiate career: i chose to end it about a month ago. i won't get into all the factors, but basically it came down to me not enjoying the training and the racing as much as i used to and the fact that it's been a huge financial drain to myself and my parents.
C-R, that's pretty much the way I feel about marathons at the moment. While, I will do one at some point in the next couple of years, I feel like I really need to be ready for it, so I want to ease my way into that scene. and good luck to you C-R in getting back your mojo and your good form.
beef- that's exactly part of the reason i was thinking about doing ultras. i've got an older brother who has been doing them rather successfully. he's a bit like me, although he was definitely faster in his college days, so he does minimal training (60-90 miles a week), but does things a lot faster than most ultra marathons in training. the fact is, he was a 4:10 miler in his day, which means that even though he can't run that now, he's got a faster gear than many doing ultras, which means (in my mind) that his cruising speed is also much faster than most.
DB - i can't help but think that you're right. and i think that's what I'll end up doing. hit a couple of good half-marathons, then do a couple of longer long runs and jump into an ultra.
now, the problem is that I have to choose a specfic race to aim for...
Just wanna wish you all the best Dickey. I think you have a great running future, no matter what.
I benefited from the advice on this this thread. Thanks all.