This morning we had a good Sunday group head out from Starbucks. We had 10 in all. After we were done, we completed the usual COT activities and had some nice fellowship. But I think I’m going to talk about something a little different today.
At the beginning of August, I started a new training plan. Really, it’s just a half marathon plan with about seven weeks tacked onto the beginning of it. I’ve followed plans before, but this one is a bit different. Specifically, it’s all about getting faster.
Since I started running regularly a little over two years ago, I’ve mostly focused on increasing running quantity and distance as I’ve prepared for races. At the same time, I’ve been reading about the various types of speed and course-specific workouts that are designed to help with speed gains. These consist of workouts like 400-meter repeats, hill sprints, VO2 max runs and Tempo runs. I’ve done some of these, but not consistently.
Well, now I’ve got my sights set on three races. I’ve set really ambitious speed goals for each and I’m training with some of these little-used (by me) workouts to see if they really bear fruit. If you’re interested, here are the races and my target paces:
- October – Race the Helix – 7:00/mile
- November – Paris Mt. 10k – 7:30/mile
- December – Kiawah Half Marathon – 8:00/mile
To add a little perspective, here are my current personal records for those distances:
- 5K – Starbucks 5K – 8:15/mile
- 10K – F3 Run – 8:58/mile
- Half – Kiawah Half – 9:00/mile
So, why am I writing this? Because I’ve heard guys mention their desire to run certain distances, get new personal records and get better at running overall. I’ve been that guy. And a lot of us have never really been runners before. Sometimes that fact makes it difficult to establish a running routine and stick to it.
I ran on the cross-country team for a season in high school, but, if I’m being honest, I was pretty bad at it. Other than that, I’ve been a mostly off again, and sometimes on again, runner over the years. Basically, I’m not much of a runner and I’ve only recently found a drive to do more of it.
So, I’m writing this to point out that even I, a non-runner, can progress if I set goals and follow a plan to achieve them. And I’d like to encourage you to do the same if you really want to run a half marathon/marathon, get faster or just be a more efficient, injury-free runner. I also thought it would be interesting to share my progress along the way to further illustrate my point (now I really have to stay on task).
I just completed the fourth week of my plan (shared below) and I’m already starting to see speed gains. For instance, I ran five miles at an 8:30/mile pace this morning and I think I could have extended it for a 10K PR if I really wanted to. I’ve also modified the plan a little along the way (which I recommend) and I’ve missed some workouts. No big deal.
I may not reach those target paces this time around, but at least I’m reaching for them. And I’m learning how far I can truly stretch myself at the same time.
If you’ve read this far, thanks for slogging through. And thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way. Feel free to join me for any and all of the above work.
What’s on your race schedule?
Until next time, CC