I have run a few times since my last post, the one in which I "registered" for the Richmond Marathon. Obviously, fitness has fallen to the wayside.
It has been difficult to train because I have been unmotivated to a) suffer, b) pursue a short-term running goal, c) feel tired at work, and d) train without a (quasi-)legitimate schedule. To combat these lacks of motivation, I decided to address issue (d) and hope that my commitment to a schedule will help me address the other issues as they occur.
When writing my new training schedule, I decided to ignore all of the training advice that I had ever received from (excellent) coaches and embrace the wisdom imparted to me and my teammates by the (not-so-excellent) W&M trainers. That advice was most seriously (and memorably) shared with my friend, Sean, (a formerly outstanding mid-distance runner for the Tribe), when he was accosted by the training staff for running farther than half-of-a-mile each day when he never raced farther than that distance. Specificity is key, after all.
I have applied that advice in my new training plan by scheduling myself for 26.2 miles per week for the next four weeks (the four weeks prior to the marathon) and then finishing the five week training cycle with the marathon on the sixth day of the fifth week. That means that I will be resting for the first five days of the marathon week, race the marathon on Saturday, and then rest on Sunday.
Recovery and "the details" will include a shower beer after each run (for specificity's sake. I plan to implement similar recovery measures on race day.)
Check back for training updates as the saga unfolds. And hit me with a high-five as I finish the Richmond Marathon in sub-three (on a road that parallels the race's finishing stretch).
It has been difficult to train because I have been unmotivated to a) suffer, b) pursue a short-term running goal, c) feel tired at work, and d) train without a (quasi-)legitimate schedule. To combat these lacks of motivation, I decided to address issue (d) and hope that my commitment to a schedule will help me address the other issues as they occur.
When writing my new training schedule, I decided to ignore all of the training advice that I had ever received from (excellent) coaches and embrace the wisdom imparted to me and my teammates by the (not-so-excellent) W&M trainers. That advice was most seriously (and memorably) shared with my friend, Sean, (a formerly outstanding mid-distance runner for the Tribe), when he was accosted by the training staff for running farther than half-of-a-mile each day when he never raced farther than that distance. Specificity is key, after all.
I have applied that advice in my new training plan by scheduling myself for 26.2 miles per week for the next four weeks (the four weeks prior to the marathon) and then finishing the five week training cycle with the marathon on the sixth day of the fifth week. That means that I will be resting for the first five days of the marathon week, race the marathon on Saturday, and then rest on Sunday.
Recovery and "the details" will include a shower beer after each run (for specificity's sake. I plan to implement similar recovery measures on race day.)
Check back for training updates as the saga unfolds. And hit me with a high-five as I finish the Richmond Marathon in sub-three (on a road that parallels the race's finishing stretch).
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