Week 9: The Start of Solo Running
Repeatable not redundant.
One of the best training mantra’s I’ve heard with running is “Just keep showing up”. If you put that into practice you will eventually see your distances getting longer and your paces getting faster. It’s inevitable. Consistency in action will result in great achievements and improvements in athletic performance and physical conditioning.
This concept also presents a predicament of it’s own, redundancy and monotony in training and in writing this blog. The human body is pretty amazing in it’s ability to adapt and adjust to increased demands and stress. In order to continue growth and improvement it takes more than just consistency, you have to identify when your body has adapted and then change things up. You can increase intensity or change the variables of the activity. When it comes to running, here are some things to change it up and force your body to adapt and overcome the new positive stress.
Timed Run for Distance. Make it a 30 minute run or 3 hour run, but you’re running against the clock for as much distance as you can. Log your distance and repeat this after 3 to 4 weeks of training to see your improvements.
Get on the track! Doing variable efforts and specific distances. The track is great because it’s flat, measurable and you can keep your support supplies like water, gu and food nearby without having to carry it or put it in a cache.
Intervals: Do a warmup jog and then start your 1-mile intervals at pace followed by 1-mile or 0.5mile at pace + 1min followed by a cool down jog.
Hill Repeats: Is it fun? Absolutely not, but these efforts will absolutely build cardiovascular capacity while increasing leg strength and mental toughness. I recommend finding a friend who also enjoys some level of discomfort.
Run with a friend: More specifically, run with a friend who is a better runner than you who is willing to push you beyond what you think is possible.
Sign up for a 5K and have a fun run! Adding in a 5K race in the middle of training gets you back to that racing atmosphere. You get to run with fellow runners and witness people who are completing there first 5K and those who are trying for a new PR. I’ve yet to go to a 5K race that wasn’t a great atmosphere.
This week starts a 4 week span of solo training as I travel for work. Some of it will be on a treadmill while the long runs will be along routes I’m not very familiar with. When you are a distance runner, planning a long-run route is difficult, especially in a town or city you are unfamiliar with. The next 4 weeks will take great planning and even better execution of the plan.
This week starts outdoors but will finish on the treadmill. I’ll get in one more track training session with the club before I’m on the road for almost a month straight. Good music, headphones and discipline will carry me through this week and this weekends long run.