Monday - Dec 17, 2012

Monday – December 17, 2012

I’ve found that nothing starts my week off better than a run Monday morning.  I usually run a 3.2 mile route or a 4.8 mile route, as they’re both enjoyable and familiar to me.  I actually enjoy knowing the route and what to expect, versus my wife who prefers surprises and something new. 

I’m reading Scott Jurek’s book, ‘Eat & Run’.  It’s a great book and I recommend it to anyone who runs or is thinking of running.  The part I read over the weekend included his explanation of intervals.  For some reason, I never really understood them and left them out of my training.  They’re very simple when he explains them.  To run faster, run faster!  Start running your normal pace, which for me is around 10:00mm or 10:15mm.  This is very easy and enjoyable.  Then, run faster for a bit.  You can pick the upcoming stop sign, a tree, half a mile, etc.  Just something to let you know you’re done.  Do this over and over and before you know it, you’re running that interval pace all the time. 

So, I wanted to run today’s 4.8 miles with some intervals.  It was a little chilly at 5:15am, about 45 degrees.  I wore pants and two tech shirts, one LS and one SS.  I ran half a mile at 10:00mm, then tried to run half a mile at 9:00mm.  Being new to the 9:00mm pace, I didn’t really know how it felt and had trouble maintaining it.  I wound up doing 8:36mm for the first half mile interval.  Then, I was back at 10:00mm, catching my breath and getting ready to do it again.  I did this back and forth for the route with the last 0.25 mile block to my house at probably an 8:00mm pace.  By my last interval, I had the 9:00mm feel down somewhat. 

I can’t hold that 9:00mm pace for 13 miles, but it’s not too bad to run to for those bursts.  My fastest 3.2 mile route was actually in the 8’s (8:48mm) for the entire run (overall avg, so maybe higher and lower here and there).  But it will be a while before I’m running 5 miles at 9:00mm or less.  But I’ll get there.  Every journey begins with one step, and when I’m at 9:00mm for longer runs I’ll be glad I started now. 

Going forward, Monday’s will be my speed work, or interval, days.  Then, I’ll take the next day off to recover.  I had some lactate build up on the run, which I massaged out Tuesday night.  From what I’ve read and heard, intervals are what get you faster for shorter runs.  Period.  I’m excited to do them every week and hopefully get my race times down.  I’d love to run 13.1 miles in 2:00:00, or 9:09mm.