Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Can I still PR?

Recently (within a month or so) my training partner posed the question: Could you still PR at distances you have already ran?  My answer: certainly.  I am 23 years old and healthy.  But I also added the disclaimer that I would have to find the time and motivation that I had as a college student-athlete.  It isn't possible to work and run.  I once ran 116 miles in a week that I worked 50 hours of hard labor.  Now I work 40 hours of fairly easy labor.

It really all goes back to the motivation factor.  There isn't a lot of incentive to run fast for the vast majority of runners.  Prize money, when available, pales in comparison to the amount of hours of hard work that is put in.  Health benefits can be had with general fitness, no need to get out there and run tempo runs, hill workouts, etc.  It really all comes down to a sense of self-satisfaction.  For now, I am happy being somewhere in between hobby-jogging and a truly competitive runner.  I really love the activity of running.  Racing is so fun but the amount of work that goes into a succesful race can be taxing mentally and physically as well as on your time.  Maybe I just need a little mental break from 7 years of nearly year-round training and competition.

Back to the original question, Can I still PR?  Yes, will I? We'll see.  Maybe I'll stop running the same events that I used to run.  Trail races of all distances are currently the most appealing to me.  That is a different type of training, one that appeals to my motivation and time better than track and road races.

Training Recap: March 4th-10th

March 4th- I ran home from work at 1:30 in the morning so I am counting that as my run for the day.  I was going to run a 'real' run later but it was extremely windy and I was tired from the past two days.  I will still easily meet my weekly goal of 62+.  Big T and Blu have 90+ on their schedule and they will be here from Wednesday night through Sunday.  2/62 miles down!

March 5th- The weather has taken a turn for the better as it is 20 degrees warmer and 20 mph less windy!  I got in over an hour of running for around 8.5 miles.  It was at a decent pace.  I find that I often run slower than I should so I am trying to run faster on runs here and there.  10.5/62

March 6th- I didn't feel that great so it was a slower pace but it was still over an hour for the second day in a row.  18.5/62

March 7th- The bros are here!  Ran over an hour in the morning at Vedauwoo for 9 then went down to Ft. Collins for a New Belgium Brewery tour before running another 5 on the Northern part of the Foothills Trail.  32.5/62

March 8th- Ran for 2 hours at Curt Gowdy State Park for 17 with Big T and Blu.  I am hoping that the 50k next month feels easier running uphill at 8:30 pace on the trails.  Although, what comes up must come down so I won't be running that slow the whole time.  Took an AccelGel at 45 minutes and I probably won't take one of those again.  It tasted pretty average and made my stomach slosh around.  It was bearable but not nearly as good as a Chia Surge.  I had one of those ready to take but I wasn't really feeling it after the AccelGel.  49.5/62

March 9th-  Took the day off.  The last two days were quite taxing on my body and I know I can get my mileage complete on the last day.  Still at 49.5.

March 10th-  Ran a decent pace 6 miles in the AM then went back to Curt Gowdy for another 7.  Ran back to hidden falls with Isaiah, Steph, and Eric before running back up Mo Rocka for awhile to check out the Chameleon.  Finished out the mileage with a bit of the Stone Temple Circuit.  I really enjoy running at Curt Gowdy.  62.5/62!

Weekly Goals:
Beat my weekly mileage by .5!  Ran a solid 2+ hour long run.  I am feeling more prepared for this ultra every week.  I am very happy with the way this week went.

Next week's goals:
Mileage: 66
Long Run: 19-20
Weight: Keep getting that down.  At 158-159 consistently right now.