Training Report

I keep track of my monthly mileage and like to compare it from year to year to see how I am doing compared to past years.  This year in January I hit 385 miles.  Last year had been my best at 362.  Similarly, in February, I hit 346 which bettered last year by 54 miles.  My March best is two years ago when I ran 420 miles!  That's an average of about 95 per week.  This week will certainly be lower than 95 but in the next few weeks I hope to increase the volume to just over 100 per week.  I find that I am racing best when I run between 90 and 105 miles.  I think it has something to do with my metabolism.  If I run less, I become sluggish and may gain a pound or two.  When running high mileage I find it impossible to gain weight.  Others, with faster metabolism, may find that running much less mileage is the best training fit for them.  Another factor to consider is intensity.  I find that running a fairly easy pace for a majority of my runs works best.  I can handle high volume very well but when I run too fast on a daily basis I increase my likelihood of injury and mental and physical burnout because I don't allow myself to recover.  I've said it before and I'll say it again... Running requires experimentation.  Every runner is different and every runner reacts differently to different stimuli.  Keep running, having fun and trying new things.  Not only will it help you learn about yourself as a runner, it will keep running fresh and exciting!

The Future of Summit League Track and Field

I did a lot of thinking both during and after last weekend's Summit League Indoor Conference Track meet.  A lot of the thinking dealt with the loss of Southern Utah to the Big Sky Conference and Oral Roberts to the Southland Conference.  Southern Utah has long been a deep distance running based team with other stellar athletes spread through the other events.  The same pattern has developed at Oral Roberts except their base is in the long sprints, especially the 400 meters.  The result of losing these teams is going to have a negative effect on the Summit League.  The addition of USD this year is a positive one and IUPUI is adding track and field starting this outdoor season but these schools simply are not as good as SUU or ORU.  Nebraska-Omaha is also joining the Summit League- without men's track.  It is hard to visit IPFW's new facility without wondering if they plan to add a men's team soon.  However, I would hold IPFW's school records in the 800, 1500, Mile, 3000, 5000, 10,000 and 3000 Steeplechase without approaching SDSU's Top-10 lists in any of those events.  It is safe to say that IPFW won't be a major factor in the near-future of Summit League Track.

Here are the team scores from the past weekend if you take out SUU and ORU.
Women
1. NDSU 226
2. USD 146
3. SDSU 94
4. UMKC 92
5. WIU 70
6. OU 16
7. IPFW 9

Men
1. NDSU 169
2. USD 148
3. SDSU 134
4. UMKC 120
5. WIU 58
6. OU 21

On both sides it is a Dakota battle with UMKC on the outside, looking it.  Nebraska-Omaha's women will probably be about as good as Western Illinois.  They have some great athletes that will score some points but lack depth.  IUPUI will add more distance runners to the mix but will have little to no effect on the team scoring.  I think the Summit League should look for another school to join and hopefully that school is good at track.  The Summit League track landscape is going to be much different in some events- the men's 400 or 5000 for example.  Those events lose 5 and 6 scorers respectively just to teams leaving the conference.

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South Dakota Runner's Journals

I would like to give a shout-out to Jarvis Jelen and South Dakota Runner.  South Dakota Runner is a website dedicated only to SD Running.  Some of the features are; Runner's Journals, Bios, Teams, Native Lists, Race Calenders, and more.  The website is definitely a great resource and wealth of knowledge for SD Runners of all ages.  Recently, I contacted Jarvis about getting an SDSU Runner's Journal up on the site and he was ecstatic.  Look for my weekly updates on South Dakota Runner.  If anybody else is interested in getting their journal on the site, contact Jarvis.

This Day in Track- February 22nd

1992- Liz McColghan of Great Britain set the World Record for the Indoor 5000 with a clocking of 15:03.  Her record was 10 seconds faster than the previous world record and would stand for 7 years.  Liz was a versatile runner and was known to run cross country, marathons and track distances from 3000 to 10000 meters.  Her elite running career spanned 14 years and saw her compile 7 titles at World events as well as many other high placings.