This Week's Training

This week we're going to keep it simple. Shoot for 12-15 miles of easy runs this week. If you want to do some speed, try to do it on Tuesday or Thursday.

On Saturday, shoot for an 8 mile Long Run.

Make it a great week crew.

This Weeks Workouts

Monday: Easy Run 2 – 3 Miles

Tuesday (49 min): A little speed, don't push it too hard. Warm-up for 5 minutes, run Kinda Hard for 11 minutes and Recover for 2 minutes, repeat 3 times, and then Cool-down for 5 minutes.

Wednesday: Cross Train or Walk for 30 minutes

Thursday (35min): A little more speed. Warm-up for 5 minutes, run Kinda Hard for 25, and then Cool-down for 5 minutes.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Long Run 8.5 miles Easy

Sunday: Cross Train or Optional Rest. If the week is taking a bit of a toll on you, just Rest.

 

Glossary

Easy Run: about 75% efforts. You should be able to talk during the whole run.

Warm-up / Cool-down: A little less effort than an Easy Run.

Kinda Hard: About 80 – 85% effort. You might be able to talk for a bit but your breath should be labored a bit.

Hard: About 85-95% effort. You should be winded but not completely spent.

Recovery: About the same as Warm-up or even less effort could be a walk but do not stop moving.

Cross Train: Do some strength, stretching, or some other sporting event (swimming, biking, hiking …).

Rest: Don't do any running. If you are feeling frisky do something easy, but rest is a very important part of your workout.

Day 1 Set the Goals and the Training Schedule

Goals

13.1 miles in 2 hrs 11 mins 5 sec

Improve and maintain fitness

Have fun

Scheduling

Easy: Monday and Wednesday

Speed Workouts: Tuesdays and Thursdays (Depending on how the training progresses we will determine the intensity of our speed workouts)

Rest: Friday

Long Run: Saturday

Cross Training / Optional Rest: Sunday

Training

Today, we are going to do some strength and streaching excercises.

You and Me Together YEAH, YEAH

I have new motivation and excitement for the sport of running today. My wife asked me to coach her for her first half marathon, The Cortland Leaf Peeper Half-Marathon. My passion for the sport and my wife will meet, while we journey together through a mild yet regimented program that we both can embrace.

I believe we will both face challenges over the next 10 weeks, both physical and mental, but in the end we will have a stronger runner and marriage.

Tomorrow we set goals, and determine what week one will look like. I love you Erin, I hope you are ready for this :)

Return to Boston

This Sunday was a little different than the past few. While a nice cup of coffee is there for sipping, my copy of Runners World is missing, and my mind begins to wander. I see my self striding along the majestic Massachusetts roads I had driven through the day before.

This weekend I was in my hometown state of Massachusetts. Saturday I spent most of the day in and around my hometown, traveling the roads of the state. I had experienced these roads many times as a child, usually with a bike. As a runner, those roads have a completely different meaning. I can see each crack, placement of dirt, and the existence of a shoulder or lack there of.

What does that road feel like under a pair of running shoes after miles gliding across them? Do the trees look like they used to from the bike perspective? Is it even safe to run on this road? All these questions and more are racing through my head. My head dreaming of how the route looks, feels and smells while my muscles are yearning to be worked to a burn.

Driving on the highway, I see the sign for Hopkinton and get a little choked up. Inevitably thoughts go to the Boston Marathon and the running history of Massachusetts. The great runners and the location of one of the most, if not the most referenced race and goal for the running community. Sentiment morphs into self pity and the NEED to qualify for the great race and immediately back to sentiment.

Those roads will find my feet. Weather it be for a easy 10 or some hardcore hill repeats I look forward to the stories you will give me in the future.

For now, Mass roads, I will just bid you a due.

Another Week Without Running

As I sit down to my morning coffee I think of another week without running. This week was polluted with potential "stinkin thinkin." Why I can't run and what it's doing to the rest of my existence, and then I review, in my head, the first time I fell in love with running and how much it has meant to me over the past few years. My negative thoughts evolve into lamenting the good times and debates on how I will get there again.

Runners World Magazine again provides some guidance on the next steps to recovery. With everything from self diagnosis to methods on how to rebuild this part of your body or the other. Will it be swimming, will it be biking, will it be weights? I'm not sure, but the first step to recovery is knowing what it is you are recovering from, so the goal for this week is to get to a Dr..

Those who know me, please comment on what you think the odds of this happening.