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| Mid-workout at the North Park University Track this morning |
So, since you are supposed to focus on speed (not distance) in the week before a race, I thought I would run less total distance, but faster. So I decided to do:
- 2 mile warmup
- 1200m fast, 400m jog
- 800m fast, 400m jog
- 400m at all out pace, 400m jog
- 400m run at exactly 10k pace (to get used to what I will be doing on Sun)
- 2 mile cool down
I think the intensity of the workout was just about right, although I am sore right now. I only have 48 hours to recover, so I may be feeling the workout by mile four on Saturday! Next week, I will start the actual speed work called for in the training plan, but I'm sure the Hanson brothers would approve if I did 6.2 miles at 10k pace instead of their recommended 3 mile 10k pace track workout!
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| A view from my cool down run along the Chicago River |
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| Another view from my cool down |
I will run tomorrow, rather than take the day before the race off, because I am participating Kim's December running streak. So, how is my streak going?
December 2nd: 2.3 miles, 3rd: 4.1 miles, 4th: 8.0 miles, 5th: 8.0 miles, 6th: 9.8 miles, 7th: 5.3 miles, 8th: 2.4 miles, 9th: 10.3 miles, 10th: 2.0 miles, 11th: 8.8 miles, 12th: 6.2 miles, 13th: 6.5 miles.
Anyone else doing the December streak?
Great running streak! I'm only running once a week these days, so no streak for me. Maybe I can claim a streak for how many consecutive days I can carb-load even when I'm not training for anything?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteLol! Carbo-loading is fun regardless if you are training for anything or not! Good luck on your streak!
DeleteHi Pete - Way to go on the streak! Is the North Park University Track open to all?
ReplyDeleteYes it is open to the public! There are occasionally track meets there on weekends and it is not open, but that rarely happens. I run there on most Thursday mornings before work.
Deleteoooh you've got a great streak going!
ReplyDeleteMine is totally broken at the moment, haha oops!
Sorry about your broken streak! :-). Maybe you can start a new one someday. If I really needed a day off, I would take it. I guess I will see if I can make it last into the New Year.
DeleteThese speed workouts sound so intimidating! I am starting to play with teeny tiny sprints now that i am using a treadmill more thanks to work/lack of sunlight. Baby steps, i suppose! :) I am seriously going to the track some day. It's going to happen. Between now and the marathon....
ReplyDeleteDon't fear the track workouts. Right now, there is hardly anyone out there to be intimidated by, and 75% of the people who are at the track are walkers. So YOU can be the one intimidating the walkers even with your "teeny tiny" sprints! :-)
DeleteI'm not doing the streak but I am running Boston!
ReplyDeleteI actually just started doing speed workouts in September and I've noticed a big difference in how I feel running. I haven't raced a shorter distance to test it out but running at a faster pace feels much easier now. I don't know why I didn't add it in sooner!
Cool that you are doing Boston 2013! I also deferred my 2012 entry and spent the weekend hanging out in the city. Yes, speed work allows me to run faster at pace as well. I just need to take it easy sometimes or risk injury. See you in Hopkinton in April!
Deleteyou are rockin' it my friend. You'll have to come help me out with my speed! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Anytime. Just let me know. :-)
DeleteLovely photos! I wish there was a track near me...
ReplyDeleteSo excited to follow your training through to bean town. I find it interesting the plan calls for Speed training in the first 9 weeks- does the speed work end after that? I'm not familiar with their plan.
Congrats on the streaking! I had to abandon ship after 2 days thanks to the ankle. But then again I can't handle more than 2-3 days in a row of running anyways when "healthy."
Good luck on your Boston training!
And kick arse in the 10 k this weekend!
DeleteThanks! Yes it is nice to have nearby, although, it is actually about 1.5 miles from my house. But that is a perfect distance for my warm-up and cool-down! The Brooks/Hanson plan calls for speed work for the first nine weeks and then for the last nine weeks, strength workouts (which are more miles than the speed workouts but run slightly slower). BTW, the Hanson brothers coach Desiree Davila. Too bad about the ankle. Hope that issue resolves itself soon so you are back on the roads! :-)
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