Wednesday, April 25, 2007

What to do?



Coming down a bit after Nagano and Tokyo. For the past six months I've been training with an aim for both marathons and now they are over I'm having a rest after rediscovering the element "IDONTGIVEASHITIUM."

Enough of that, I reckon, now I'm going to have to find myself a new goal. Still, that's not as easy as just picking a new race as it is coming into summer here and unless I head way north I won't find any marathons run under 30 degrees.

I'm thinking of simply running "for fun" over the summer and starting up racing again in the "Fall" with a 10K and a half in late September or early October and a race in November, maybe another half and a full marathon in December of this year.

I'm a bit worried that I might not be able to stay focused over the summer so I think I'll use this time to try to get a 3K PB by myself by the end of August. That should keep me healthy, busy and occupied.

Anyway if you "DOGIVEASHITIUM" let me know what you think?

9 comments:

  1. Every now and then I think I'll "run for fun" for a while, but its kind of boring without a goal.

    That's a good idea to concentrate on getting a 3k PB, you'll build up a good speed base to take into your next marathon campaign. And that means you should be able to do your long runs faster. Well, that's one theory I've heard.

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  2. I find a mid term training at some point but as there is no race at the end of it, is not the same.

    So now you are like me, with no races at all around :P

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  3. The 3k time trial sounds like a good idea. I pretty much always just run for fun.

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  4. I think you've summed up something that I'm already worried about, even though I'm just coming into "race" season - I'm very goal oriented (i.e. lazy without a goal).

    I like the idea of increasing speed workouts. I think that over our summer I will reduce distance (maybe a maximum of 10 k's), but increase the speed workouts. That's where I need the most work anyway!

    You could always come down here and visit Karaoke bars with me (Ellen sings very well and won't be seen in public if I'm singing....).

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  5. I think you are onto something with that new element. I'm sure somebody slipped a dose of it into my tea. But yeah, look this is natural. You have to have some down time to let your body and mind recuperate. Let your running ebb and flow with your mood, the surroundings and the ebb and flow of life. Don't stop completely, but don't fret the low mileage weeks or the natural slip in fitness that will occur. Just let it slide. If you feel like a fast run here and there, go for it. Just be careful about suddenly loading up too much if you haven't done any longer runs for a while. Stay with this mode for a month, maybe two, then start to think about getting focused again. Well, that all outlines what I'm going to do this year anyway. I have a couple of little races to fit on along the way, but they will not be goal races, and no PBs will be run. In fact, I am wondering lately if my PBs are all behind me?

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  6. 30 degrees? Bah! You're a good Karratha lad. You should laugh at 30 degrees. Ha Ha Ha!

    Still, shorter runs are probably wise through the heat - even in non-Karratha heat.

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  7. That's a good plan for the summer Scott. Concentrating on 3/5k and really trying to improve them is a great way to raise your top end cruising speed - which will help your half and marathon.

    Set yourself a goal of sub-10:30. This is 3:30/km, and for you, quite achievable. Generally, I never had big goal races, just the goal of trying to get measurably faster.

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  8. If you are doing a marathon in December, that means you only have seven months of training to go. That is not such a long time for a marathon preparation. I would be increasing my speed in the last 12 weeks before the marathon. In the remaing time prior to this ( ie the upcoming 4 months) you should be improving and building an awesome aerobic base. Luckily this can be just lots of slow running over your summer months. But it will be these months of trainig that will give you the results in December. There is no time to lose.

    Focus now!

    Your new goal is simple. A new Marathon PB of Sub 3:15. Get to it before it is too late. You lose your fitness far quickier than you do regaining it, so don't waste what you have built from those last marathons. Fun is overrated, PB's last forever.

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  9. Definately need some new goals!!

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