My Not So Secrets of Training

So I get myself into this Reggae Runners Half Marathon Challenge (from here on in it’s the RRHMC). I know it will not be easy since I am the baby of the group and get less charity from the Age Grade calculation. I mean that’s fair enough I have relative youth on my side, but youth aside my worthy opponents (Chris Morales http://thatrunninguy.com/ and Dan Cumming http://www.runnininginthezone.ca)  have years and years and years and years and years of experience on me. Please don’t look at this as an excuse,  I do feel if I do what I am capable of I should walk (or run) away the winner. With that said I need to train properly.

Now training is a science, but no program will blanket every individual (any technical questions probably should be aimed at Dan, he’s written a book for cripes sake).  I spent most of the winter running about 2-3 times a week with my long run topping between 5-6 miles and total volume each week @ 10 miles give or take. The rest of my works outs were Spin, strength training my legs, upper body and using the rower and stepper. Six weeks out of my first race “The Shamrock Scramble” on 3/18/12 (got a PR btw) I started increasing my mileage and doing speed work once a week starting with 2x400m repeats.

With my first 5K behind me and a 15K and the RRHMC looming, I will be kicking up my mileage. I will run 3-4 time a week. I have found in the past if I run more than that I breakdown, I try to not run back to back days as much as possible allowing full recovery because again bad thing seem to happen to me if I don’t.

So here it is:

3-4 days of running: 1 Long Slow Distance increasing a mile each week and reducing the mileage after every 3rd week.  So 3 up, one down.

1 Speed work

1 medium distance

and an optional recovery run of about 2 miles as the races draw near.

In addition: 2-3 days of Spin, 0-1 day rowing, 2 days of weight training.

Game is definitely on!

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