Wingin' it Without a Plan
The following is a post I wrote for another blog I occasionally contribute to. If you're interested in my running game, read on....
The registration is confirmed; barring injuries or other hick-ups, May 17th I’ll be toeing the line at the Bluenose Volkswagen half marathon. I’m a ducks-in-a-row kind of person - I love the predictability, call it security, of having a workout schedule all plotted out. Speed intervals, hill repeats, short tempo runs, a weekly long run - plus a cross training mix of strength and pool work, cycling, stretching, yoga - in varying distances and effort intensities, this has all worked for me before. A tough interval regime or an easy recovery run, it’s part of the plan: I’m ready for it.
This time around, however, on the backside of a two-year contest between injury, recovery and adjusted expectations, my training program is more like a poetic dance than a choreographed performance.
My goal is to run this half marathon in what I’m going to call a respectable time. Even setting that range holds more mystery than I’m comfortable with. Placing in my age category is now out of the question, but wouldn’t it be great to beat my slowest time?! Here’s how the non-plan is going to date.
One pretty dependable positive: depending on the distance and intensity, my previously very cranky knee is happy with running three times a week or every other day. Yahoo, yippee and hallelujah. That translates into less swelling, less pain. On a strategy confirmed by a very good running friend I decided to gradually build up my mileage and build on speed after that. So since January, the 5, 8, 10 kilometre distances have increased to the same in miles. The longest to date, 19.5 kms on a rolling route while visiting family in Maine, was an even split time - happy with that.
Speed work has been tricky, as I’ve been trying to save my minimal runs per week for building up distance. Laps at the indoor track with the repetitive curves creates a potential for ITB trouble. So it’s to the pool for interval work. Wearing a flotation belt, I've run a ladder workout, one up to five minutes, repeating the five and back down again; 15 seconds for recovery. Working at about 81% effort (I set my alarm on the odd numbers too :) it’s a good workout and with the warm-up and cool-down, the time passes quickly in an otherwise very boring setting! I'll do a repeat of that sometime soon plus I found a good pool strengthening workout to help keep the core strong. Here’s hoping I’ll get on the road for some intervals soon - it’s still a wait and see approach.
Sometime this Easter weekend the full 21 km is in the plan. In the four remaining weeks, my goal is a long one with 10-12 kms at race pace (I wonder what that’s going to be?!), a couple long ones with an hour at a steady-state, and the rest with a close eye on how much and what kind of running to include. Cycling, poolwork and the stretching/yoga routines will round out the program.
I think another name for give-me-a-detailed-plan is control freak. Gotta let it go this time, which isn't a bad thing. Foremost I’m thankful for the gift of health and healing that’s allowed me to again enjoy this running game. I’m learning perspective. I’ve been drawn back to the pleasure of the passion of this sport. And with that thought, I’m headed out the door - not following what might be written in a program or concerned that I’m adding up junk miles. I’m just going for a run.



