It's Back!

Winter, that is.  It's been mostly missing in action so far this season.  December temps were above average, and we had only a couple inches of snow which is far below average for us.  Not that I'm complaining.  I don't like winter.  It makes running more of a chore than a delight.

Anyway, winter is back.  At least for a couple of days.  When I ventured out this morning for a five-mile walk, the temperature was 21 degrees and snow was flying.  Add in the 25-mph wind, and it felt like -2.  Ouch.  But, I got in my walk and managed 125 push-ups along the way--5 x 25 = 125.  I don't particularly like strength training so I don't do much.  I do 125 push-ups three times a week.  That's about it.

Back to today's walk.  When I was younger--20's, 30's--I ran six days a week and rested one.  It worked then.  It wouldn't work now.  Not for long anyway.  Soon enough, I'd be sidelined.  So, I listen to my body--the best advise for a runner of any age--and have cut back to four days of running per week.  I use the other three days for cross-training.  In my case, that means brisk walking or hiking.  Usually 4-8 miles.

I've read lots of stuff on marathon (and ultra) training: Jeff Galloway (Marathon: You Can Do It), Bryon Powell (Relentless Forward Progress), Jeff Horowitz (Smart Marathon Training).  I've borrowed bits and pieces from lots of writers.  (My son, a competitive runner who has coached two successful Army 10-Miler teams, also provides solid--and in his case, personalized--advice.)  I guess that makes my training regimen eclectic.  I try the stuff that sounds reasonable to me.  Then, I keep what works.  Works in the sense that it allows me to train without injury. 

So, I run four days a week: usually Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.  I do a long run every other week--usually Sunday--but since I'm semi-retired, I have some flexibility in scheduling.  This week, for example, the best running weather is forecast for Friday.  So, I'm planning my long run (15 miles) for Friday, not Sunday.  I'll do my Friday run on Sunday.  On non-long run Sundays, I do a 5-8 mile tempo run (race pace).  Tuesday and Friday, I do easy five-mile runs.  I try to do a hill workout on Wednesday.  There's a hill near my home that's .5 mile long with 90 feet of elevation gain.  I figure that the grade is about 4%.  I do 6 x .5 miles at 5k effort.  I jog down the hill.  Add in a mile of warm-up and another mile of cool-down, and it's about 8 miles of running.  During my buildup to a marathon, my weekly mileage peaks at 42-44 miles.  (I ran my 50K last year on the same mileage.  I figure that I'll need to ramp up to at least 50-mile weeks if I intend to do a 50-Miler this year.)

For older runners, Jeff Galloway is an excellent source: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/

I've read his marathon book and browsed his website and I've borrowed several of his ideas about training.  Not all.  And, to his credit, Jeff includes lots of flexibility in his training programs.  For example, he encourages runners to take walk breaks early and often.  But, he insists that the breaks be incorporated only into the long runs.  For the shorter runs, he leaves the choice to the runner.  Take them or not.  I like that kind of flexibility.  He also leaves the question of speed work up to the individual runner.  I choose to do some despite the fact that it increases the risk of injury.  Even though I know better, I'm still competitive.