Company

"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat."
- Bill Squires

I just completed my first long run of the season that exceeded 1:55. I ran for 2 hours and 12 minutes (2:12) at approximately 6:45-6:50 per mile, thus totaling 19.25-19.5 miles. I felt great for a variety of reasons. In addition to feeling fresh and strong throughout the run, I was delighted to have company, as I joined 4 members of the Falls Road Running Store group. Since graduating college in 2004, I have trained primarily on my own. Although I often relish the solitude that running provides, training alone for 70 to 80 miles each week presents many problems, principally motivational issues. Lacking a team and camaraderie, I've struggled to maintain a consist schedule, leaving long term goals infeasible and untouched. I'll train for several months at a time, often collecting numerous personal bests, and then, once life happens, I become consumed with work or school and lack the motivation to continue my training and pursue long term objectives. I hope that by joining this team for at least one run a week, I'll be able to more easily maintain my training momentum and work through difficult periods of life and running. Indeed, I will share the "trials of miles" and "miles of trials" with individuals who comprehend these issues on a level that a non-runner could not possible conceive. Perhaps most importantly, it will make running a social experience and therefore more enjoyable.

This run is the first of an 80 mile week. I began training this past May after a very long hiatus from consistent running and competitive racing. By September, my fitness was restored to previous levels, and, by November, I was in the best shape of my life. I ran a personal best at the Philadelphia Half Marathon (1:11:40) on November 22. After the race, I slowly built up to a 60 mile in late December. I encountered a rocky start at the beginning of January, when I hoped to ramp up training and increase to 85 mile weeks, long interval workouts, and a 20 mile long run. Like the fates of most carefully constructed plans based on scientific principals, I abandoned my spring training plan when my dog got sick and died. I am a few weeks behind "schedule" but I will be fine for spring racing.

Today's long run restored my confidence and prepared me mentally and physically for the long runs and tempo workouts that lay ahead. I hope to run a 20+ mile long run at least twice each month throughout February, March, and April, with a maximum long run of 23 miles, or 2 hours and 40 minutes. Some of these long runs will contain significant portions at marathon pace and half marathon pace. For example, next week my long run might be shorter (16-18 miles) than today's run, but, if it is, I will spend at 20:00-40:00 at tempo pace. Eventually, I will complete a few 20+ mile long runs that include substantial segments at lactate threshold pace (5-8 miles broken into cruise intervals) or marathon goal pace (10-13 miles). As I begin these workouts later this winter, I will elaborate more on purpose these runs serve in a marathon training regimen.