Run-Down Forums

[Doe Boy]

Over the summer and this past fall i averaged roughly 60 - 70 miles a week. I had some plantar problems during the indoor season, which have gone away for outdoor. I am about 5'11 175 lbs and i am currently running high 1:52 low 1:53 ... My coaches have debated on how to train for the 800 .. now that my season is almost complete i was curious if anyone had any suggestions on how to further improve my time. Is the base more important in the summer? or should i be doing more speed and quicker work for the summer? any info would be appreciated

[Dan]

What are you currently doing aside from the mileage total?

Many would label me as anti-mileage, but that's not really true. What I'm against is mileage just for the sake of a number, which is how far too many people look at it. 60 miles by itself means nothing, seeing as how it could be 60 junk miles, 60 miles of intense intervals, or some mix of the two.

Dan

[g.o.]

I think base is important, but that's only three days a week. The key to speed for me has been Thursday night hills and Tuesday track workouts. The more time you spend at top speed, the more you will increase your top speed. Granted, you can't sprint all sixty miles, but for middle distances the speed work becomes even more crucial. And don't forget the taper if you're competing.
_________________
g.o.

[Distance_Guru]

After outdoor the best thing for you to do is take a while to let your body recover, three or four weeks of less running than you usually do should be enough. After your down cycle start working on your base. I'm not an advocate of speed during the summer. During the summer the focus should be on building up your aerobic capacity. Not to say that you should do junk mileage (I really hate that term) every run you do should have a purpose, long runs for aerobic exposure to increase your red blood cells number and carrying capacity, medium runs at above average intensity to increase the amount oxidative enzmes and mitchondria in the muscle cells, slower recovery runs to allow you to continue to condition you heart and lungs while allowing you muscles to recover. Aerobic developement takes a lot longer than speed developement, and this far out from your key races all you should really be focusing on is on general fitness, distance running, weights, striders and later in the summer hill running and fartleks should be the focus for summer 800 training.
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn

[Hammer]

If you want to avoid junk miles then make your runs interesting. Like DG said put in some fartleks and other speed play. Also I always advise not running slower than 1:30s/mile that 5k pace for long runs.

[g.o.]

It's sort of unconventional, but I play touch rugby on Wednesday nights throughout the summer. We play for close to two hours and it's constant start stop running with lots of short sprints. My overall speed increases significantly from this version of fartlek.
_________________
g.o.

[Distance_Guru]

That's good for your muscles, heart and lungs but watch out for those stops, starts and cuts they can be murder on you joints. I recommend wearing some ankle braces at the very least to protect yourself from sprains.
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn

[Hammer]

I never would advise one to cross train for running by playing rugby but it is a very demanding sport (aerobic). I imagine that there is still some aspect of hitting going on. I have seen some brutal rugby matches. EEEECKKK

[Distance_Guru]

Every once in awhile I'll have my team do a alternate workout like ultimate frisby, or soccer for some variety. But every time we do I spend the every second with my fingers crossed praying that nobody rolls an ankle or twits a knee.
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn

[g.o.]

No hitting going on in touch rugby. In fact, I play barefooted. It's on a nice grassy field at Reed College, so relatively safe. I'll watch out for those knee "twit"s in the future, Mr. Guru.
_________________
g.o.

[Dan]