This appealed to me because I seem to get injured as I get up towards 35 miles/week mileage. Now, perhaps it was always a case of increasing mileage too fast, I don't know. But this plan gives me the flexibility to stay at a lower mileage (with cross training) or add on easy miles as I feel.
After a couple 25 mile weeks, everything is still feeling great! My knee/hip on the left leg are starting to feel a little cranky - I have learned to start foam rolling at the first sign, and that usually does the trick. I am also due for a spin class and a sports dr visit.
I am not signed up for a half-marathon, nor will I put it out in the universe that I am officially training for one. I'm hoping to trick karma for a bit here.
Since running my PR 5k (23:37!!) Friday night, I am even more excited about trying to run faster. I do think that even the half marathon plan will improve my 5k. The plan starts with a recent 10k time - I don't have one, so I am using an 8 min/mile. It then gives all your interval paces off that 10k time, as well as short tempo/mid tempo paces, and long run paces.
Planned Half Marathon pace (PHMP) is 10k pace + 20 seconds. 8:20? That seems fast. But so did a 7:34 pace 5k.
Every week there is an interval run, a tempo run, and a long run. The interval run looks do-able. The tempo runs look challenging, but I think I can do them. The long runs are at PHMP + 20 seconds, or an 8:40 pace, and kicks off with an 8 mile run.
Hmmmm.....we'll see about that one.
What I do wonder though, is that if I am running higher mileage, is it ok that the long run be a little slower? I guess all I can do is see what I can do. And take my additional mileage slow. Well, as slow as possible. I am trying to meet a friend to run in the mornings once a week now. She likes to keep an 8:45 pace under good conditions (closer to 9 if it's hot/windy). Yesterday I did 7 miles at 9 min pace, and that was including about a mile and a half that I ran prior to mtg up with her/after splitting to head home that was closer to 9:30 pace.
At any rate. Monday I did 12 x 400m intervals at a 7:08 pace, with a one mile warm up and cool down at 9:31 pace. The plan called for 90 second rest intervals, I did around 80 seconds, I left the treadmill going and let 0.2 miles pass by for easy math. I can't do math and run at the same time. The first few didn't seem too bad, but by the end I was starting to feel it. My heart rate was only going down to about 135 during recovery and getting into the 160's within 0.15 miles towards the end vs at the beginning my recovery heart rate would get down to 120's and not hit into the 160's until the last 15 - 20 seconds of the interval. I survived the first workout.
Now I'm off for a treadmill tempo run. 2 miles easy (9:31 min/mi), 3 miles tempo (8:00 min/mi), 1 mile easy.
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