More Training Strategies, and Another Running Goal Met

It works.

Alternating days of running and walking, longer and shorter distances, that is.

I'm just a little obsessed with watching my stats and would love to increase my pace, but for whatever reason I never bothered to run shorter distances to try to attain that.  I know that I shouldn't run the same distance all the time, and I know that I should have days without running at all, but knowing and doing are two different things, as I'm sure we can all attest.

I did the 10 miles (majority at a trot) two days ago, and yesterday just walked a mile on my own, then a mile with the dogs, so nothing strenuous.  This morning I wanted to get an early run in before heading to town to beat the masses on a Saturday morning, so I figured I'd do only a mile to see if I could push just a little and finally get a sub 15:00 minute mile.  It's been a couple of years since I've done that, and I've been averaging about 15:30-15:40 on my 4- and 5-mile runs lately.

Opting to do the neighborhood rather than the trail on this beautiful 60° morning, I stepped out with my mind set on that lone mile.  I could tell that my lungs were working a little harder than usual at the pace I started with, but still felt do-able.  The rest of my body felt fine, so I figured I'd do 1.5, then said what the heck, go ahead and do 2 miles so you can see your split times.

After the warmup mile at 14:30, mile 2 time was 14:15, for an average 14:22 mile.  Not only did I bust my sub 15:00 mile goal, I knocked well over a minute off my average pace of the longer distances.  That's still an average walking pace for many, but at this stage, it's a good pace for me.

The concept of training for distance alternated with shorter, faster runs isn't new.  I've known this.  I've preached this.  If you switch up pushing your body for speed and striving for distance, you're working your body in different ways, much the same as having a leg day and arm day at the gym.  Of course running uses your legs, but shorter, faster distances will work your heart, lungs, and even muscle groups of your legs slightly differently than longer, slower mileage.

So my quest to be smart and alternate training days is off to a good start.  I won't do anything fitness related the rest of today, and if I do anything tomorrow (Sunday), it'll be just walking.  I have an appointment Monday morning and could fill up the day with other errands, so might take that as a complete rest day, which are needed once in a while too.

Who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks?  There's hope for me yet!

Be well ...

~ Marie Anne