Running 101: The Training After the Training

The Running 101 post will talk about things I am learning in the sport and how they can help me with my training. Being relatively new to all of this there is a lot to learn. So, for my first post, I wanted to talk about setting goals.

In my first year of running, my goal was just to take on the distance and run my first half marathon. I wasn’t worried about speed nor winning any prizes. I just wanted to achieve my goal of finishing the race. I didn’t think about after the race, as I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue running long distances anyway. But pretty much as soon as I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon I realized I wanted to keep going. I wanted to keep going the distance and I wanted the distance to get farther and farther. I knew that the half marathon would probably become my sweet spot as I could easily keep up the fitness for 13.1 but I also knew I wanted to go the full and find my way to accomplishing 26.2. I knew that I had my work cut out for me as I continued to work on my training and fitness.

After that first half marathon I wanted to improve, to get faster and stronger. So, I began to do research on ways to be a faster stronger runner. There is a lot of stuff out there. A LOT! And it can be very confusing and daunting. I found myself confused by all the different terms that I was reading about and hearing. What’s the actual difference between intervals and a fartlek? How the heck do I do speed work? Why is cross training important anyway? I sat in front of the computer screen and shook my head, “I just want to run!” All this research was supposed to be helpful, but it made me very confused. I know that there is quite a bit of science out there for how to perform and run better. I also know that there is still much mystery in how performance works. I realized that I needed a formula, one that would work just for me. I could do research all day but the training plans and recommendations online were too cookie cutter for my liking. So, I decided to take elements of those training plans and use trial and error to find a plan that would work for me. Before I could create a plan for my training I needed to better understand each of the terms. So… I made note of the following definitions: -Hill repeats- running up a hill with a steep enough incline to challenge fitness, then walking or running back down for recovery, then running up the hill again. Most of the time the repeats begin with 2 or 3 and can work up from there. -Speed work – using a track to increase pace to maximum effort for a specific distance (usually 400 to 800 meters), taking a 2 or 3 minute rest in between and repeating to improve speed overall. -The fartlek – my husband likes to make fun of how this one sounds but it is a real word, I promise. It’s actually a Swedish term that basically means alternating between easy running and speed running at random. So, if I am out on a run I might do an easy pace for a few minutes then run at my maximum pace from one tree to another. Then I might ease off from the tree to a mailbox and pick up the pace again from the mailbox to another landmark. It is all unplanned and challenges the muscles as it keeps them guessing. I like this one because it’s fun and spontaneous. It makes the run more of a game then a stringent plan that must be adhered to. -cross training – any other form of aerobic exercise that gets the heart rate up but isn’t running. For example: spinning, aerobic group classes, playing other high intensity sports etc. -Weight training – okay so I think most of us know what weight training is in general but the rule here for runners is to begin with body weight strength training and eventually work up to heavy weight training a couple of times a week. The goal is not to build a lot of muscle but to make the muscles and tendons stronger so that we can run better. Now that I had a general sense of what each term meant I could decide how to incorporate each of these into my own weekly training. The next hurdle that I had to face was finding the time to incorporate all of these things. I was already running 3 to 4 days a week, including my long run, and wasn’t sure if I could make these things happen. Any plan has to fit into my life and must be flexible and reasonable. If anyone is to stick to a plan it must contain these characteristics. We can run and improve as long as we have the right flexible plan. So, here are some ways I added these items into my training without adding too much to my schedule: 1. Added strength training to my warmup and cool down by adding in short exercises such as squats, lunges and planks 2. Changed out one of my runs during the week for speed work 3. Added hill repeats into a normal run during the week- I used to just run 4 miles, now I run 4 miles and do hill repeats. I usually take a cross training or recovery day after though since this usually does me in for about a day. Lastly, as I've incorporated these items into my training plan I have had to learn some other lessons that have helped me be a better, and still sane, runner. 1. Take it slow and give my body time to adapt gradually 2. Doing some training, even if its not what was originally planned, is better than doing none 3. Ask for advice, if not from a coach, from your other running friends who have more experience.