I've spent more time then I'd care to admit thinking about this over the last couple years, but especially over the last few months since April's marathon. The balance between running and strength.
@Hang 10's post the other day really sparked some additional considerations - all the maintenance that's necessary pre and post run to maintain health. I'm probably still not at my conclusion, but I feel a lot closer now than I did earlier in the week or anytime prior. I've trended more and more towards less racing as the last few years have gone by. Despite running substantially more. It's been intentional, but I think I'm taking it to the next level. How do you get faster and stronger at the same time? It's simple, you can't. Unless you're a paid professional and it's your life anyway. Reality is for us mere mortals we can't; you need to choose. I've tried morning running, but I won't sustain it. I've tried evening running, but also won't sustain it. I've tried 2-a-days and, same thing. One-off's here and there? Sure, but week-after-week and I simply run out of gas. It isn't effective. I
can do it but then another workout, or workouts, suffer. In the end, juice isn't worth the squeeze. So I'm not doing it anymore.
And I'm breaking running and strength into their own seasons - make one the priority and the other a compliment. There's really no end game for the strength seasons (summer and winter) other than get to the end of it stronger/healthier without gaining (much) weight. I may race during it just to break up the monotony, but I'm not preparing for any - it'll just be a workout. For running I'll just try to maintain about 40+ mpw, but won't force the issue if my body is asking for a break. The running seasons will obviously have an end game though. What race/distance am I working towards? And it's singular. I will have a contingency plan in my back pocket (weather/ilnness/real life/etc), but I think focusing on one particular race will maximize that performance whereas before when I've been trying to accomplish multiple goals I fell short of all of them.
Not just physically (although it is), but mentally I think this is better anyway. I'm probably not alone in this but accomplishing one goal then jumping right to the next training plan burns me out. I need a reset period. Focus on rebuilding lost strength for a few months and just accumulating mostly easier miles before getting back into training mode again. Whenever I make another run at Boston I'll have to adjust a bit, but ideally I go into such a plan stronger and healthier. I just need to make sure that like this last time I schedule 6-8 weeks on the back end to get my body right again - I'll need more time to rebuild strength since I will have lost more of it (and I'm only getting older).
So for Fall 2018 I'm setting my sights on a 5 mile turkey trot. In our December year-end report I wrote something like this year was just about BQ'ing then I'll figure the rest out later. It was and still is, so no matter how this goes this year has been a successful one. But it'd be nice to hang another accomplished goal on the 2018 mantle. I'll probably still do the 10K two weeks from tomorrow that I planned on in August because it fits the schedule, but I'm not going to taper for it like I had written down until an hour ago. The plan's for the 5 miler - with a 10K contingency 10 days after. The 5 mile was my breakthrough in 2016 (30:09) and I want to see how much I can best that number by now. So as much as it pained me to delete yesterday's strength workout and substitute it with an hour run in the woods with post workout lunges, it was time.
. And very attractive to boot. Not to mention a very nice person as well. Lost 8 pounds since my last checkup. Sitting at 151, with my goal for race day being 145. I'll get there with no problem. And since I'm a short little feller, should work out good.
or ride ?
