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Monday, May 12, 2008
Plug Back into the Race Schedule
Did I give up on the 12-week challenge? Not at all, I just realized that 12 weeks wasn't a convenient container for the program I'm building, as it's going to last longer. My New York vacation was a good week of active rest, so now I'm embarking on another workout cycle that will last 10 weeks (70 days) and I figured it would be easiest to journal it here.
As I mentioned before, I was making a detour to shed some fat and get back to basics before continuing my running ... I feel I've built a great frame of muscle and figured out quite a bit about what's going on with me both mentally and physiologically (i.e. hypothyroid, etc). So I've decided to get back into the race circuit (makes it sound professional, doesn't it? I just mean I'll start running races again) ... this time I'm being ultra-conservative in that I'm not going crazy and risking burn out but giving myself plenty of time to work towards some manageable goals.
So, the first challenge is to run a 5K. Yes, back to basics and that won't even be until September, but with a twist. I'm targeting a 20 minute 5K.
WOW ... my last one was 26 minutes, isn't that a bit aggressive? Yes ... but the difference is that I'm giving myself months to prepare and shoot for that goal and of course as I approach it, I can always adjust if it doesn't seem practical.
My race schedule right now looks like this:
5K in September 2008 (Run for Erin most likely)
10K sometime between September and March (not sure what but it makes sense)
1/2 Marathon in March of 2009 (Atlanta ING)
Full Marathon in November 2009 (Atlanta Thanksgiving?)
Second Full Marathon March 2010 (Atlanta ING)
50 Mile Ultramarathon August 2010 (have my eye on the South Dakota Lean Horse)
That's a long cycle but I feel it's practical and it puts me at my goal after a journey that began 3 years ago ... talk about long term vision!
Anyway, let's focus on the baby steps to get there. I modified my training because I need to fit it alongside running and recovery, but I am not making the mistake I did before of eliminating weight training. I'm following a model similar to Bryan Haycock's Hypertrophy-Specific Training although with the training for running and caloric restriction its hardly optimal to gain muscle. I feel its a great recovery model.
A traditional split will have you doing multiple sets of exercises and working different body parts. For example, I might work my chest and do 3 sets of different exercises on Monday, then shoulders on Wednesday, etc. HST training has me doing full body three times a week but with a progression. I'll do a certain weight (one set each exercise, plus warmups) on Monday at 15 reps, increase on Wednesday, increase on Friday, then the next week I'll keep increasing my weight but go to 12 reps, then 10 reps the following week, etc. It's a progression of load and once I get down to 6 reps then I start back at 15 but with a heavier load than before.
To give you a reference of where I'm at and what my workout looks like, this was today:
15 reps @ 90 pounds reverse grip lat pull-downs
15 reps @ 80 pounds clean and press
15 reps @ 130 pounds flat bench press
15 reps @ 65 pounds bent-over barbell rows
15 reps @ 175 pounds squats
15 reps @ 175 pounds dead-lifts
I'll do 15 reps Wed and Fri but with increasing weight. My workout 10 weeks from now on Friday will look like (assuming I did a good job of picking my weights and progressions, that might change):
6x195 reverse grip lat pull-downs
6x140 clean and press
6x210 bench press
6x120 bent-over row
6x315 squat
6x315 dead-lift
We'll see!
On the cardio side I'm doing the traditional model that I've loved but ironically haven't applied to myself often. It's what I call the pace/distance/pair model and involves focusing on intervals, pace, and distance but not necessarily forcing the three together. In other words, on Tuesdays I'll do progressively more intense High Intensity Interval training - 20 minutes but with varying intervals of intensity. On Thursdays is my pace day. I run LESS than my target distance (5K is the target, so my training will just cover 2 miles) but at a progressive pace, starting at a 9:20 minute mile and progressing to a 7:30 minute mile 10 weeks out. So my first workout will take me almost 19 minutes to run 2 miles while my last one for this cycle should take only 15 minutes. Finally, the last workout of the week I focus on distance but don't worry about pace. I run FARTHER than my target so while I'm running 5K (over 3 miles) I'll work my distance up to 8 miles. So I get the pace down with a shorter distance, and longer runs at a longer distance, and then the goal is to tie the two together on race day.
I had a great workout this morning, overshot on some of my weights but adjusted the schedule and am ready to move forward. I'll keep you posted!
My journal is updated daily right here.
Warmly,
posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:35 AM
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