Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

December 22, 2024

15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Fort Collins,CO,

Member Since:

May 15, 2003

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

Unaided PR's:
5K: 14:48 (Track - 2001)
10K: 30:45 (Track - 2001)
10K: 31:32 (Bolder Boulder - 2013)
Half Marathon: 1:06:09 (Duluth - 2013)
Marathon: 2:17:54 (Grandma's) - 2014)
Marathon: 2:19:47 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2013)
Marathon: 2:19:49 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2010)

Aided PR's:
10K: 29:38 (Des News - 2011)
Half Marathon: 1:05:30 (TOU Half - 2011)
Marathon: 2:18:09 (St George - 2007)
Marathon: 2:17:35 (Boston - 2011)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in June of 2008. Started taking Enbrel in March, 2009.

Run as much as I can, and race as well as I can. Make the most of however much time I have left as an able-bodied runner.

Training for the 2018 Colorado Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run until I'm old, and then run some more. Stand tall.

Personal:

1 wife, 2 kids. 1 cat. Work as a GIS Specialist/Map Geek

Endure and persist; this pain will turn to your good. - Ovid

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. - Romans 5:1-5

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Saucony Trail Shoe Lifetime Miles:						247.50
Hoka Clifton Lifetime Miles:						491.50
Saucony Type A6 Lifetime Miles:						186.50
Saucony Zealot Lifetime Miles:						478.75
Saucony Kinvara 6 Lifetime Miles:						433.50
Saucony Kinvara 6-2 Lifetime Miles:						358.75
Brooks Pure Connect Blue Lifetime Miles:						337.25
New Balance Trainers Lifetime Miles:						314.50
New Balance 1400 Racers Lifetime Miles:						65.00
Brook Pureflow Lifetime Miles:						99.50

Tue, Sep 28, 2010

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Crosstraining miles	Total Miles
6.00	7.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	13.00

Medium Workout today. Ran the Bear River Loop, and 8 tempo miles. Warmed up with 6:23, 6:29, and then did a tinman tempo mile in 5:50. Then did 7 miles at MP (5:25, 5:24, 5:29, 5:18, 5:20, 5:24, 5:27). Cooled down for 3 miles at about 6:55/mile. Felt decent today.5:56/mile average for 13 miles.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 13.00

Comments

From Harris on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 13:47:55 from 205.125.36.103

Paul, I've got a question for you. I have heard of taking "step back" weeks like you are doing this week. I understand the purpose of them, but how can you keep yourself from peaking too soon? It seems like the body might be fooled into thinking it was a taper.

From Paul on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 14:16:41 from 65.103.252.214

Harris - I had a college teammate who used to say that peaking is 90% mental. Probably an exaggeration, but some truth to it. Anyway, since I'm not in a peaking/tapering mindset, it's probably not going to happen.

And physically-speaking, the "crash" that happens post-peak is due to losing fitness from running lower mileage over SEVERAL weeks, plus the body being brutalized by a race. Since this "step-back" is only one week (to be followed by three weeks or high to normal mileage), there won't be any loss of fitness during that short time.

The other way to "step back" is to keep the training volume the same, but cut out all quality (ie keep it really slow).

I generally race once/month or once every 6 weeks or so. Rather than "training through" races, I almost always taper during race-week. This ensures that I have a positive race experience (why race if you're going to suck?), but it also gives me a step-back week, where my mileage on race-week is quite a bit lower than normal. The third thing this does is that it gives me a nice, full racing season, rather than putting all my eggs into one basket. If the weather is bad in Indy, or if the marathon is simply an epic failure, it's still been a great year!

Anyway, the point is, I do this every 6 weeks or so, with similar cuts in volume, with only good consequences coming out of it. The only difference with this week is that there is no race at the end of it! (don't want to waste time recovering)

From Harris on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 14:34:03 from 205.125.36.103

Well said Paul. I knew that I would get a good answer. Thanks for your time and response.

From Nan on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 17:42:14 from 24.8.144.22

Hey if this is a medium workout on a rest week, I wouldn't be too worried about losing fitness. Keep it up!

From Paul on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 18:14:34 from 65.103.252.214

"Medium" is for duration, not intensity! Has to be >90 minutes to be classified as "Big".

From Nan on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 18:20:26 from 24.8.144.22

Oh, haha. I see. Well, great run!

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