Each Day Is a Gift

I am with you Smooth I never know what pace to run. If I were to hire a running coach that would be the first thing I would want to know.

I am with both you ... I want a running coach too!! :)

Check out your pushups Miss Smooth!! Especially your max out point -- you're AWESOME!!

Coach Marion here- run for fun on recovery days. Who cares what the pace is, unless it is too fast ;) You speedy chicks!

Actually I was wondering that very thing this morning. I have heard something like it is 2 min miles slower than race pace??? Does that sound familiar???

Yeah for the push-up challenge, , , you're gonna have the cutest arms when it's over ( you probably already do, but I've never met you :) ) We're starting our day 1/ week 1 tonight, , , we're right behind ya!

Smooth, I'm so impressed with your miles, I'm still confused as to the whole, tempo, recovery etc etc paces. Like I was saying on Sat I've always just run what I've felt. Now that I'm trying to 'train' I really should figure it out! Kelli told me that for tempo etc pace (it may have recovery pace) go to mcmillanrunning.com and use their running calculator. I did it once, but I don't remember all it said. Try it, it may give you a good estimate!

RAchel- that mcmillanrunning.com was really cool. That totally answered my question :) THANK YOU!!!

Kathie,

Yes I want a personal coach, a warm body to tell me what I'm doing right and what I can do to reach my potential.

Teena,

I'm gonna have Daikon (a short and stubby Japanese turnip) arms.

Marion and Rachel,

I am following the mcmillan pace chart. I run my tempo, speed workout and long runs according to those paces. It is very useful and easy to understand.

I want to experiment or play with my recovery run paces a little. I learn that once you've achieved a certain level of fitness (usually after a long run) your recovery pace change. My legs WANT to run faster on recovery days. I believe in the principle of muscle memory. In essence, if your fitness level has improved, your recovery pace should reflect it.

Bear in mind that recovery days serve a very important purpose. Run them too hard (too long or too fast), you'd defeat the purpose or risk injury. The widely accepted standard is to run it 60-90 seconds slower than marathon pace and no farther than 6 miles.

My thinking is that after you've reached a certain level of fitness, your body has a "base pace" memory. That pace is one that you can run for long distance. So, I think why not run recovery run in that base pace which may varies in a training cycle from week to week.

Yes Smooth- so wouldn't you input your latest improved race info and then the calculator would reevaluate your recovery day? When are recovery days used vs easy days?

I have so much to learn!!!! This is getting complicated!!! I guess I better start studying all this.

Good job getting on the TM!! It takes alot of will power to ride that machine!!

My easy days have recovery pace as well as medium long run paces. Recovery days can be anything from walking, cross training to active recovery runs. So yah, easy days and recovery days can be the same. I look at recovery as a VERY IMPORTANT part of training. I use it to gauge how I'm going to do for the next workout.

Yes, you can input your latest race info to get your "new" paces. I don't always RACE all my races, as a matter of fact, most of my races are run as training runs. Thus, I need to tweak my training over a training cycle.

To answer your questions on WHEN to use recovery vs easy. I always have a recovery day before or after speed work and long run. Easy days are where I run the aerobic based miles such as on medium long run days (8 - 13 miles).

Ok- so on the mcmillanrunning.com thing it said that recovery pace was 12:31-13:01 and easy was 11:30-12:01. Long run pace 11:31-12:31. See, I thought that easy and recovery were the same thing, but mcmillanrunning.com has it as very different paces. I am so confused and I REALLY appreciate you helping me :D thank you !!!

Smoothie Q,

Question for you. What days are you spending in Boston? Just found out that Ry's President's Club is from April 17-19. STINK!!!

Teena,

We'll probably fly in on Sat the 18th and fly home on Thu the 23. What's Pres. Club? Where is it and what do you do those days?

President's Club is a fancy get-a-way for the Execs and top sales people. We were never concerned about it because they had never invited anyone from the home office (except for the Executives) before. This year is the same with the exception of Ryan. It's at the L'Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa in Del Mar, California. Stink!!! Maybe I could just leave a day early and Ry could meet me in Boston. I don't know. Then again, maybe this won't even be an issue ... we'll see what Toronto has to say.

Marion,

Mcmillan's calculator doesn't describe recovery days. The recovery pace you mention is classified as "recovery jogs". You can use that pace range on recovery days as well as in speed work intervals for recovery. For example, you run your 800m interval at 10:00 then jog 400m at 12:30. Long runs and easy runs paces are very similar with just 30 sec difference on the slow end. Naturally you run your easy runs on a much shorter distance and can hold a faster average pace than a long run. Does that make sense?

Teena,

Tough decision. I know what Larry would say. I very much hope Toronto will give you the go ahead with Boston. I think you should go and have fun in Del Mar for two days and fly into Boston Sunday. I can always pick up your bib and packet for you. It will be SO FUN!

Ah Ha! I think I am finally getting it :D I understand the recovery jog! So, should Mondays be an easy day or a recovery day for me (I don't ever run on Sunday and Saturday is my only "hard" day for now)?

Ry is saying that he will turn the President's Club down. But I don't want him to do that.

I'm already worried about the classes I am going to miss, etc.

Okay ... not a big deal. This is not something to stress out about. Sorry Smooth ... I'm better now!

Love you!

Marion,

Saturday being your only hard day and you have a complete rest day on Sunday, I'd make Monday an easy day. Run those at the middle range of the pace, say 11:45.

I think your plan of running one Tempo a week on Wed. is a good idea. Tempo run is not easy. You run it at a somewhat uncomfortable pace for 4 miles or so. If you have a race on Sat., then omit the Tempo run for that week.

Thanks Smooth! Sorry to hog your blog! Maybe I should change my blog title to Blog Hog :D xoxoxoxo- you're the best!

Marion,

One word about recovery days. If you had a race on Sat. Recovery days can be on Sunday AND Monday. I'm not sure with the shorter distance races. But with anything longer than 10K where you really raced it, I'd take at least two recovery days. On Sunday I'd go for a 1-2 miles walk, like an evening stroll with your family. (It's wonderful especially in mild temp days). On Monday I'd run a recovery run of a distance no more than half of the race at recovery paces. I call these active recovery.

I am taking notes! I learned alot! Thanks!

Hey, that was our EXACT avg pace from Saturday. How did you pull that off??

You are amazing, keep up the great work. You inspire me daily to be better when I enter your blog and see your cute picture!

Yes, I understand that. We love to go on walks on sunday afternoon :) so for example, yesterday my legs were not sore at all, just tired. For todays run, they were tired as well. So, I'd just run a nice recovery day and then hit the easy paces for the rest of the week until after my tempo or long run.

Marion, you got it. You actually did some recovery miles after your 5K on Sat. I did that after my 5K race and was so tired that I couldn't go more than 6 miles. My 5K pace was 8:00, the 6 miles after I got home were 9:30. 5Ks are hard, take as much recovery days as your body needs. Every body has different physiological responds. For example, the older you are, the longer it takes to recover. So listen to your body and not to what everyone says including mine.

Are you calling me old??? ;) Just kidding :) My biggest problem is that my body is always telling me to lay on the couch and never get up. It really cries a lot when I say it is tempo day and it trys everything to get out of racing. I just needed some info to help me think a bit analytically about running. I'd claim that everyday should be recovery and never push myself. I am a bum at heart! ;)

Marion,

You crack me up. No, I'm not calling you old. I'm referring to my "mature" physque. K, no more listening to the "bum at heart". You've got the spread sheet, the positive attitude, the sweet enthusiasm, now mcmillan's torture chart, you're all set. Hey, you already know the pure joy of running just for the sake of running. We don't need to make it complicated. Keep up the good work!

thanks Smooth! You have helped me a ton! The paces will help me kick my bum, but not hurt myself.

It will help you run to your potential. I learn that it won't kill you by running fast. Your body or brain is wired to prevent you from doing that.

Wow, smooth I have learned more from reading your blog tonight than any other web site I've been to! Thanks for all the free advice, I think maybe I should hire you as my running coach.

There's some great info on your blog, Ms Smooth. I've been overdoing my easy runs.