Old Runner (but not done)

I now have to admit I am officially an old runner. I'm 48. Not ancient, but not young either. Sure, I can keep up with others in my age group, and usually do well when compared to anyone over 40. Heck, I can often beat runners who are in their 30s. But I'm no match for those in their 20s. Yesterday's 1-mile race, against engineering undergrad students, showed my age. When competing against people aged 18-22, I lose. They don't even train or warm-up! They saunter up to the starting line, pull off their hoodies, and race. And they run fast! Sub 6:00 minute miles are normal for them. That's fast for me. Yikes. I warm-up, race, and cool down...and still suffer from post-race aches and pains. Geeeeez. I am getting old. I didn't come in last place, but my 6:15 pace was more than a minute behind the winner. He was a 4:30 miler in high school. The course we ran around campus was full of sharp turns, wet and icy sidewalks, and other students "walking around" on our race course. I think I could have run about 6:00 if it was a real road race (rather than on walkways and sidewalks on campus). 6-minute pace is fine, but still slow compared to many of these young ones.

Still, I feel if it was a 5K, I'd have a much better chance against these students. They seem to lack stamina and endurance. Make it a 10K and I'd probably be very competitive. Half-marathon or marathon and I might beat them all. Turn it into an ultramarathon and I'd clean up big time. Is that the natural progression of an aging runner? Do I need to forego short races and concentrate on the endurance events? Maybe that isn't too bad. But I'm not ready to throw in the towel...yet.

I have 365 days to train for next year's "Engineering Week" 1-mile run against those same young undergrads. If I adjust my training slightly, add in some faster runs next winter, and stay healthy and injury-free, I might be able to lower my 6:15 time to around 5:30. That could place me in the top 3 in the E-Week team competition. Hope...it does a body...and soul, good! Of course, every year I get older and these darn students are the same age! Damn. If this year sees me completing my 100th ultra/marathon, then maybe next year can be focused on half-marathon, and shorter, distances. New 5k, 10K, and half-marathon personal records? Maybe. I'm an older runner, but I'm not done. I have new PRs ahead of me. Really, I do.

Ultra Race Start to 2014: DNF, DNS

We've hit mid-February and I am 0-2 on ultra completions. I ran 20 miles through the snow, ice, and wind at the Sorta Riddle Run 28 miler, but that is still a DNF. This weekend was the Lake Mingo 28-Mile Fat Ass. I didn't even start! Count that as a DNS. My sprint to 100 ultra/marathons is off to a rocky start. I'm still stuck on 89. Hope to have 100 by the end of this year. Maybe not. Next up is the Land Between the Lakes trail marathon on March 8. Hope I start...and finish.

I'm confident I'll finish LBL on March 8, then I have Clinton Lake 30-Miler on March 29. I'll finish that one too. Total will be 91 ultra/marathons. Those two finishes should establish some momentum, and get me through winter and into spring! Not sure about the Illinois Marathon on April 26. I'm thinking I should run it, but not try for a fast time. Boston is out of reach right now. Still, adding to my race total will feel good.

For now, I just want to get rid of this persistent cold and cough. Probably another 2-3 days before I feel back to normal. Need to build my aerobic base again. Lots of zeros in the training log lately. Also, I would really love to see the ground. Everything has been white, white, white for weeks and weeks. Snow, please go away.

Just Run

I've been riding highs and lows the last few weeks. Great training, then slight injury, then OK training, then not, then another injury, then nothing, then...

Time to stop. I need to just run. No plans. No goal races. Yes, I'll race. But no more pressure for PRs or Boston qualifying. Those will come. Yes, I'd like to hit 100 ultra/marathons by the end of this year, but it's looking less likely and I don't want the added pressure of keeping to my proposed schedule of ultras. They'll come. If not this year, then next. Same with new PRs.

For now, I'm just going to run. Distance and paces determined WHILE ON THE RUN itself. Step out the door and get going. That's my new mantra. Maybe only 2 miles, maybe 12. Too cold, too windy, too icy? Then off to the gym and treadmill. That's cool. I have nothing to prove to myself or others. I've done the crazy snow and ice runs. I've done a sub-24 hour 100-miler. I've run over 300 miles in one week. Nothing to prove.

I'll probably skip the Lake Mingo 28-mile fat ass next weekend. If weather is OK, I may do one 7-mile trail loop, then socialize over beer and chips. Guess ultra/marathon #90 will have to wait. Probably happen at the Land Between the Lakes trail marathon on March 8. Even if I'm not trained, I can finish a trail marathon with ease. Might not be able to race it well, but simply finishing 26.2 miles is a fairly pedestrian achievement. It'll happen. Then Clinton Lake 30-miler on March 29. That sucker is going to be harder...but I'll finish. Really wanted to return to the race I started and directed with a big bang...might be more of a whimper...but it'll be OK. Can still finish and drink with my buddies. It's only 30 miles of hilly trails.

Time to just run. Keep calm. And run.

New Training Plan: Lots of Aerobic Miles + Dash of Speed

Don't want to jinx anything, but I think I'm back on track after getting injured early last week. Speed did me in! Guess I'm not ready for 6:05 pace. That's fine since my (hopeful) marathon pace is 7:49. The last week I've been doing all aerobic runs--keeping heart rate under 65% HRR (heart rate reserve). Seemed to heal my injury. My plan for all of February is to switch from the FIRST system of 3 runs/week (fast repeats, tempo, and long run) to something like 6 runs/week (4 easy aerobic, one progressive tempo run, and one long). I seem capable of 8:00 pace at about 70% HRR. According to most coaches, anything under 75% HRR is considered easy aerobic running. I basically follow Arthur Lydiard and Roy Benson (they have a ton of overlap). Here are Benson's zones (HRs are based on my resting=50, max=190):

Max Recovery= 60-65% = 134-141
Jogging Fat Burning = 65-70% = 141-148
Long Endurance = 60-75% = 134-155
Stamina = 75-80% = 155-162
Tempo AT = 80-85% = 162-169
VO2 Max = 90-95% = 176-183

I plan on keeping most runs under 70% HRR, the progressive tempo effort will start around 60% and move toward 85%. The weekly long run will still be easy, but with a bit of cardiac drift, I'll allow up to 75% HRR. Hope to have one full rest day. Maybe two. Not sure this will get me to Boston, but it should develop my aerobic capacity and keep me injury-free. That'll be fine for February. One month at a time!

Two Coach Roy Benson books I like:

Coach Benson's Secret Workouts: Coachly Wisdom for Runners About Effort-Based Training

Heart Rate Training