Weekly Training: 5/2/11 – 5/8/11

With 408 running miles logged over the past 30 days, I can now say that I am the fittest I have ever been. My training is WAY ahead of where I was at this point last year and I’m setting PR’s right and left… Well, mostly left. My legs have taken a serious beating, but they rise again to the challenge each new day… with the help of ice packs and compression. Flying in the face of what I believed just a few years ago, my body responds better to consistent and increasing stress than it does to intense stress and days of rest. Short road races such as the 3.8 miler on May 1st and the 3.7 miler yesterday always produce strain and pain in my soleus muscles (lower calf). In the past I would take a day off after the race and then with increasing pain, run very lightly for the next 3 days. So yesterday when I began to feel the sharp pain and tightness in my soleus on the post race warm down I did not throw in the towel, but completed the 3.7 mile warm down, drove to a nearby park and ran an additional 10 miles on soft trails at a slow pace with a mid-foot strike. When the run was finished I had logged 20 miles for the day and my soleus felt great. Today (the day I would have normally taken off and hobbled around with great pain) I have no pain whatsoever and have already put in the first of my two 7 mile runs with very fresh feeling legs. High trail mileage seems to be the key to my newfound fitness.

I’m not suggesting that you run through all your pain. Some pain should definitely be taken seriously and rest prescribed. But the more you run, the more you begin to recognize the different types of pain. Some pains get better as you warm up and move your body, some get worse. Taking a day off for ALL types of pain will make the good pain get worse and the bad pain get better. It’s all about listening to your body and knowing what type of pain you are experiencing… That type of experience can only come from doing it wrong a number of times and falling on your face… Becoming a better runner is not just about running… It’s a gamble… and you’ve got know when to hold em, and know when to fold em. Right now I’m holding them tight, and on May 14th when I attempt to defend my first USA Masters title in Spokane, WA I’ll be tried, tested and true… Or fried, bested and blue. Only time will tell.

• Total Training Time – 14:28:01
• Total Running Time – 14:08:01
• Total Running Miles – 96.3
• Total Elevation Gain – 8,503 ft

Monday May 2nd – 02:01:54

1. Trail Run – 12.68 miles, 2:01:54

Tuesday May 3rd – 02:28:45

1. Road Run – 7.4 miles, 1:01:36
2. Trail Run – 7.78 miles, 1:27:09

Wednesday May 4th – 01:35:35

1. Upright Rower – 12:00
2. Road Run – 9.32 miles, 1:18:35
3. Stairmaster – 5:00

Thursday May 5th – 02:27:21

1. Road Run – 10:02 miles, 1:20:39
2. Trail Run – 6.89 miles, 1:03:42
3. Stairmaster – 3:00

Friday May 6th – 02:15:45

1. Trail Run – 8.06 miles, 1:20:30
2. Trail Run – 5.55 miles, 55:15

Saturday May 7th – 01:03:07

1. Road Run – 3.35 miles, 25:49
2. Road Run – 4.78 miles, 37:18

Sunday May 8th – 02:35:24

1. Race Warmup – 2.95 miles, 23:12
2. New England 6k Championships – 3.75 miles, 19:39
3. Race Warmdown – 3.75 miles, 31:15
4. Trail Run – Mine Falls Park – 10 miles, 1:21:20

Weekly, Monthly and Yearly training totals can be found at http://runningraw.com/training.html