Every Run is a Great Run!

Tom, glad to hear the injuries seem to be clearing up.

On your progression runs (like the one you did on Saturday) do you end up having to make pace adjustments for changes in terrain? That seems like such a good workout, but I'm trying to think how that would work in my neighborhood with all the ups and downs. Do you have that workout programmed on your Garmin and if so, do you have a formula that you use?

Kerry - with the progression runs there is the issue of handling pace up/down the hills. So far I've been able to work it so that I run the more hilly portions early when I'm still running easy enough pace I can hold pretty steady pace even on the hills.

I've been purposely working it so the last 4 miles or so when the pace gets tougher I'm on flat or slightly downhill roads.

I don't have anything programmed in the Garmin, I've been getting the workout ideas from a book I recently purchased titled "Brain Training for Runners". The last 1/2 of the book has a whole variety of training schedules for 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, and marathon races. I'm currently following the 1/2 marathon schedule leading up to the Strider's 1/2 marathon in early April. After that I'm planning on taking it easy for a couple weeks then starting up on the marathon training schedule targeting SGM as the big race.

I'm not following the book's schedules religiously at the moment. They call for 3 harder workouts a week spaced every couple of days (Tue/Thu/Sat) including a speed session (i.e intervals or fartlek), medium paced tempo run of 4-8 miles and a long run that typically includes some miles at marathon pace. I haven't been doing the speed work during the winter as my body tells me it doesn't want to do another hard workout in the cold. I think when I start up the marathon training in April I'll add the 3rd workout.

This is probably more info than you were looking for but as I've had a couple of people ask about this I thought I'd post some details.

Thanks, Tom. That's some great information.

Tom,

Very glad to see the legs are coming around. Its interesting that these progression runs are not killing the legs as much as your other runs seem to be. I think there is VERY much to be said about the machine warming up. Today I thought I was a goner when I started my run out. I thought I would end up just doing 3 or 4 at a very slow pace. But I postponed my decision and stuck to the workout planned. By the time I got to the bottom of Summit Hill I felt ready. I think I may try one of these progressions sometime. A few weeks ago I finished a 20 miler with a 6:45 run, but had no idea I was running that fast, yet sometimes I struggle to bang out a 6:45 after just 1 mile.