Big mileage milestone for me this month: 402 (because 400 would be “eh”).  I celebrated with a big fat tempo run and on the cooldown, when I realized I had just passed the mile marker that meant 400 had officially clicked over, I had to smile.  It might not ever happen again, but I do enjoy a new most-est.

Major Training Plan Revision
It’s hilarious, aside from this season’s base-building plan, whenever I post a training plan here, a week later it’s totally changed.  Why?  Because that troublemaker Coach Adam/A Muse always sticks his 2¢ in and of course, his cents always make sense.

First off, I have to say I adore that guy.  Months ago, when I announced I’d be doing things my own way, running lots of mileage and eschewing workouts, I knew he wouldn’t be into it.  And I totally understood why – it was partially what the famous coach/scholars might suggest (off-season base-building is standard fare) but no workouts, not even strides till I felt good and ready, was unconventional and for a normal runner would not be a great idea at all.

But I wasn’t quite normal at that point, burnt-out and sad about a lack of progress, so I went ahead, knowing it wasn’t “right” but that it was right for me.  After Adam’s initial and understandable “I don’t know about this” reaction, he’s been incredibly supportive since.

So anyway, it was funny that when I posted my plan the other day, he questioned my approach, said that instead of changing so drastically, I should “double down with the experiment” and stay closer to what I was already doing!  Instead of conventional intervals, continue with the on/offs, and instead of focusing on the speed side of the week, really make it all about the tempo runs, which makes sense, since speed endurance is what I need.

Here’s his ever-sensible reasoning:
When you train for a Half, you have two ways you can go, either as an extension of 10k training or more like a marathoner.  If you’re an Elite and it only takes you around an hour to complete a Half, or if you’re a mere mortal planning on racing between 75-90min and already in 10k shape, then it makes sense to think in terms of 10k training.  However, if you’re not in 10k shape (as I’m clearly not), it makes more sense to focus closer to Half pace with visits to MP and 10k pace.  But 5K pace doesn’t really have a place in it since a 20min race is so far removed from a 90 minute one.  Specificity of training = better quality of preparation.

So for the next 6 weeks:

1. Fartleks 10x3min on/1 off at 10k pace (purposely low-key and easy)
2. Faster running will only be in the form of strides and/or hill sprints 3 times/week.  As he put it “If you do 6x100m strides 3x weekly you have, suddenly, 1800m at mile pace. But you’ve spread it out so it’s digestible, doesn’t break you down, and you’re just reinforcing good mechanics.”  So smart.
3. One of the stride days will be a drill/stride session.
4. Tempo runs in different flavors: 40minutes, a couple hour-long MP runs, one fast finish and 2 preceded by an hour of running.

So what is my Half pace?  Damned if I know, but for training purposes and potential goal, until further notice, I’ve picked 7:00 since it’s a nice round number in the correct vicinity.  But my assignment is not to get hung up on pace and to run relaxed which is helpful since weather is an unarguable factor.

Shoe Update
My Adios’ are doing well, it’s been 2 weeks and aside from 2 Kinvara days, I’ve worn them every run.  They already have 198 miles on them, their initial brightness well tempered by a thick layer of dirt.  I thought I’d post a photo since they are not without the usual Flo Quirks.

Notice the lacing; I swear my big toe knuckles are not deformed or gross looking but they were rubbing at the point where the first lace hole is, so I don’t use it.  And the left one was bugging the tendon a tad, so I took some stitches out and snipped through the lace surround (oddly enough, I’ve been doing this snipping thing at that same point on the right foot since my Mizuno Inspire days).  Lastly, I occasionally feel my right arch near the end of a longish run which I think is related to one of the stripes, but it’s not enough of a bother for me to deal with it yet.

I never did tell the whole tale of why I wanted to try other shoes.  It turns out my Kinvaras, which fit just fine if not full of sloshing sweat, do a number on my feet once the socks are soaked through.  Doesn’t matter how much BodyGlide I use either.  Remember that little injury in May when I snipped the callus from the bottom of my pinky toe?  It kept callusing over, which is good, but would then get a blister under the callus, which was as painful as the initial injury, then peel off and the whole cycle would repeat itself.  I even cut out the rubber area there to where there wasn’t any reason for it to keep happening but it did.  I also lost a few toenails that had no business being lost.

I didn’t have this problem last year, btw, but I was also only running 60mpw.  I suppose I could buy a larger size for the rest of the summer but I’m glad to have found something else entirely.  It’s fun to change it up and the Adios are lighter anyway with no toe trauma, whatsoever.

Speaking of happy toes, Ininji sent me some of their socks to review (toe socks), so I think that’ll be my next post.

Week in Review and a Chunky Tempo Run
Most of the runs were done in high 70s with dewpoints in the upper 60s or low 70s. Monday and Friday were recovery runs, Tuesday was just plain hot and difficult and I already wrote about Wednesday and Thursday in my last post.  Yesterday started with a laggardly 9:00mi but improved as it went, the last 5 miles @8:00.

But my major workout this week was today’s tempo run.  It was a big one for me, this season I’ve only done short tempos or tempo intervals and in the past, always worked up to longer ones.  But today was 5.5 miles right off the bat.  The warmup was sluggish @8:50s and when I got to my start point at 2.75 miles (due to water fountain placement) I did something new: stopped the watch and did a set of drills and strides (buttkick, stride, high knee, stride, skipping, stride), then began the tempo.

I didn’t get my goal pace, ended up with 7:11′s as opposed to Daniels’ 7:05s for a 40-min tempo, but I’m fine with it because it was 78 degrees out (Daniel’s conversion = 7:00 at 60 degrees), it took me up over the bridge twice (w/only one downhill), it was my first long tempo this year and hell’s bells, I just did 402 miles this month. Personally, I think I did a fabulous job (ok, yes, I’m annoyed that I didn’t get my goal, but I do believe I get a pass for that list of stuff).  Heart rate was good, and the 5 miles of cooldown felt surprisingly light.

Monday: 9@8:37
Tuesday: 15@8:34
Wednesday: 11.25@8:09 (4x½mi, 4x¼mi)
Thursday: 17@8:21 (drills and strides)
Friday: 13@8:42
Saturday: 12@8:15
Sunday: 13.25@7:55 (5.5mi @ 7:11)
Total: 90.5 mi (avg pace 8:22)

Very happy to have a cutback week ahead.  Only 72 miles!  Like a day at the beach.

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