What can I say? I’ve been slacking with my blog. Hopefully, this is the start of me getting some consistent writing done again.
I haven’t provided a real running update in a while, so here we go…
Compared to the fall/winter training of the past couple years, this year has been great. I’ve been healthy, motivated and getting fit.
I thought it would be interesting to see exactly how much better Fall/Winter training in 2011-12 has gone compared to Fall/Winter of 2010-11, so I got out my log book to have a gander. Last year was pretty pathetic:
September Miles: 0
October Miles: 0
November Miles: 0
December Miles: 0
January Miles: 59
February Miles: 116
You get the idea…I didn’t get a lot of running done. My total mileage from September 1, 2010 until the Canadian Nationals on June 22nd, 2011 was 821. An average of 19.5 miles per week!? Pretty disgraceful. At least it makes me feel a little bit better about some of the times I posted last year; the equivalent of a sub 4 minute mile on 19 miles a week!
This year I reached that amount (821) by Dec 15. and have already surpassed it by 400 miles. My past 2 months of weekly mileage have looked like this:
82, 92, 60, 84, 73, 71, 84, 91. I didn’t know I could count that high last year!
My workouts and weights have been consistently progressing and our first training cycle of the new year has gone very smoothly. Everyone arrived in Scottsdale by Jan. 3, in time for our first “official” practice of 2012. With everyone back in the fold for workout sessions, the intensity has definitely picked up. We hit the track last week for the first time and did 2x (4x400m w/ 60 sec recovery). I was 64, 64, 63, 61 – 62, 61, 60, 57.7. Not bad for the first one. The first set felt like a jog and we just cruised through the second set nice and controlled. It was nice to get the legs spinning on the track again! Certainly better than the 5x2 min jog, 3 min walk that my chubby self struggled through at this time last year!
We’re on a recovery week right now so I’m enjoying the low volume and getting ready for the three workouts in store for us next week. I think I’m the lightest I’ve ever been at this time of year since I was about 16 or 17, so I’m definitely happy with where I’m at right now.
The next 2 cycles will be all about working hard and staying consistent. Then it will be time to start thinking about racing...
Amat Victoria Curam.
- Linc
