"There's only one hard and fast rule in running: sometimes you have to run one hard and fast."








Wednesday, May 22, 2019

J8 Plan: 11 Miles Per Week

A week ago, my breathing problems got bad enough that I was hospitalized. I couldn't climb a flight of stairs, much less run. A couple of diagnoses and a handful of medicines and I'm back trying to run, but it's far too late in the season for me to be able to race any long distance this year. It's easier for me to run fast than it is to run for any length of time - at least right now - so I'm thinking of focusing on next winter's indoor track season.


I have had a plan for some time that I've never tried, that seems right for 800m training and it's only 11 miles per week.


At the absolute worst, I'm in about 7:00 Mile race shape. All the workouts are at about 80% effort, which is what I should be able to do comfortably every day.


Monday 4x400m hill @ 2:02/800 effort  [0.2156mile Ramsey Hill, 117 feet climb; multiplying the time by 1.33]


Tuesday 3x[ 3x300m in 92 - 1 min.] - 10 min.


Wednesday 4x200m in 57, 4x100m in 28.6 - 5 min.


Thursday 8x600m in 3:40 - 1.75 min.


Friday 20x100m in 30.5 - 1 min.


Saturday 800m in 4:05


Sunday 3x (1200 in 7:20, 400 in 115) - 5 min.


Once I can do these workouts comfortably every day, I'll go on to a three day cycle, where every third day, I cut the goal times by 20% (so, for example, 4 minutes becomes 3.2 minutes).


The main thing is: I think I can do this. I started from zero on Saturday. Saturday, I couldn't finish 800m, mostly because I went out way too fast. Sunday went about as planned, though I was weaving through the Brain Tumor 5K. Monday I did the hills faster than planned and had to stop and rest half-way on the last two. Tuesday I ran much faster than planned. Wednesday I ran much faster than planned. I don't know how much of it's the meds and I don't know how long the rapid improvement will last, but I'm going to take some weeks to see how things shake out.


The hardest thing is finding a track I can use. I can't wait for the high schools to let out!

1 comment:

wildknits said...

Wow! I can't imagine trying to do speedwork when my lungs are compromised. Well, I can actually as was just on prednisone for an asthma flare two weeks ago. And the hill repeats were way harder then trying to get in my longer runs!

Do allow for some healing time Steve! I am now a week out from the last dose of prednisone and my lungs are just starting to feel back to normal (and I was not nearly as sick as you were!!).