The Long Road Home - Record Keeping

It's a good idea to keep detailed records of one's running, because one's memories may not match the facts. I kept sketchy records for long periods and I really wish I had what I needed, but I have to make do with what I have.

I would say that in my best years of running, my best race was always my first of the year. Spring comes suddenly in Minnesota and, not running on snow and ice and wearing two or three fewer layers, it was hard to know just what shape I was in when I'd start that first race, so I'd go with the leaders and hang on as long as I could. One year, I memorably beat a world record holder, a 2:09 marathoner, an Olympian and several college All-Americans in a 5 mile in March, setting a personal record, even though I wasn't in the top 50 finishers! Then, discovering I was in better shape than I thought, I'd ramp up my training and would quickly fall apart, just as allergies and hot weather set in.

The records show something entirely different.

The year of that fast 5 mile, I set a PR at 10K three months later and had several good races through the summer and into the fall. I did no formal speedwork, as I was trying to get ready for a marathon and all I cared about was running high mileage (not the 85-110 of a few years later, but in a six week cycle of about 70, 85, 85, 70, 55, 45 miles, with races in the last two weeks) and getting in long runs of 21-24 miles. All of it's written on one sheet of paper! Except for races, I only ran fast a few times, usually before races and always marked "6 miles fast" which would've been under 6 minutes per mile, but not 5 1/2 per.

The high mileage, the hard speed sessions, none of that actually happened in my two best years. It was early enough (age 19-21) that I was improving, no matter how I trained and I felt "well, I know better now" a few years later when I had changed how I trained. But... I didn't run as well.

This has me re-thinking what I'm doing now.