3rd Generation Strider Training

My grandson, a 3rd generation Dr. K. Strider, was caught on film last weekend doing 50 meter intervals!  He said he likes jumping better than running, though, so he may end up being a field event guy!

Training for the Mile Run (breaking 5 minutes)

One reason for the title is to get more blog hits.  When people are searching for tips on training, our titles are in the search, but if they are too general, such as "training update," then a search will be unlikely to bring them to our useful blog.

Moving along, I hope to make a stab at  sub-5 mile this year, although it is not at all easy.  I just ran 5:45 last Friday, and it hurt!  I keep thinking my main problem is low mileage.  I've been averaging about 25 to 27 per week for the last month now, but that is probably not enough, even when I start including serious speed workouts and intervals.  My long runs so far are about 7 to 7.2 miles.  I don't see much reason going higher than 8 miles to train for a mile, though.  Any thoughts?

Mark

The Second Mile!

Today, I ran my first "official" mile time trial, eclipsing my goal time of 5:48 by 3 seconds, with an early season 5:45.1.  Splits were only slightly erratic:  86, 2:54 (88), 3:22 (88), and then about 83 for the kicker.   I warmed up well, then settled in behind the start line, said “Set!” out loud (and there were some people around), then scuttled up to the exact one-mile start line, and said “Boom!”  (slightly quiet, as I was embarrassed).  Although I was technically one second over my goal time at 3/4s, I felt in control, and was certain the Norton barrier (search blog for significance of the Norton Barrier) was in hand.  It was only a question of how much I wanted to kick and how far under I wanted to go.  I even told myself a few times during the mile, that I didn’t want to suffer too much early in the season.

Even after surgery and a long time off this winter, I seem to be almost right back where I was in 2011, when I ran 5:40 for my first mile time trial on April 16.  In fact, I’ve been running a bit more mileage this year, so it’s possible have a better base, but simply not the speed yet.

After I finished, I said “I hate running” and temporarily wondered what it would be like to simply enjoy running and never really race or do time trials again, except for fun.  But that thought quickly passed, and I ran two quarters in 86 and then 83.6 a few minutes after the “mile time trial.”

Mark

Training is ahead of schedule

Due to the mild winter and early spring (although now we're back to normal temperatures), I'm running more than usual for this time of year.  The past two weeks have been about 27 miles, with long runs of over 7 miles, lots of trail running, and at least one faster workout each week.  This past week, I did a tempo run, where the total run was 4 miles, but within that 4 miles, I ran 2 miles on the track at a 7:15/mile pace.  Yesterday I ran 5 miles on trails at 8:25/mile, the fastest "easy" training run this year.  It felt good!

Toying with the idea of a half marathon in May.

Still Here

Most days I run and/or ride a bicycle (sometimes a real one and sometimes an excercise bike). But I keep getting slower. I am trying to eat such that I can drop some weight because I still believe that were I twenty to thirty pounds lighter I could run a lot faster.

Running on Hatteras Island does need lead to good times because all the running is on the road or the beach, but never on a track. When I run in Charlottesville my times start getting better, but then it is back to Hatteras Island and I start slowing down again.

I'm still not giving up look forward to the day when I can once again run a respectable mile.

Coach Dave and His Team

Dave is in the last row on the left.

One the runners in this photo recently ran 48.75 for 400 meters on an indoor 300 meter track. Congratulations to the athlete and his coaches.

Two Great Runners with Moustaches

Steve Prefontaine and Mark Raybuck