Here we go again...

After the tough (yet rewarding!) training season last summer/fall, I was definitely ready to take a hiatus from running. The biggest mistake I made between my first and second marathons was the lack of rest. I did not take a break after running the Disney World marathon in January of 2009. It made sense- I had an amazing experience training for and running the Disney Marathon. I didn't want the season to end, so naturally, I kept it going in the only way I knew how- I signed up for countless races and kept running with my running buddies. I ran the Manhattan Half marathon 2 weeks after running Disney, which may seem crazy to most, but why not take advantage of the amazing running shape I was in? Besides, I wanted to get my "special prize" that you get from running all five of the Grand Prix borough half marathons in one year. (OK the special prize is just a patch- but it's the honor that counts!)

Needless to say, I unnecessarily over trained for no reason whatsoever. I had no big events coming up, and there was no reason for me to continue to do long training runs (except to keep my friend Lauren, who was training for a May marathon, company. I had to keep up with the gossip!).

Throughout my second marathon season, my race paces for every distance steadily got slower and slower. Running became emotionally and physically draining, and the only thing I wanted to was be injured so I could just quit. In a way, I was injured- mentally injured. Running was not fun. I couldn't keep up with the people I used to love to run with all the time. I was in desperate need of rest, and as soon as I crossed that finish line in San Francisco, I vowed that I would take a REAL break this time.

And I did! I took a short break from working out, and when I started again, I focused on easy strength training, yoga, and long NYC walks. When I eventually started running again, I would not go longer than two miles- at a very slow pace on the treadmill. If I was struggling to get through a workout, that was okay. I would try again next time.

All those factors got me back on track. Now I strength/cross about four days a week, and this has made running SO much easier. While I haven't really increased my mileage too much (generally won't run longer than a 5K), my speed has improved dramatically. I give full credit to the increased amount of strength/cross training, and intense interval runs.

I alternate between a few different interval workouts on the treadmill. I have stolen them all from the crossfit website, and even though they are simple and short, they can be hard! With interval training, the length of the workout is not as important as making sure are getting a killer ass-kicking. After these workouts, it takes an hour or two to get my face back to its normal color. And I sweat like crazy. It's pretty embarassing actually :)

The interval workout I started with is a .25 sprint alternated with a 90 second walk repeated 8 times.

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

90 second walk

.25 mile sprint

DONE



1/4th mile may not seem like a long distance, but if you really push yourself (which is the point of this exercise), it will hurt! (in a good way)

The second interval workout I use is slightly more interesting.

1 mile sprint

rest 3 minutes

.75 mile sprint

rest 2 minutes

.50 mile sprint

rest 1 minute

.25 mile sprint

DONE

obviously, the goal is to get faster and faster with each shorter distance. and it is hard to push out a mile as fast as you can when you are not warmed up! This reminds me of our mile repeats we do with Team in Training- 1 mile as fast as you can alternated with a recovery mile- three times. The goal with that workout is to make the 3rd repeat your fastest. This almost never happens :) That workout will come later in the season, and I will keep you posted!

The most recent interval workout I have incorporated uses half mile sprints.

.5 mile sprint

2 minute walk

.5 mile sprint

2 minute walk

.5 mile sprint

2 minute walk

.5 mile sprint

DONE

For some reason this one has become the hardest one. I think this is because I try to run the half miles at the same speed I would run a 1/4 mile. Whatever the reason, I don't really care.

These workouts really work, and none of them will ever take longer than 25 minutes. Intervals always work if you push yourself hard enough. They will make you faster and stronger in every aspect of your life. I have watched my regular 5K workouts get easier and faster without any tears and stress.

I have just begun training for the New York City Marathon with Team in Training (my 3rd season!). So far I have been taking it easy, and not doing to much too soon. I am very interested in seeing how my new attitude and workout regime affects this season.

Back on my feet

I must admit, the last month and a half of my workouts have not been terribly exciting. I am back on the treadmill, and due to the most recent weather shift in NYC, I'm also back in the park! (I give much credit to my running buddy Lauren for getting me out there!)

I have been experimenting with a few interval workouts on the treadmill. I was looking for something with high intensity that would get my heartrate up but not scare me away from running again. The first model I used was the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" workout. This is a 30 minute interval run where you begin at a moderate speed for 5 minutes and increase the speed by .5mph for 4 minutes, increase by .5 for 3 minutes, etc. For example:

6MPH 5 min
6.5MPH 4 min
7MPH 3 min
7.5 MPH 2 min
8 MPH 1 min
REPEAT

This was a great way to ease my body back into high speeds again. And it DID make me go faster. On days that I wouldn't have much time on the treadmill, I would turn it into a 4, 3, 2, 1 workout. Eventually, I would forgo the 5 altogether and do 3 sets of 4, 3, 2, 1. I was also able to increase the inital speeds and inclines once I became more comfortable.

Unfortunately, I had done just that. Become TOO comfortable with these workouts. Coach Ramon used to tell us that "pain is weakness leaving the body." You need to feel that pain in your training in order to see results. So I went searching for another workout.

I found a workout on the Crossfit website last week that I decided to experiment with.

8 rounds of:
Run 400 meters
Rest 90 seconds

Post total time to comments not including 8th rest.

I was a little skeptical about having such long periods of rest (90 seconds). Isn't resting for the weak? I don't need a break that often! And it's true, I didn't need breaks that long. BUT the 90 seconds of of rest (My rest was a 3.0 MPH pace) every .25 miles allowed my heart rate to slow down enough so my next interval really packed a punch. Extreme changes in heartrate and intensity will warrent the most extreme results, which is why someone doing fast intervals will usually be in better shape than a strictly endurance athlete.

Also, the rest periods allowed me to get to some pretty fast speeds: 10 MPH and faster!

I think these new interval workouts really impacted the success of my race on Sunday. THis Sunday morning, March 7th, I ran the Coogans 5K. This is one of my favorite races, A) because it is only a 5K (a short distance to race) and B) because the race takes place mere steps outside my apartment. Despite all that, I would have been very ready to forgo the race had it not been for my friend, Lauren, who's race number I'd promised to pick up. I had spent the previous night dancing, drinking, AND carb-loading with a slice of pizza at 4AM. By race time, I was running on 2 1/2 hours of sleep with vodka running through my veins.

All these factors led to one of the most successful and enjoyable races of my running career. I don't know if it was because there was zero pressure for me to succeed, or if I had discovered the magic race combination of Vodka + pizza - sleep; but regardless, I am not going to overthink it. For the first time in about a year, I had a truly great run that will hopefully boost my confidence for future runs.

Also, I REALLY enjoyed racing to my "In the Heights" soundtrack. Very appropriate for the neighborhood :)

In other news...

Believe it or not, it is almost time for fall marathon season! I went to a team in training meeting on MOnday night, and now am full force into Team in Training marathon mode. I am very excited to start training again (for the NYC marathon!) in May.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the beautiful weather!