The Plan

The first step in setting up my plan for the next (several) year(s) of training is to assess my goal(s) . Only once I know exactly what I want to receive out of my training can I go about setting up a long term strategy to manifest them.

The Goals
1. Find out how fast I can go for 1500m and in the 800m.
2. Run a decent 5k
3. Find out how far I can run.

To those of you (megumi) who are reading this I beg you to at first understand that I have left these goals somewhat vague for a reason and that the time period with which I expect to achieve them is as long as it takes. I understand that the first goal on this list may take 3 or 4 more years and if that is so then that is what i'm willing to give. If more, I am prepared. Furthermore, my aspiration to run my fastest 800m possible may root from the days when I ceased to envision myself as a miler, but I would really credit that to my desire to be a well rounded middle distance runner who can hold his own with both the sprinters and the distance junkies of track and field. Secondly, as many people may know I have a blemished record of 5000m races. Only one such track race bears my name in the results with a pathetic time topping just over 17 minutes (a time I have undoubtedly beaten on the way to many 8k race finishes). Part of this is a vengeance towards that one bad race (clearly). Part is me knowing that its just another component of a middle distance runner's repertoire. The last goal is something to truly be saved for the future once I feel I have run as many 60 second laps as possible. I suppose thats all I'll say about number three for now.

The Running Path
I sit here typing this in the last week of May, 2007, having nearly taken a full week off of running and not being able to remember the last time I've ever done something this extreme, Rest!. But as Ian noted it is necessary. NCAA division III nationals are taking place this weekend, shortly after which I will ease back into training for 52 weeks. While 52 weeks may be a runner's typical way of embodying one year, in my mind it is more appropriately 31, 556, 926 moments. Each moment being a step on a run, a though about running, or researching training. And it seems so rarely that a moment passes which is not occupied by one of those three activities. Thus these weeks of physical (and mental) recovery seem necessary to my preparation to prepare for the coming season.


The first week back will be easy, about 30 miles with my longest run topping 8 miles. Following this I will build both mileage and my long runs quickly and within a few weeks (tentatively) have long runs of about 14-18 miles on weeks of 50-60. This will be maintained through most of July on a pure basis of feel. Following this period I will of accustoming my body to high mileage I will once again increase the mileage to 70-80 miles and settle here till the start of pre-season.


However, every experienced runner knows that distance is only a fraction of the detail that makes up the run of every single day. Other important aspects are pace, effort, rest, cross-training, stretching, and much much more. To be consistent the idea that I've held the past few years remains constant: run by feel. If I feel good run fast, otherwise run slower and ease up. However, there are some minor adjustments that I will make to this basic strategy. Primarily no run is particularly hard the whole way. Rather each run begins slow like the most enjoyable run of your life, through a meadow with bunny rabbits and lolly pops. Secondly, the method of effort is fartleks, these can vary in duration and effort but are meant to make every run something of a workout that is not in vain. Lastly, listen to my body. As most runner's know (and like to ignore), no amount of expensive equipment or team of physical therapist or advice from other runner's can ever tell one what is the best training for oneself. Rather our very own body can communicate with our mind to dictate how we are feeling. This happens on a most basic level that many runners decide to think they can beat it mentally. It seems to be similar to touching a stove. When you're body tells you to pull your hand away, you pull your hand away. Running is in fact no different. When a body pleads for rest, you pull back and have an easy day, or even an off day. But on the many days in between you might be lucky enough to settle into that perfect pace where you amaze yourself at the ease with which you have just turned over 10 miles at sub 6 pace . And it is then that you may truly be a runner. I may have digressed from my original plan, but I believe that the outline is clear.


The Reasons
With any activity that has ever been pursued whether it be climbing Everest or making dinner, there is the ensuing dismal question: why? The answer to this question is something that is difficult and the myriad of reasons given by runners are often all the same:
1. Nirvana
2. Staying in shape
3. They think the offbeat road of running is something that typifies them.
Sadly, at this point in my life I'm still not sure but have developed a few explanations that seem to justify running to me. First off there is nothing spiritual about running to me. At times I question if I like the sport let alone love it. The only thing that has kept me running is the raw desire to be faster and better. In this I find meaning, to know that I've done good at the end of the day and am working towards a goal. But I also walk away from a great P.R. race knowing that there were places I could have improved and possibly gone 1 or 2 seconds faster. But that is exactly what running is, an addiction. Always knowing that we can squeeze one more second out of 3 3/4 laps and sitting there looking for it all over the track. That is how some of my workouts take place. Circling the track thinking of how this will become a race in a few short days. How I will prepare myself completely mentally and physically to test the limits of my long sprint aerobic system.

Running, unfortunately, is one of the only sports that I feel can definitely determine an athletes level of fitness and improvement over time. In that aspect it is so pure and wholesome. The only challenge that a runner faces is his own body. His mind tells him to stop. The muscles whine and ache. They tighten and scream. But the runner keeps moving. There is nothing fighting any runner except the body. Its such a well matched competition that a race hardly needs competition, one man alone might be entertaining to watch as he races himself. This is in fact the reason that I believe the ancient Greeks competed nude. While I don't stand to suggest that we run nude today, it seems to really display the purity of running as a competition between man and body. My reason to run is to conquer my body every time I race it.

The Other Aspects
Lastly, the training I will do cannot stand alone. It must be accompanied by a full service of other outlets. In my mind there is a three pronged attack to which a runner can use the knife of running to attack racing. First off is the mental support: literature. Reading while provide not only inspiration but training ideas to assist my efforts. Second: Cross training. Physically exhausting myself running for months at a time will also mentally exhaust myself. Thus it is necessary that at times running be supplemented by cycling, weight lifting, and, at times, swimming (so long as I don't drown). Lastly: social. A second build of mental support is the social component that relies on a community of running. This means, running with others, talking with others about running. At times this will even mean to talk to other people about things other than running.

The Final Notes
The summation of this plan is not quite clear yet and this is just an outline for what is to come. However, the biggest change I feel that needs to take place is an increase my endurance. Coming into this year 64's felt a rather comfortable pace for the mile. At the close of the year it came that my slowest lap at Oxy was 64 seconds for my third lap (final time = 3:56.2). One short term goal is to change that by 2 seconds so that my comfort range for 1500m is 62 seconds per lap. I think from my 400 and 800 ability it goes without saying that speed is the least of my problems for the time being. Rather I need full throttle effort to take my endurance to a new level and catapult my running to my ends.