Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Plans and Schedules

Isn't it funny how motivation works? Leading up to my 10k this past weekend, I was really struggling to stay motivated enough to continue training for it. Now, with no races lined up in the very near future, I'm suddenly brimming with it; I guess that's a good thing, seeing as I'm planning to tackle a marathon in November.

I've been reflecting on the last few weeks of running and what's been going on for me mentally and physically. Looking back through Daily Mile, I can easily track what my runs - and only my runs - have looked like in the last four weeks. Putting aside cross-training, here's my pattern lately:

As you can see, my weeks have been pretty spotty as far as running goes. Now, this isn't to say I'm not exercising on days I'm not running; the week after traveling for the wedding and all that, I didn't run at all, but I did T25 three days, including a double session on Friday.

I've also noticed that some of my shorter runs have been really hard. My legs feel tired and stiff more often lately. I know it's starting to warm up and get humid again, and my effort feels the same (or more intense), but my paces are slowing down.

My conclusion here is that I need to mix up my cross-training and make sure I'm giving my legs rest days; I also need to run at least three days a week to maintain my fitness and the mileage I feel happiest with.

Now, here's the first five weeks of the prescribed marathon plan from Runner's World's Smart Coach:
It has three days of running scheduled; I think this is ideal. Based on how I've been faring lately, I think three days a week of purposeful runs is a solid foundation. I like the idea that I could add a fun/easy run once in awhile if I wanted, and still avoid over-training.

Taking a cue from Kristina, who has been running 10 miles every weekend and is seeing physical and mental results, I'm going to start adding consistent long runs back into my "non-training" schedule. Even though I'm not training for a specific race, I need to keep doing LSD runs if I want to maintain my confidence.

So, from this point in April through July, when I begin following the plan above, my schedule will look roughly as follows:

So there's that. This week I've already done my bridge run at moderate effort (Monday), so everything else may shift a bit, but I'm looking forward to having a steady schedule to get used to.

How do you plan your weekly workouts?
How often do you cross-train?
How many days a week do you try to run when you're not following a race plan?

ABK

16 comments:

  1. Your schedule looks very solid. I also like to maintain a long run each weekend when I'm not training for something. Then when you do want to start training for something, you don't have to start from square one!

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    1. Yep, I'm hoping to avoid having to spend weeks building up; I'd like to just maintain a good level of fitness for when training begins!

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  2. We are on the same page this week!
    I was totally thinking of doing a schedule like that to build up mileage and be consistent with my pace! I totally want to work my mileage up and plan for Sat or Sun to be my "long run day." I was thinking of 10 miles as a good marker!!!

    PS~ On Saturday I was wishing I had your # to text you 1,500 questions about Ragnar ;-)

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    1. It must be because we're both in the pre-planning phase for marathon training!

      I'll DM my number to you through twitter, so you can ask away!

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  3. That schedule looks perfect for avoiding burnout and getting quality runs in!

    I plan 1 to 2 cross training days a week, but I need to focus on them more. I have no structure or routine for cross training these days and have been allowing myself to slowly elliptical my way through a TV show before leaving. I really should try T25 or something similar to maximize my XT time!

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    1. I'm thinking I need to focus on upper body more. I do some much lower body/core, but my arms are neglected!

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  4. That looks like a totally awesome schedule! I definitely agree on keeping your long run up to 10 miles for sure. it's good to have that solid base. I do not cross train near enough but I hope to do more of it when the weather gets warmer.

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    1. I hope keeping my long runs at 10 miles will mean that one day 10 miles seems as "easy" as a 4 miler!

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  5. WOOW! Yu are well planned!

    I am following you now on Bloglovin, maybe you wanna do the same?

    xx Jennifer

    www.lifting-fairy.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks for the add :o) I'm excited to check out your blog.

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  6. Your schedule looks awesome :) I really want to work up to 10 miles as well and just hang out there!

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    1. For some reason 10 miles really does just seem like a perfect distance!

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  7. Great way to refocus yourself. Easy miles have lead me to PB's this year....love easy miles!

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    1. I definitely hope taking the pressure off and purposely keeping my days running to 3 will help prevent burnout and give my legs rest so I can see some improvement in pace!

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  8. Great post Ali! It's so hard to find that magic balance between the running and cross training. Speaking from experience I ran better (and less injury prone) when I was lifting regularly and doing other cardio. Seems so hard these days to find the 45 minutes, but I am going to "tri" to get a better balance of cross training assuming I can start running again sometime soon.

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    1. I've also found weight lifting to benefit my runs! I hope you're able to come back to running soon :o)

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