T-Minus 74 Days and Counting. . .
Brutal. Fast. Suffering. Craziness. Uggh.
Those are just a few random thoughts from tonight's 5 x 1200 interval run on the riverfront path. Did them in 5:43, 5:45, 5:46, 5:53 and 5:42. Did about 60-90 seconds of run/walk in between and then polished off this buffet of pain with a 3:56 1/2 mile at the end.
These are the types of runs that try men's souls, and soles, I suppose. The first two were OK; I settled into a decent rhythm and the legs were fresh. However, by the end of the third, I was feeling some heaviness in my quads as the pace began to take its toll. This was apparent in my time in the fourth. The final interval was quick, spurred on by the fact that I was nearly done. Cooled off for a quarter and then ran the last half mile just to suffer some more.
It may seem counterintuitive that short intervals would be a key part of marathon training. However, they are important for a number of reasons. They train your body to get comfortable at a faster pace. They work your legs and cardiovascular system at a higher level. And, I think, they acclimate your body to suffering so that the longer runs, done at a slower pace, seem that much easier. Combined with our tempo runs, which in this program are between 3 and 10 miles at faster than race pace but not as fast as intervals, these runs are a perfect complement to the overall preparation.
We're set for 5 miles on Thursday as we gear up for 15 on Saturday.
Those are just a few random thoughts from tonight's 5 x 1200 interval run on the riverfront path. Did them in 5:43, 5:45, 5:46, 5:53 and 5:42. Did about 60-90 seconds of run/walk in between and then polished off this buffet of pain with a 3:56 1/2 mile at the end.
These are the types of runs that try men's souls, and soles, I suppose. The first two were OK; I settled into a decent rhythm and the legs were fresh. However, by the end of the third, I was feeling some heaviness in my quads as the pace began to take its toll. This was apparent in my time in the fourth. The final interval was quick, spurred on by the fact that I was nearly done. Cooled off for a quarter and then ran the last half mile just to suffer some more.
It may seem counterintuitive that short intervals would be a key part of marathon training. However, they are important for a number of reasons. They train your body to get comfortable at a faster pace. They work your legs and cardiovascular system at a higher level. And, I think, they acclimate your body to suffering so that the longer runs, done at a slower pace, seem that much easier. Combined with our tempo runs, which in this program are between 3 and 10 miles at faster than race pace but not as fast as intervals, these runs are a perfect complement to the overall preparation.
We're set for 5 miles on Thursday as we gear up for 15 on Saturday.
posted by W.S. Wuori at 9:38 PM
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