So, I feel to start this post, I have to give some background on my habits and personality. I have a lot of follow-through. I like to complete things. I thoroughly enjoy exercising and really don't enjoy cutting back. This said, I also do not like the idea of having a personal coach for my race schedule. Working out is my thing. I like to do it on my time and the way I like to do it. If I am training for something specific, I like to research it myself and prepare on my own. This is just me.
THAT SAID, do people who have coaches perform better than me on the various triathlon or marathon events? OH, MOST DEFINITELY. Do these people have more expertise, better support, a better handle on their nutrition, hydration, gear, planning, preparation? ABSOLUTELY. I just like handling it on my own. I enjoy it on my own, and I am not ready to risk not enjoying it with a coach. THAT SAID, do I sometimes have a casual conversation with a coach and learn something profound that makes me think, "I should probably have a coach"? All the time.
For instance, yesterday, I had a great conversation with Mark Miller. (I wish that Mark Miller had a website or something to reference him, but alas no. He can be found on the Fleet Feet training website.) Yesterday, at my speed workout, Mark happened to mention that anyone running the Tom King this weekend needed to cut the workout in half. I do not like to cut a workout in half, but I did (after privately asking him if this was really necessary, to which he kindly replied that it was).
After finishing my halved workout, I asked Coach Miller several things about my lacking running performance. I feel like I am running hard on my weekend long runs, but just not going very fast. It appears that at my current paces, I am not on track for my goal time at the Boston Marathon (3:20). I am training more than I did for my Boston qualifier, yet without any gain in speed.
Coach Miller gave me a novel tip that I have not heard before yesterday morning. Just as a rule of thumb, he told me I should never do more than four hand workouts within 10 days. The rest of my workouts should be with a heart rate of 130 - 140. He said that it would be amazing how slow I felt I was running, but it would allow me to improve more in my hard workouts.
Honestly, I had been going it rather hard. So, I am taking my heart rate monitor everywhere I go and I am only going above a 13-140 heart rate 4 times per 10 day cycle. I will keep you posted on how it all pans out. My weekly schedule runs as follows:
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 2:30 PM Swim 1.5 hours | 8:30 AM Swim 1.5 hours | 6:00 AM 1 hour track workout | 8:30 AM Swim 1.5 hours | Run | 8:30 AM Swim 1.5 hours | 6:00 AM Long Run at Upwards of 20 miles |
| | Gilad | Yoga | Gilad | Trainer Ride | Yoga |
|
| Sometimes run | | 6:30 PM Swim 1.5 hours | Yoga | | |
1 comment:
Actually Mark Miller has a "sort of" website through East Nasty - the run group he started.
http://eastnasty.wordpress.com
And, you know...coaches are not bad things. I have one. I went through a lot to find the right one...and I was just like you on this before...but to get better you gotta have one. And mine doesn't boss me around or anything. She actually is really, really great and boy...wait and see what output I provide this summer after she trains me like a stud! (ha ha)
Have a great Tom King. I'll try to cheer for you. Make sure you watch the weather and dress appropriately. (There's the coaching coming out of me.)
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