FINALLY!!!
Sidenote: this whole post may read like an advertisement for Strava Premium, but I don’t care. I am going to write this announcement/post about a new feature that was just released to runners (cyclists have had it for awhile).
The feature that I want to talk about and expound on is the “Fitness & Freshness Feature,” I am going to share why I like it so much and some of the applications for runners.
This evening I am writing about two different running topics that I normally talk to other runners and friends that are willing to talk about nerdy running stuff with me. I usually only bring these two up when they are interested in a brain dump of running knowledge that has worked for me
The two topics this evening are MAF training (Maximum Aerobic Function) or the Maffetone Method, which is really just heart rate training. The second topic is cadence, really it’s my take on cadence versus foot strike. I am going to be writing about what I think a runner should focus on; a heel strike versus a forefoot strike and how neither is bad for runners. I argue that cadence, not foot strike is what helps runners stay injury free, have more efficient running form, and train more effectively in the long run.
Twenty-one miles; for one run that would be tough. 21 miles in a week would be a good weekly mileage for a beginner. However, 21 miles in a month is failure when you’re training for a 100km race.
In this post I want to talk about January, specifically 2017. January has become my de facto month of no running. A quick look at my strava profile, shows that in 2017 I ran only 21 miles, 2016 was better at 91 miles, 2015 was at the worse at 5 miles, 2014 was up at 118 miles, 2013 was back down again at 17 miles, 2012 was at 80 miles. Those stats show a distinct trend. When December arrives this year, I need to prepare for January to come.
Going to start off this race report with a PSA about integrity. Cutting the course or cheating is still cutting the course no matter if you’re in 1st place or 100th place! This may have happened in races I’ve done in the past, but I was never an eye witness or had direct knowledge of it. In the Trail des Gueules Noires (Trail of the Miners) I witnessed ultrarunners knowingly cut the course because they didn’t want to back track and do the right thing.
I couldn’t believe it. I did realize that the group of runners I was with was in approximately 90-100th place and didn’t have much of a chance to win at that point but that still doesn’t matter when it comes to integrity or sportsmanship.
There was good group of us following the “main” trail and passed several Red/White striped flags and that should’ve been the first sign for me to stop and turn around. However, I chose to keep going with the crowd. We went off course for about four minutes according to my Strava. Then we hit the course again. Every other runner that was with me, choose to do the wrong thing and just continued on with others in the race that had been on course.
Time to start a new plan. 12:12…that is the goal. 2 miles in under 12:12 on an APFT is the new goal. The knee has stopped hurting and the running is starting to feel good again. It’s time to push the pace.
The only issue I run into with making a running goal is that I tend to lose focus on my strength training and endurance work. When I focus on the 2 mile event but still have Ultras in the back of my mind, I usually stray from the plan a little because I like the big runs on the weekend to train your mind to keep pushing even when the going gets tough.
I lose some of the strength focus because there is only so much time in the day and if I prioritize running speed that means I lose time to lift big. It’s why I’m thinking of starting to bring my lunch into work so that I can lift for 30-45 minutes and have the rest of lunch to eat and recover. Or run at lunch and Lift in the morning before PT.