Rise of the Dragon Runner and the Beginning of Phase
III
Accounting
for the last seventeen days, the work out has developed beyond the daily
grind. First of all, the first eight
days were run in temperatures 89 – 98 degrees F (32 -37 C). Even so, I was able to run a full three miles
on each of those days. The hard part to
believe is that I didn’t lose any appreciable pace. All of the runs came in just seconds under
the 10 min/mile pace. Now this seems
disappointing, but it’s encouraging for a couple of good reasons. First, a recognizable pace is always a sign
of strengthening muscles and the will is solidifying. Secondly, I still weigh around 200 pounds, so
it would be unreasonable to expect any form of the old bounce with so much
weight on. Thinking of it in reverse,
what would have happened when I was training at 7:30/ mile over 10-12 mile
distances if I had strapped on forty or fifty pounds of dead weight? I feel pretty good about where I’m at.
The
next nine days have had good surprises. None of the runs were less than three miles,
and none were any slower, but two of the runs came in under 9:20 per mile. These were both on days over ninety degrees
(Dragon Runner), and they weren’t difficult.
Sometimes the track has competition on it, and seeing a lean young
runner half my age or less going around only a little faster than me perks up
my drive appreciably. Early spring two
years ago I was starting out around twelve minute miles, so considering the
fact that I’m not trying to run faster, it’s another area I have reason to be
thankful for. On top of all that, four
days ago I felt good near the end of my run, so I added a full mile in one
shot! I had been adding one or two laps
to get up to three miles. As if that
weren’t good enough news, this weekend was a bit cooler (mid 80’s F), and I
felt so good, I ran a pair of five mile runs, just like that, without wearing
in the four mile distance. Not only
that, but both the four mile run, and both five mile runs were within seconds
of the same sub-ten minute pace, proving that it really is a developed
pace. I couldn’t be happier! (Not to even mention the fact that the last
three runs were with a broken toe)
This
all means that Phase III begins now.
Recall that Phase I is the level at which any distance run is a success,
no matter how small, because it’s done in painful little pieces at a poor
rate. Phase II was where a standard run
developed and a pace emerged. Remember,
that the sub-10 minutes won’t impress anyone, but when every single three mile
run comes in within thirty seconds of every other run, it’s a real, live
pace. The value is that it’s not such a
plodding, weighted down feeling. The
faster the run, the sooner it’s done, and when a pace emerges, it’s the result
of increasing muscle tone which is more comfortable. At this point, it’s easier to run faster than
it is to run slower. Finally, Phase III
produces longer runs than the standard minimum, which I take to be three
miles. This means there is no day, with
no conditions under which I can’t run three miles at my current standard
pace. So, the work outs from now on will
have to come under a real program with some logic. For example, the Saturday run should become
the long, easy run for maximum distance, and Sundays should be some sort of
resting run, perhaps the standard minimum.
At any rate, it’s time to star charting daily progress and reflecting on
useful observations about diet and such.
Times 11:00
am – 5:00 pm
Temps 82
– 98 F (28 – 37 C)
Conditions Sunny,
humid (only three days of cloudy)
Runs 14x
3.0 ; 1x 4.0; 2x 5.0 miles (total 56
miles)
Rates 2x
sub 9:20 ; 13x 10:00 ; 2x 10:20
Weight 195
lbs (movement at last!)
Injury Threats broken
little toe on right foot (ignore)
losing
toe nail on middle toe of right foot (ignore)
tight
hamstring (right) after four miles (why after four miles?)
stiff
left heel, but not during running, mostly after waking up
Alerts I
read that it is wrong thinking to have aspirin or NSAIDs in the body
during
long runs, as they mess with the kidneys.
Must take my man-spirin
either
early or late, but not just before
Odd I
also read that more runners have suffered from too much water
(hyponatremia) than too little water
(dehydration). Odd, but once again
good
sense wins out; the advice is to drink to thirst, not to schedule.
Mileage YTD 132
miles (211 Km)
Time YTD 1309 minutes (21:49:00)
