I'm a little behind in posting my training, so the week posted below corresponds to 12/8-12/14. I am finishing up my time in the Czech Republic, still alternating between Prague and the village of Rodinov. I'll be returning to Portland on the 27th. The mild winter in Czech has allowed me to do some great base work heading into January, when I will begin more specific interval work. My workouts thus far have focused on Fartleks and hill repeats. The Fartleks have all been done in my wife's village in the Vysočina region (highlands) which offers unrelenting terrain, perfect for grueling Fartlek sessions. I have really put an emphasis on hammering the hills during these Fartleks, putting myself into debt at random points in the reps, forcing myself to aerobically recover on the flat or downhill sections while still trying to maintain a decent pace. I don't measure my pace for these workouts, and the speed would not be impressive with the terrain. I focus completely on effort, which is very high and uneven. This is not an approach I will take in my interval training, so this early base period offers an excellent opportunity practice this style of running. I don't think there can be a better type of preparation for cross country than varied terrain and tough, uneven efforts.
The hill repeats have been used for strength training. While I have done some lifting in the past, I prefer hill repeats. You can still get a great aerobic workout while building strength using normal running form, reducing the risk of injury from various lifting positions. The hills are in addition to my usual running drills and core sessions. While I certainly won't be polished heading into January, I will be very strong.
Training is progressing well for Boulder in February, but the altitude presents an additional challenge. I plan on traveling to Albuquerque with the Brooks Beasts for some time before the race in order to adjust to altitude. I have not decided exactly how long I will spend there before the race, but it will likely be a couple of weeks. This will not be enough time to maximize any boost in hemoglobin, but it should be enough to get through the most challenging segment of adaptation. I would prefer to get higher quality workouts in at sea level than spending a month in Albuquerque before the championships. There is a fair argument for either option.
Feel free to check out last week's training below. Thanks again for reading, and follow me here on Twitter for more updates.
The hill repeats have been used for strength training. While I have done some lifting in the past, I prefer hill repeats. You can still get a great aerobic workout while building strength using normal running form, reducing the risk of injury from various lifting positions. The hills are in addition to my usual running drills and core sessions. While I certainly won't be polished heading into January, I will be very strong.
Training is progressing well for Boulder in February, but the altitude presents an additional challenge. I plan on traveling to Albuquerque with the Brooks Beasts for some time before the race in order to adjust to altitude. I have not decided exactly how long I will spend there before the race, but it will likely be a couple of weeks. This will not be enough time to maximize any boost in hemoglobin, but it should be enough to get through the most challenging segment of adaptation. I would prefer to get higher quality workouts in at sea level than spending a month in Albuquerque before the championships. There is a fair argument for either option.
Feel free to check out last week's training below. Thanks again for reading, and follow me here on Twitter for more updates.
| Week 4 | AM | PM | Strength/Drills | Mileage |
| Monday | 11.5 | 5.5 | 40 minutes | 17 |
| Tuesday | 30 minutes, drills, 15 x 200 meter hills, 30 minutes | 6 | 18 | |
| Wednesday | 14 | off | 40 minutes | 14 |
| Thursday | 11.5 + drills and grass strides | 5.5 | 17 | |
| Friday | 11.5 | 5.5 | 40 minutes | 17 |
| Saturday | 5 | Fartlek (5 min, 4, 3)(4, 3, 2)(3, 2, 1) w/half rest | 18 | |
| Sunday | 20 | Off | 20 | |
| TOTAL | 121 |
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