A little over a week has passed since the USA XC Championships, and I'm happy to say that I'm feeling fully recovered. I took a day off after the race, and then bumped the mileage back up pretty quickly, but there were easy miles and were taken completely by feel. I did a few sets of 150 meter strides to loosen the legs up during the week and then jumped into a 10-mile tempo for my first workout back on Saturday. I wasn't sure how my legs would feel after coming down from altitude and following the 12km XC race the weekend before, but they responded surprisingly well. I ended up running 49:23 for the 10 miles (4:56), but more importantly, I felt smooth doing it. The unusually warm and sunny February weather here in Portland makes it easy to get out the door and get pumped up for training. I feel a little guilty even mentioning it with the East Coast and mid-East taking a pretty solid beating again, but I'm sure we will pay for it with a rough Spring in the Northwest. You don't get a beautiful February like this here for free.
Over the next few weeks we will start upping the intensity of workouts again in preparation for the next several races (Gate River Run - March 14th, IAAF World Cross Country Championships - March 28th, and Payton Jordan 10km - May 3rd). Gate River is the US Championship for 15km in Jacksonville, FL. The large prize purse and fair weather attracts a deep elite US field every year, and I expect this year to be no different. My best finish thus far has been 3rd place in 2013, and I hope to improve upon that next month. This will leave me with 2 weeks until the IAAF World XC Championships in Guiyang, China where I will represent team USA over a 12km cross country course. The rest of my season will likely be completely track oriented through mid-summer before making a final decision on a fall race plan in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials a year from now.
Thanks again for reading. Feel free to check out last week's training below, and follow me here on Twitter for more updates.
Over the next few weeks we will start upping the intensity of workouts again in preparation for the next several races (Gate River Run - March 14th, IAAF World Cross Country Championships - March 28th, and Payton Jordan 10km - May 3rd). Gate River is the US Championship for 15km in Jacksonville, FL. The large prize purse and fair weather attracts a deep elite US field every year, and I expect this year to be no different. My best finish thus far has been 3rd place in 2013, and I hope to improve upon that next month. This will leave me with 2 weeks until the IAAF World XC Championships in Guiyang, China where I will represent team USA over a 12km cross country course. The rest of my season will likely be completely track oriented through mid-summer before making a final decision on a fall race plan in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials a year from now.
Thanks again for reading. Feel free to check out last week's training below, and follow me here on Twitter for more updates.
| Week 13 | AM | PM | Strength/Drills | Mileage |
| Monday | 10 | 5 | 15 | |
| Tuesday | 11.5 | 5.5 | 30 minutes | 17 |
| Wednesday | 11.5 | 5 + drills and strides | 17 | |
| Thursday | 11.5 | 5.5 | 40 minutes | 17 |
| Friday | 11.5 | 5+drills and strides | 17 | |
| Saturday | 10 mile tempo @ 4:56 pace | Off | 16 | |
| Sunday | 19 | Off | 19 | |
| TOTAL | 118 |
Hi Ryan, Big fan! I've been following your training blog for a few months now...I've even borrowed a couple of MP type workouts....namely the 5k, hour run, 5k....I modified them (or course), for my level (2:59.09).
ReplyDeleteSeeking an opinion: racing PGH on 5/3, so I am just about to go into the specific phase. I have been building volume over the last three months, Max 76, but average about 72, with two WO's a week. Tempo type intervals on Wed, and another session on Sun with a long run in there between 17-20. Target is 6:40 pace (or 2:55).
I have a 20 mile race this Saturday (Choice of 10, 15 and 20, actually), and my question is...how should I work it? Course is 5 mile loops around a lake. It is a balance of some rolling hills. Should run the 15 at MP? Not sure that I am ready for that, plus that would wreak the training schedule....maybe the first loop at current PR pace (6:50), second at planning MP (6:40)....
I have no idea what would be best. 47, so I do need longer recovery between WO's and races...I still have 10weeks until my target race. Any insight, would be great. Good luck at the Gate River Run....and, Worlds! Thanks!