What it takes to get back in shape

After that brutal Midwestern winter it has taken me 10 weeks of conditioning to get myself back into shape again.  I am in that ready to start training shape.   Its amazing how fast you fall out of shape even more amazing how hard it is to regain your lost fitness.  On memorial day I will be running my first 5k of the year to test my fitness level and put down a baseline to build from.  The idea of running sub 6 minute miles right now seems painful, but as I have learned over the last 5 years of training, put your trust in your training and your body will respond.  My mileage has returned to 50 miles a week or more, and as of right now we are steadily building up to 60 miles plus for the start of marathon training.  Lots of goals for this year.  Staying healthy, racing more, and setting some new post 40 PRs in the process.  2014 will be exciting.
MY MILEAGE

Chicago Marathon

Well its official... Now its time to work.  Slowly building mileage and stress back up.  Nothing to report.  Racing on memorial day to see where we are at before diving into marathon training.  Feeling excited about October. 

Re Boot

Week two of conditioning started on Sunday. I pounded out an easy 7 miles on a beautiful 40 degree day. 40 degrees feels like a sunny day on a beach somewhere compared to the past few months. As with most of the other starts of a new season I find that my cardiovascular system gets back in shape way before my body can handle the stress and strain of running again. This year I think I am finally able to capitalize all of my mistakes from years past and train smarter than ever before. Take your time or take time off for injuries. With that in mind.. My conditioning plan for the month is to jog an easy 125 miles or so before I do any real workouts. My plan is to only run 5 days a week, 1 day a week I will pound out an hour long core workout and one day a week will just be a hard day off. Taking days off at this point in my training will help my body adjust to the new stress and strain and hopefully by April I will be ready to add some real workouts into the mix. I have not decided what my overall goal is for the year, but I am leaning towards working on my 5k speed during the spring and summer while slowly building my endurance back up for a super fast fall half marathon. As much as I would like to run the Chicago marathon again doing so limits my ability to run any other October races. I love October. We shall see. My first race of the year is going to be a 5k in Chicago on memorial day. As of right now the idea of running sub 6 minute miles seems like a far off dream, but as I have learned every other year my fitness always returns no matter how out of shape you are at the beginning of the season.

The Key

The key to booting back up the running machine is to gradually add stress over a large period of time. Do not rush into tempos, long runs and speed workouts too soon. Simply take 30 days or so remind your body what its like to run. For the Month of March I will runjog 4 miles a day. I will not wear a watch. I will look at the trees, and enjoy being outside again. In April I will add a hill workout once a week (using hills simulate a hard track workout without the stress) and a long run starting at 9 miles once a week. My winter fat and sugar diet will soon be coming to a close. My 3 beer a night thing needs to go too. By May, my body will be ready for hard training. Ready to throw down again by the end of June.

2014 Return From The Dead

33 Days until Spring. Goals RAce a bunch of 5ks Grand Rapids Half Marathon October 2014 Either I run outside or I join a gym on March 1st. Core Work starts again Saturday Feb. 15 Easy Running/Conditioning Begins March 1st 3-4 miles a day. No watch. Just start adding stress on ye ole legs again. April 1st First Long run April 15th add Track/Hill/Tempo Runs Ease into Modified Hanson 10k Plan. May Start Hanson Plan 10k First Race Chicago Memorial Day. June add Mileage July Start pushing Mileage 2 double days per week Track repeats get longer 1600s repeat 3200 meter repeats 3200 x 2 1600 x 1 @ 10k or faster. Fun. August Start 16 Plus long runs Add 10 mile Tempo runs September PUsh PUSH PUSH October Sharpen it up Taper Race Rest., Try to squeeze in one more cycle before winter… Race Rest.. Gym Thats the plan so far

Shutting it Down

I made the decision to shut down my winter training and take my annual 3 weeks off a little early this year. After weeks of attempting to train in sub 10 degree weather, ice and snow, a nasty sinus infection put the final nail in my winter training schedule. I am sure its for the best. My training started to suffer early on in December. My last 19 mile long run was the weekend after Thanksgiving, and my 8-10 mile tempo runs could not be done without risking life and limb. I am still planning on going south for a couple of weeks and getting in some good runs but for now I am sitting on the couch eating like crap and enjoying the life of a sedentary slob. When I return its back to base core training and re conditioning myself for my spring training. Ah the cycle of life continues.

Snow Storms and Marathon Training

I have missed more training days in the last 3 weeks than I took off this entire year combined. I need these never ending snow storms to stop, or a least give me 3 good days a week so I can trot out 3 hard workouts. My long runs have been few and far between, my tempo runs have been cancelled.. I have I normally run at least 7 miles a day. Now trotting out 4 miles on snow covered sidewalks feels like I'm running 10. I am in desperate need of a couple more good hard weeks of training. No end in sight. Note to self. The idea of running a marathon in South Carolina in January is great. Training for one in the winter time in Michigan is a bad idea. Continuing on...