When compared to other runners, my wife says I’m built for endurance not speed. Based on my workouts, recent race times and 6-foot-1/165-pound frame, that’s a pretty good description. I have always believed that moving on to ultra-marathons, etc. is inevitable simply because I have such a hard time being consistent in shorter races and putting together a decent marathon.
If you’re looking for someone who can get locked into a 6:30 per mile pace and keep it there all damn day, I’m the guy.
What are you going to do?
Well…
One thing is to lose some weight. It’s very possible to run 100 miles a week and gain week. In fact, it’s been done. Lots of times… by me.
When not in a serious training regime, I like to mix my miles with some ice cream, pizza, peanut butter and the occasional beer. It’s fun that way and though I like to be careful about most of the things I eat, I have been known to hit the ol’ buffet on more than a few occasions.
But what a lot of people who just train to run one marathon or one race don’t understand is that too go fast, a person has to lighten their load. That means a strict diet in which calories and all of the other fun stuff matters.
It works.
My best races came when I weighed between 150 to 155 pounds. It seemed as if 160 was too much and 145 to 148 made me feel good just walking around, but for running it left me weak and sick. The old adage that to be a top-flight runner, one had to weigh two pounds for every inch of height didn’t work in my case. It just left me hungry, angry and tired.
Nevertheless, I’m counting calories again. I’m trying to trim down to the150s to see what it does for me. Maybe it will result in faster running, maybe it won’t. But if it makes me feel healthier, that’s what it’s all about…
Right?
After all, I want to be able to do this running stuff when I’m an old man.
***
Craig Mottram is one of the most versatile runners out there. In any distance from 800-meters to 10 kilometers, Mottram is always a threat. Better yet, it appears as if he’s a good quote, too. Check out the last four minutes of the race and what the Aussie told the folks from NBC after winning the star-studded two-mile race at the Prefontaine Classic:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esIV_UBEAaw]
Gotta love a 6-foot-2 dude who is ready to mix it up.
Here’s the week of June 4-10.
Monday – 18 miles in 1:59:56
It was really humid and I think that fact affected the pace through the first 10 miles. Regardless, I ran the last five miles in 32:13. I can thank Mark Amway for that, since he pretty much carried me from miles 14 to 16ish. Other than that, my pace was really consistent the entire workout. It definitely wasn’t fast, but it was easy.
1st 5: 33:46
2nd 5: 33:47
1st 13: 1:27:43
last 5: 32:13
Tuesday – 15 miles in 1:41:24
Started out slow because I felt a little tight and tired, but finished slow because of a strong headwind. After about 3 to 5 miles I felt properly warmed up and ran pretty strong and at a decent pace. However, the wind -- which kept the temperatures perfect -- slowed me.
Nevertheless, it was a nice run and the weather was fine. There's nothing like running.
Splits:
1st 5: 33:54
2nd 5: 33:49
Wednesday – 15 miles in 1:42:28
Like yesterday I started out slow. However, I didn't really pick it up much though I tried to a little bit. Maybe that had something to do with me getting out early(ier) in the morning.
I also went out to play golf, which was kind of fun. I like hanging out with the guys, but I prefer to run.
1st 5: 34:44
2nd 5: 33:59
final 5: 33:44
Thursday – 1st run 13 miles in 1:28:16
2nd run 5 miles in 32:19
A lot like yesterday in that it took me about five miles to get warmed up and even then I was still pretty slow. I guess that's the way it is when one (or just me) gets up early to run. To make matters worse, I've been doing the runs uncaffeinated, so it's even tougher. Still, it's good to get the running done early because it gives me a chance to get stuff done during the day AND to do a second run later.
splits:
1st 5: 34:18
2nd 5: 33:33
Added a smooth five miles in the evening in 32:19.
Friday – 14.1 miles in 1:35:30
I just died around 10 miles and felt like stopping at 13. My thought was, "What's the difference if I go 13 instead of 14 miles?" Then I thought about being "mentally tough" and remembered the Outside magazine interview with Floyd Landis where he said, "You can always do one more..."
Thanks for that, Floyd.
Anyway, I started out pretty strong despite it being HHH -- hazy, hot and humid. It was flat-out nasty out there and I felt my shoes and socks get soaked with sweat about three or four miles in. I definitely sweated a lot today and though I didn't do 15 or 16 miles, I'll take the 14.1 on a nasty morning.
splits:
1st 5: 33:45
2nd 5: 33:29
last 3.3: 22:41
Saturday – 13 miles in 1:26:27
I'm feeling a little rundown from some sort of throat/head cold. That made me procrastinate until about 1 p.m. before getting out and I even thought about scrapping it all together... that is until I got moving. As soon as I hit the field I felt decent and strong, though I was a bit tired around 10 miles.
Regardless, I'll take it. Tomorrow is an easy day so I'll get a chance to rest.
Splits:
1st 5: 33:13
2nd 5: 33:10
last 3: 20:04
Sunday – 7 miles in 45:49
Nice and easy for most of the run. I went through five miles in 32:03 and felt pretty good. But for as easy as the run was my stomach didn't cooperate and gave me some trouble about two minutes from home.
It definitely was not fun.
Either way, today is a good day to rest and relax and that's what I'll do.
There’s a 100-mile week – my first one since December. Frankly, it didn’t feel too hard though there were some moments that had nothing to do with running. Hopefully I can carry on like this for the rest of the summer.