Up to 27.5 miles off the first three days this week. If I could get another 2.5 weeks of this pace I think I’ll feel pretty strong. I tried dipping into speed work – but it really seemed to wreck my legs a little too much. I don’t think my base is strong enough yet. But I’ll dip my toe back in the speed pool after another 2.5-3 weeks or so. I agree with you Shaw, I think threshold and tempo work is mostly all you need.
Since I’ve torn my ACL I’ve done a lot of work on making my form better. The biggest thing I’ve focused on is leg turnover. Jack Daniels talks about how 180 steps per minute is pretty much the minimum frequency it takes to be a solid runner. The big thing that caught my eye was the reduction in injuries. As you hit the ground more often you hit the ground with less force. Makes sense. I think my stride was fairly…how shall we say…not quick…in college. I remember trying to test my frequency and I think I was at like 160 or some shit. But I’m pleased to report I’m hovering in the range of 184-196 depending on how peppy my legs feel. I don’t know if this has had impacts on my overall running speed – but so far I feel like I’m handling the mileage much more easily than before. I can’t remember the last time I ran 9 miles three days in a row at ~7 pace without feeling like my legs were about to fall off.
Also, I’d talk trash about this whole alumni 5k…but I honestly wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face. 17:35. Seriously, that’s my PR. It’s going to fall sometime this year…but I think I have a long ways to go before I enter into “motivating John Shaw” mode. Shaw, you could take the next 5 months off and still kick my ass in anything over 1200 meters. I’m sure of this.
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Dude, re: turnover, how do you count that fast?
At first I thought you were just making fun of me. Who knows – maybe you still are. But all I do is count the times my right foot hits over the span of 30 seconds – then multiply by 4. I know. Crazy.