Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The 2012 Plan

Training has been going well. Last week I ran 56 miles with a day off. The highlight was a 15-mile long run; the longest run I’ve done since June. I can’t say I felt as fresh as I did in the 15 as I did the week before in the 13, and, instead, felt downright tired, but it feels quite liberating to be able to run again for so long when just a few weeks ago I was huffing after a 25 minute jog.

Last week capped 3 weeks in which I averaged 7-8 miles per day (8-9 if you exclude my prescribed day off each week). I plan to settle into this sort of schedule for the foreseeable future and see how I adjust. I have a couple of trips coming up which will limit training to a degree, but I expect to stick around these numbers (maybe running as high as 65 mpw) until the end of the year. I also don’t expect to get on the track anytime soon and instead just work on my base. Maybe by December, I will feel comfortable getting on the oval, but I’d prefer to get in some workouts on the towpath first.

I am now running in the Brooks Pure Flow and the Saucony Kinvara. I’m no longer running in the Merrell Trail Glove. I have had ZERO pain in my leg while running and I continue to perform stretch/strength work.

If things progress the way I hope they will, my plan will be to “race up” to, and peak at, the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in April. My goal will be to PR and to prove that this entire year of injury was simply a small speck of annoyance in the greater scheme of things. By “race up”, I mean I’ll run my normal spring race schedule -– Shamrock 5k, Van Meter 5 Miles, Pikes Peek 10k -- excluding anything on the track, and use those races to get my legs use to running sub-5:00 pace for extended periods of time. Essentially, I am retired from track racing and will now begin to shift towards the marathon more and more. No more miles and no more 5,000s. I won’t rule out a 10,000m if the right race comes before me, but right now I’d like to focus by running fast on the roads. If things go well, I might run a half later in the spring…possibly the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Duluth, MN in June. My personal best for 13.1 is pathetic compared to my 10-mile time.

Next fall, I see myself racing 26.2 again. There seems to be only one place to go if you want to run a fast ‘thon in the fall.

I am getting way ahead of myself, but I need to have clear plans and goals.

11 comments:

RM said...

Is that one place to run fast in the fall Baltimore? Haha.

Klim 2012: Yes we can!

Ancient Chinese Secret said...

What about Cape Cod Marathon in Oct 2012?

KLIM said...

CC is NOT a fast marathon. Lots of rolling hills and not that much competition up at the front. If I run a marathon, like any race, it'll be a fast course with good competition. I want all the help I can get.

Charlie Ban said...

What about Wineglass Marathon?

Steve J. said...

I just ran wineglass that course makes a pancake look hilly! In all seriousness though there are 3 "hills" on the course and I use the term hill loosely. One thing to watch out for on that course is some of the roads slope a bit on the shoulders so you are almost running on a bank. Other flat/fast courses in the area during October included Hartford (completely flat if I remember right)Columbus, Ohio is pretty fast flat as well. Scranton may be the fastest of the bunch. The elevation drop is huge. With several major declines through out the race. There are three challenging climbs in the last 2-3 miles in the race, but I don't think they are bad enough to prevent a PR fast time.

PR said...

I'd throw Cal International in for consideration. It has much more predictable weather than Chicago and plenty of fast guys at the front. It's also in December, meaning fewer long marathon workouts in the DC summer. Toronto is also fast and in late September.

KLIM said...

Thanks PR. I had been thinking TCM, but these are good suggestions that I'll look into.

Re: wineglass - the course seems superfast, but I honestly want to be in a super huge pack and finish one millionth place. I am all about the time and I need bodies to run with to get that time.

KLIM said...

In 2010, at Cal, there were 23 runners who finished btwn 2:20 and 2:30 (15 in 2009).

TCM had 20+ this past fall.

Toronto had less.

PR said...

That's fair. I was more trying to think of fast "honest" courses (excluding the likes of St. George, Tucson, etc.).

TCM would be a good bet as well, though Chicago has had 50+ runners in your window both this year and last year, even in warm weather. Berlin "only" had 39 this year, and I think that would be the best mix of course, weather, and competition, but it's also the most expensive option.

What's more important to you? Having an additional 10-20 runners between 2:20-2:30, a fast course, or predictable weather? Everyone is probably going to weigh those slightly differently. If competition is the number one criteria, than maybe Chicago is the answer?

Anonymous said...

love your blog and good luck getting to your 2012 goals. question for you on shoes since it looks like we have similar ones. i'm racing in saucony fastwitch 5's(need support shoes) and train in the brooks ravenna 2's. thinking about making the switch to one of brooks pure project shoes brooks cadence for training. just curious how the training is going in all minimalist shoes?--assume you have done it for awhile and what you prefer to race in.

thanks a lot!

KLIM said...

Anony - thanks for reading.

I am not good with shoes despite my girlfriend managing a running shoe store and despite the fact I've been running more than half my life. SO, I am not the best person to provide guidance.

That being said, the Brooks Pure Flow have been great for me thus far. They don't "feel" like a minimalist shoe and are more neutral than not.