Submitted by Eric Powers
Jan. 12-18 journal
scrunners webmaster John Olson has asked me to keep a training journal during the upcoming track season to follow my progress. Below is my third entry.
Editor's note: Consult with your coach before following a training schedule. Powers has agreed to write a journal on his training as time permits during his 2009 outdoor season.
Monday, Jan 19
Today I ran six miles at training pace on grass along roads. It was a cool, cloudy day, and I felt pretty average. I finished the workout with 5x100-meter strides to do some fast leg turnover work.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
On Tuesday I ran another out and back negative split run on a grass surface. I went out three miles at training pace and came back three miles at tempo pace. It was a very cold, slightly windy day. The temperature seemed to keep my heart rate low and allowed me to have a good workout without as much effort as usual.
Wednesday, Jan. 21
Today I did seven miles at an easy pace to recover from the tempo workout. It was a cool, sunny day, and the run felt pretty easy. I ran mainly on grass, and closed the training session with 5x100 strides on a grass field.
Thursday, Jan. 22
I took Thursday entirely off.
Friday, Jan. 23
Instead of running I lifted weights today. I worked almost all of the major muscle groups, concentrating on high repetitions to increase muscle endurance.
Saturday, Jan. 24
Today I ran six miles at my usual training pace. It was a warm, cloudy day, and I ran on trails and grass at a park. I felt pretty sluggish despite a slower pace, probably because I took off two days in a row, something I don’t normally do. On the bright side, I broke in a new pair of shoes on the run.
Sunday, Jan. 25
I did my 10-mile long run on Sunday instead of Saturday due to a schedule conflict. It was a cool and cloudy day, especially in the evening when I ran. I felt strong during the whole run, even when I usually start to tire near the end. This was probably due to the easier mileage I ran this week or the energy bar I ate to refuel while running.
Conclusion
I feel like I have rested myself somewhat this week, and I might consider bumping up my mileage a little next week. I also think I did a better job of keeping up with strides and weight lifting, exercises that are especially important for quicker events on the track. Practice for track and field starts in two weeks, and the excitement is starting to build for my teammates and me.