Friday, June 1

Recovery

This week Victoria has been caught in the grasp of a mini heat wave, highs of 20-25C every day. I know this isn't much for some areas of the country/continent but it has been solely responsible for bringing an early start to summer (and smiles to many faces). With the unseasonably warm weather and the guarantee of no rain, I set out at first light for my first run since Ottawa. It didn’t take long before the aches and pains surfaced reminding my of the importance of proper rest and recovery. My plan over the next week is to alternate days, increasing the distance I run by 10’, i.e, 20’, off, 30’, off, 40’…

Regarding the future, well it was Frank Shorter who said, “You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming”. Having recently raced two marathons, and not wanting to compromise next spring, I’ve decided to skip a fall marathon this year and instead work on my speed. Unfortunately, with my current coach having recently left Victoria, I’m uncertain how I will approach my next build. I’ve learnt a lot working with Bruce, but it has also left me with questions.

Tomorrow is the first day of training for the fall marathon/half-marathon clinic here in Victoria, and my first day as clinic co-leader. I’m really looking forward to this, both giving back and allowing myself to absorb the excitement and enthusiasm of novice runners.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Training: a very easy 20:20

3 comments:

MB said...

Sounds like your muscles need a rest.
How about training for a fast half-marathon in the fall. Would like to see you run under 1:15; I think you could do it!

Anonymous said...

How was your first Clinic day?

Michael said...

A fast half in the fall, is a distinct possibility. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many fast local races (10k to HM) at that time of the year, so it is a case of finding something that works into my schedule.

The clinic was fantastic (a tad overwhelming as there appeared to be close to 100 people). Luckily, everyone had so much energy and enthusiasm and were very positive; most impressive. Some of the run leaders have been doing this for a few years and will be great to work with. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to talk with that many people as I was busy with registration. Ask me on Wednesday.