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Training Strategies

A Running Conversation

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I’ve been conversing with two well-known Boston runners/coaches, Jon Waldron and John Barbour, about starting a podcast built around our experiences with running – our own and those we know.  Getting it off the ground is a challenge for three people not especially well-versed in technology.  We know enough to get by, but producing a high-quality podcast is something else.  We’ll need some help!

We’ve had a couple Zoom calls already and posed two questions to ourselves: One, why would we do this? And two, would anyone listen?  We’ve sort of answered them.  The “why” is we are unabashed running enthusiasts, with over 150 years (!!) of running experience among us.  John and Jon were accomplished distance runners in their youth and then continued to excel whereas I got serious about it in my late 20s.  They have very successfully coached (John mostly adults and Jon high school) for many years.  I’ve coached myself and others who might bother to listen about what has worked for me.  The tougher question is: Who would listen?  Maybe we are kidding ourselves, but we think there are many others out there, like us, who have an insatiable appetite to read, talk, and listen about all aspects of running and training.  

Assuming we have adequately addressed those two big questions, then there are at least four things to grapple with if we proceed:  target audience, format/content, length/frequency, and promotion.

The target audience is easy — masters runners.  We know this world!  We certainly don’t know everything, but have had our share of injuries, rehab, and experimentation with training regimens.  Conversations with peers suggest we’re all looking for answers and doubt anyone has figured it all out.  Two realities set in with aging: one, our uniqueness – one size no longer fits all – maybe it never did; and two, the more we learn, the less we know.  That’s something of a paradox; but it’s seemingly true.

As to format, the title suggests something less formal: a few questions to probe and then letting ourselves go in a guided direction.  Initially we had conceived having the podcast be conversations with accomplished masters runners.  And that may well ensue.  I expect most topics will be in form of questions, i.e., who will bother to listen to a podcast that doesn’t address some issue that keeps coming up in the life of a masters runner.  Perhaps a few topics to explore:

  1. What motivates us to keep running as our times slow?
  2. How does aging affect recovery from injury (with so………many types of injuries to consider, we will not run out of material!)?
  3. What forms of prehab might be effectively incorporated into training?
  4. What is most exciting about being in a road race when you are no longer in the front of the pack?
  5. Who are the interesting characters (and there are many!) we have met through running and what made (or makes!) them special?

As to length and frequency, we think weekly is too much and monthly maybe too little, if we are to build an audience.  That suggests bi-weekly, say on the 1st and 15th of every month.  For length, we’re thinking an hour is too long and 20 minutes too short.  It’s probably fine to vary some; maybe between 25 and 40 minutes edited, which probably means at least an hour of pre-edited conversation.

Promotion is frankly a bit of a black box.  This is where we really need help!  First, the product must be top notch: quality sound; catchy theme music; thorough editing.  One of John’s former students is doing a podcast and has given us the name of the person who produces his.  Maybe that will get us started.  Do we advertise in New England Runner?  Certainly getting the word out through social media is paramount.  What platforms?  Who will manage them? etc.

We think this can work, and optimistically expect we will do it.  But it won’t happen without focused concerted time and energy.  So, time will tell.  If it was easy, there would be a slew of these podcasts out there.  We’ll keep you posted!        

Prehab

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We all know the word rehab.  Whether it’s a house or our running body, it’s working with something that has fallen apart, or at least not functioning properly, and making it whole or materially better – restoration!  Prehab is something of a contraction of preventative rehab.  Meaning, if we do things to ward off injury, we may avoid the need for rehab.  Makes sense, of course, and we could agree nobody wants to deal with an injury.  We just want to run!  So, what to do?

First, there are some pretty basic exercises that can/should be done on a near-daily basis.  They include eccentric heel dips — (see November 10, 2015 blog post), against-the-wall calf stretches, standing quad stretches — pulling your bent leg back from the ankle and feeling the stretch in the hip flexors, rope pulls – lying on your back and pulling your leg up with three progressive 15-20 second pulls, weighted knee extensions – most easily done on the leg extension machine, and goblet or wall squats.  See the Runner Resources – Resistance Exercises section on my website for descriptions of several of these. Nothing really fancy with this battery, but they strengthen and stretch multiple muscles in the hip and lower extremity, i.e., our drive train for running.

An often overlooked way to employ prehab is regularly doing non-running aerobic exercises.  Especially as we age, our bodies need a change of pace.  For masters, running more than five days a week is an invitation for injury.  I have gravitated more towards four days a week, with one of those days a long run and another on hills or the track.  The other two are easier efforts, though with some change of terrain built in and running drills (see Runner Resources – Form Drills) twice a week.  On non-running days, I can be found in the pool doing deep water running, Stairmaster, or on the bike — all non-impact.    

Covid-19 has proven a challenge for runners in various ways.  Some have actually found themselves running more during the pandemic.  Perhaps to escape boredom, and with so much uncertainly, running was an activity we could control.  Others found with access to many fitness facilities closed or populated by potential Covid spreaders, they avoided the gyms, further curtailing non-running exercise.  For some, this led to the near-daily running syndrome.  A problem, as suggested above.

The last aspect of prehab involves racing.  There is built-up demand in all of us to race in person: to see friends and challenge ourselves against the competition.  Thus, after 18 months of virtual racing there is a tendency to over race.  This is even more likely with favorite spring and summer races moved to the fall, creating a racing logjam!  I’ve noticed a few senior runners racing almost every weekend.  This is a setup for injury!  Rather than race more, the need is to be very selective and, if anything, race less as we work our way back into racing form.  When we race, we tend to put the hammer down.  This stresses every system in our body.  And while good periodically, maybe every two or three weeks, the aging body is not equipped to handle a weekly race menu.

For sure, there are individual differences in all of this.  One size does not fit all.  If we truly listen to our bodies, they will tell us what we can do.  In any event, keeping these various aspects of prehab in mind will go a long ways towards helping us avoid rehab.       

Slingshot Form

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This week I finished my graduate program in clinical and translational science at UVM and last week presented at the department’s weekly seminar, summarizing my research interests in runner biomechanics, which I explored during my program.  Suffice it to say, at this point I thought I’d have a clear idea of next steps.  Not so!  However, in preparing for the presentation, I leafed through three running books in my library: Running Anatomy by Joe Puleo and Patrick Milroy, Running Form by Owen Anderson, and Anatomy for Runners by Jay Dicharry.  They deliver the same message in different ways: to run fast and avoid injury, you need a strong chassis and you’ve got to be efficient in how you use your energy.  I looked through my blog posts and saw one from June 25th, 2019 drawing from Dicharry’s book that I entitled Gait Keeping.  I’m going to expand on this here, but recommend looking at that prior post too.  

Dicharry suggests thinking about a slingshot, as we probably played with as kids.  You pull it back and there’s tension.  Depending on the thickness of the band and how far you pull it back, the projectile shoots out.  To maximize distance, one shoots neither too high nor low.  Just right.  This principle works for all sports.  In baseball, for example, a sky-high popup is going to stay in the park, as is a line drive.  However, a fly ball stroked with sufficient power and optimal height has a good chance of being a home run.  Dicharry calls his slingshot analogy “elastic recoil” and suggests it is our Invisible Friend, seeing this storing and release of elastic energy as crucial to fast and efficient running.  He illustrates an ideal pendulum and postulates operating beyond this arc is wasted energy.

Running mechanics are obviously much different from baseball, with some 1,500 “fly balls”, or steps, per mile.  If our flight height between landings is too high, we use excess energy going vertical rather than horizontal.  We’re distance runners not high jumpers!  But if the height is too low, it cuts down on flight time, resulting in a shorter horizontal stride length.  We might have to take 1,600 steps instead of 1,500 to cover the same distance.  

This week, I’ve been visualizing what is going on “in the chassis” when I run at different speeds.  My racing cadence is about 180 and training cadence roughly 175.  While this hasn’t changed much, my times have recently slowed more than expected, both racing and training.  Thus, this implicates stride length as the culprit.  Pictures sent by a photographer from different locations at last week’s race confirm this.  My stride extension was clearly shorter than in prior photos, especially toward the end of the race.  So I’ve been focusing on extending a bit further while still landing on my midfoot and maintaining cadence.  This requires a bit more push-off, which is essentially a release of the elastic energy stored during flight.  The result has been noticeable.  Without any increased effort my training pace has dropped about 15 seconds/mile.  That’s significant.  And I’m excited to see how this plays out in my next race!

Our running bodies are pretty awesome!  While they are composed of flesh and bone, they explicitly follow the laws of physics that underlie the field of biomechanics.  It may be useful, at times, to take stock of our stride, measure the components, and adjust cadence or stride length as needed.  It’s not a one-and-done activity.  As we age, various things change in our bodies.  And one can be anal obsessing about all of this.  At the same time it’s good to pay attention and periodically take stock.  To repeat the ending from my May 2nd blog, “As with all things balance.  Goldilocks!”

Setting the Bar

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There is plenty of scientific evidence to support the notion we do best when we have a goal. This seems to hold for all elements of human endeavor in such varying activities as sports – achieving a time or score, or in the arts – completing a written or visual piece of work every two weeks, month, or what may be appropriate.  Whatever, the key is focusing on the end result, not the process.  If the end is clearly in mind, the steps to get there become apparent.

A key question, then, is where to set the bar.  Research suggests that if it is set too high or too low one defeats the purpose of setting the goal: to maximize output or potential.  Running is a perfect example for exploring this phenomenon.  Let’s look at two common scenarios:  (1) setting annual race time targets; (2) returning from injury.

Many runners sit down at the start of the year and map out a tentative race schedule.  This may be driven by a club or series schedule, races in a particular location or time of year, or ones that have been enjoyable in the past.  For recreational runners, this mapping typically includes various distances and hopefully leaves sufficient time to allow for recovery.

The art in establishing these targets is where to set the bar.  An analogy is the high jump.  If a high school senior as a junior cleared 5.0 feet, would it make sense to have a goal of 6.0 feet?  Maybe, if the prior year was their first year, they have grown 3-4 inches, or done specific strength work.  More likely they are setting themselves up for failure.  They could go through the season frustrated and feel the 5′ 6″ mark they do achieve was a poor effort.  Consider instead if they set a goal of 5’4″, a solid 7% increase.  Then the 5’6″ jump, a 10% increase, would be a cause for celebration.  This simplistic example suggests setting attainable goals.  To do this, we need to honestly assess ourselves and the constraints facing us, such as time limits to train.

Let’s look at masters runners.  It’s common to feel we “coulda-done-better” had race conditions been favorable, we optimally tapered, or had not been coming off an injury.  Any or all might be true.  But if we hold those things constant, we are still a year older and a visit to the 2020 age grade tables (www.howardgrubb.co.uk) will tell us how much we might expect to lose in speed for any given distance.  Taking that into account, we do need to consider weather, tapering, injury, etc. as we put pencil to target times.

This is essentially a Goldilocks exercise: enough of a challenge but not too much.  Many runners say, “I’ll just let it happen.”  And while that may work for some, it is unlikely they will achieve their optimal time.  Goal setting is powerful stuff!  Done right, it leads to a sense of personal satisfaction, which bleeds over into other areas of life.  Done wrong, it can leave us essentially walking on the treadmill when we intended to run or setting the level so high that we are forced to reduce the speed and feel deflated.  Neither is a good result.

Returning from injury involves a host of issues including the type and extent of injury, the amount of time off, and our age.  If we needed to take six months off, we clearly cannot expect to bounce back in a month.  Trying to do so often leads to re-injury and a repeating cycle. A goal can also speed up recovery.  In 2014, I had a prostatectomy.  As I was going under, my last thought was I was going to run the 5-mile Race Against Cancer seven weeks later.  My surgeon was a runner and understood my mindset.  He cleared me to run after four weeks and I ran that race in a credible time and had a strong season of racing.

There is plenty of gray area in this topic of goal setting.  But it should be done thoughtfully and for running, reviewed throughout the year.  Things do happen and we’re foolish if we don’t acknowledge that.  But setting the bar too low can lead to a so-so racing experience, which can then lead to a further decline in speed.  Too high and we don’t enjoy the racing — we’re always falling short.  As with all things balance.  Goldilocks!

Back on Track

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I’ve always enjoyed and valued the UVM indoor track.  It’s a tenth of a mile with a very slight bank, enough to allow for efficient cornering without causing excessive torque.  If I pick unbusy times, I alternate direction.  Some don’t like the distance – they want the standard 200 meters.  But I prefer the more frequent feedback loops. 

However, due to COVID-19 the UVM indoor was track shut down on November 24th, the day students went home to finish the term remote.  I did my last track workout that day.  The athletic facilities were then closed until February 4th.  Thus, what had been weekly ventures to maintain some fast twitch fiber function went on pause.  So, heading up today for my track reservation, it was with some trepidation and uncertainty about what to expect.  Could I still muster anything resembling speed after nearly 12 weeks? 

After two miles of warmup, I hit the marker, pushed the start button on my old-school Timex (Garmin GPS isn’t accurate indoors) and took off on the first 800.  The first lap felt pretty good!  Then the second, then the third.  Finishing the fifth lap, I was somewhat surprised the pace was similar to the first 800 at that November workout.  The next four 800s were progressively faster, as is typical for me.  Remarkably, I was running fast again and enjoying it!  I even forgot I was wearing a mask – a UVM requirement for entry.  

It really doesn’t take much to make us runners happy: several pairs of shoes; decent weather; enough races to test our training; and in winter indoor options, including treadmills.  But for me the biggest loss this winter has been the track.  There’s something about changing into racing shoes and putting the hammer down, seeing what’s in the tank.  Indoors, the conditions are always the same.  The result may not be – some sessions are easier, others harder.  It’s something of the mystery of running.  It’s why we do the workouts and why we run the races! 

An appreciation of the track is not universal.  Some see it as a torture chamber, a relentless reminder that we’re losing speed with age.  But I find there is something reassuring and alluring about stepping onto the rubber, looking out onto the oval, often with others on it, and wondering how the session will unfold.  It was familiar territory today.  And I’m already looking towards next week and hopefully weekly visits thereafter.  It’s great to be back on track!

A New Year!

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Most people I know are glad 2020 is over!  As discussed in my previous blog: “2021: Here It Comes!,” there is reason to hope for an end to the most stringent COVID-19 restrictions during 2021, as we move towards some kind of normalcy.  While we each have a role in containing the virus, certainly much about COVID is beyond our control.  Nevertheless, the new year provides an opportunity to take stock of what happened with our running in 2020 and plan out 2021, as best we can.

Most runners I know, of all ages, regressed some during 2020.  Part of this is due to a lack of “real” races to target and train for.  For the younger set, maybe that’s not bad, giving the body some needed rest. For those of us 50, 60, or beyond, it’s likely another year beyond our PRs and a time when our capacities are progressively aging. 

Regardless, for us seniors (50 YO+) it is probably best not to dive into 2021 with unbridled enthusiasm, pretending to some degree 2020 didn’t happen and we’re ready to rock n’ roll.  It would be a shame to push it early and bring on an injury that persists for several months.  Thus, prudence suggests we look at some basics and go from there.  Here are four topics to consider as you plan out your year.

  1. Total mileage.  Best to adhere to the 10% rule (OK, maybe ~15% will suffice).  Meaning if you ran 1,200 miles in 2020, plan to run 1,320 to 1,380 miles, with gradual month-over-month increases during the year. That may seem tough, if mileage was 1,500 miles in 2019, for example.
  2. Racing.  Too many senior runners over race.  This is a prescription for injury, not to mention dampened enthusiasm from going to the well too often.  Racing is a stress that takes longer to recover from as we age.  Particularly coming off of 2020 when most races were cancelled, it’s a time to move easily back into racing.  Maybe shorter ones to start, building up to longer races by the fall.  And to fulfill the yearning to be around the races and see friends, consider helping out at races previously run.
  3. Speed.  We all want to run fast!   That’s in the runner’s DNA.  Again, 2021 may be a year to progressively recoup some of that speed.  You may say, “I’m a year older and getting slower and don’t want to hold back.”  As we age, abilities diverge within our cohorts depending on a bunch of factors.  As a result, speed (or the loss of it!) becomes a more individual challenge, with effort partially transcending time as a measure, though for sure a competitive runner always checks his/her pace!
  4. Balance.  If there ever was a year to diversify our training to incorporate more cycling, swimming, water running, skiing, yoga, and weight training, 2021 is it!  Let’s give our bodies a chance to settle into an increasing workload without breaking down.

All this takes careful thought.  But it’s worth the time.  Planning out a year gives us something to measure our progress against, taking into account at least the prior year.  As we age, it becomes an increasingly customized exercise.  Nobody knows our bodies better than ourselves.  Stock training plans become irrelevant as we age.

So, I hope 2021 starts well for you and you ramp up your running in a progressive way.  By September, perhaps much will be in the rear-view mirror, including our regressed running fitness!

Running in the Moment

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We all try to find silver linings in COVID constraints.  And it’s good to keep looking!

As I was running recently along the Burlington bikepath which borders Lake Champlain, I found myself 100% in the present moment, taking in the views of the lake and the Adirondacks, the colors of the changing leaves, and the calm air.  It was close to a perfect day to run.  My trusty Garmin indicated a solid pace.  I felt smooth with a good rhythm.  Afterwards, I reflected upon how often I miss the opportunity to be “all there” during my runs, taking in the elements and fully enjoying the present moment.  As may be the case with others, I often find myself thinking about any number of things including how I should be able to run faster or contemplating the next race.  Of course with COVID, race opportunities are now limited.

All this led to some existential thoughts.  First, the present moment is really all we have.  Everything in the past was built on prior present moments and the future will be the sum of those down the road.  So, our lives are really the totality of present moments and that’s a pretty awesome thing to consider.  Second, when we are not fully in the moment, something, or more likely many things, will pass us by.  Once an opportunity is gone, it’s gone, solid gone!  I am reminded of that watching the current baseball playoffs, where the commentators regularly slow down the sequence of the delivery from the pitcher to the hitter’s bat.  If the batter is thinking about anything else in those .3 seconds, he’ll swing wildly and strike out.  While running, how often have we tripped on a rock or root while not paying attention.  (I have a series of scars on my knees and elbows as proof!)  Third, time slows down in the present moment.  I suppose it’s like calculus, where tangents meet and for that split second nothing moves, and time is both fleeting and infinite.  These days, time seems to speed by with all there is to do.  So the prospect of slowing time down is intriguing.   

Most of us have or have had a close relative with some form of dementia compromising or eliminating short-term memory.  The last five years of my father’s life, he lived almost exclusively in the past, able to pluck out minute details from years ago but not able to recall what was just said.  Maybe we’ll get there ourselves someday.  But for now, we can cherish the present moment and fill it with everything we have.  Letting the small stuff pass and focus on the essentials.  It’s quite freeing when we allow ourselves to do that.    

I have heard some say running is their life.  In reality, it’s a subset, at least if our lives are at all balanced.  COVID-19 roils on, but I am finding some solace in being more in the moment during my runs, not worrying about COVID or the 10 things on my to do list.  Letting all that be.  And the beauty is it seems to carry over to the rest of the day.  That’s welcome!  If I have maintained an in-the-moment perspective, I seem to be spending time on those things that were, in retrospect, the most important, leading to a feeling of accomplishment.  This sense of being in the moment is contagious, and I’m aiming to catch a terminal case of it!

Moving Forward

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As COVID-19 continues to affect much of our daily lives, at least those of us in Vermont have some assurance we’re doing things right, as we have both the lowest incidence and active cases per 100,000 people in the country.  Mask wearing indoors is universal and highly prevalent outdoors where there are people in close proximity.

My past three blog posts are about completed races.  So, in spite of protocols that constrain how we congregate and execute a road race, things are beginning to happen.  Not everything is opened up, however.  For example, the UVM indoor track is reserved for “groups,” which for now means the track team.  For now, that’s OK, but winter is coming!

Running in the rain this morning on the Intervale trails, there were  very few people.  Farmers were picking vegetables and the F-35 jets blasted overhead.  Otherwise, it was pretty much me and the elements.  Which was nice – I kept my mask below my chin.  Starting out, I felt quite sluggish, drained really, and was not at all sure making the planned five miles was in the cards.  But I kept moving and after about two miles the sluggishness lifted and the rest of the run felt good.  It occurred to me that none of that mattered.  What didmatter was being out there, not impeded by the rain and mud.  Not caring about pace, just moving forward. I thought about how this applies to most everything these days.  Many things take longer, if we indeed do them, but we keep moving, nonetheless.

Running at its core is quite simple: one foot forward, followed by the next, and so on.  Seems that’s where we are in education, the economy, and health these days.  We try something, see how it goes, learn from it, and keep moving.  We might have cause to complain about the lack of group runs and races as we knew them. Alternatively, we can view it as a challenge and jump in wholeheartedly.  COVID is certainly changing our lives and for many it’s more than an inconvenience — trying to make ends meet without a job and having to figure out the kid’s school schedule. But it’s also making the world smaller, even the world of Vermont.  We’re getting to know our neighbors and neighborhoods in new and renewed ways.  Some days it’s easier than others.  But all in all, we’re moving — forward!          

Staying With It

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It’s now looking like all the larger fall races are cancelled.  The glimmer of hope that continued training would apply to these races is fast fading.  There are some smaller local races still on the docket, but looking at the conditions under which they are being run makes it seem more like a time trial: start times are staggered; you are not expected to show until your start time and then exit immediately upon finishing; no water stops or course support.  Not much different from getting a small group together for a time trial. At the same time, kudos to these race organizers for taking a stab at bringing things back. Our choice is whether to participate.

How much different is this than playing MLB games in empty stadiums?  Time will tell if the  safety precautions were sufficient.  There has been a lot of chatter about the pros and cons of trying to have a season.  One could take either side and make a strong argument.  If we consider the fans, of which I am one, it is healthy to have the season get underway.  Maybe it’s vicarious experience, but I’ll take some of that.  From the players’ perspectives, they have options.  One, they can opt out at any time during the shortened season if they are uncomfortable with anything.  Two, these are athletes who have devoted their life to a game they love.  Yes, most are very well compensated, arguably too much.  But looking at the first four days of games, these guys are hungry for competition.  Us recreational runners know that hunger too, albeit in a different sport and at a vastly different level. 

A lot will be seen in the coming months. We really don’t know how long it will be before things truly open up again.  Even with a vaccine there is a matter of production and distribution and the near certainty that it will not be universally effective.  It may be quite a while before we feel safe to shake hands and do the many social things we’ve become accustomed to.  Some days this unknown is downright depressing.  In Vermont, we have it much better than most: a beautiful setting to enjoy with numerous outdoor activities and the lowest incidence of Covid-19 in the nation.  Yet we naturally feel constrained at times, too.  And concerned how the school year will start, now just a month away.

It feels a bit like riding a roller coaster; up, down, and jerked around.  But jumping from the car makes no sense either.  I really don’t like roller coasters — I’m somewhat terrified of heights and the rush from quick drops leaves me nauseous.  

What I like most is the last little turn back to the start — the relief the ride is over!  With a bit of satisfaction that I summoned the courage to get on in the first place.  With Covid, we had no choice.  Our choice is whether to focus on making the best of it, to look at the bright side, learn new things, get to know those around us better than we ever expected to.  Presumably, for most of us, this will all get better — with a return to near-normalcy.  And when the coaster comes into the home chute, we will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and feel some level of satisfaction that we stayed with it, kept our hopes up, and helped those around us get through the worst of it.        

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Running vs. Training

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I keep a small book by John Jerome at my bedside entitled “The Elements of Effort.” Published in 1997, it’s 150 snippets from one paragraph to several pages of his musings on running.  You may recall the running log he authored for many years after Jim Fixx’s death — the cover was a replica from Fixx’s Book of Running and the log was dedicated to him.  Each month included an essay, similar to some of these entries.

Last night I picked it up and turned to one entitled Running vs. Training. Here’s a quote from it: 

“There is running to run and there is running to train, and the difference can best be summed up by a single word: increase.  Training is about trying to get more ….  In the running sports, what we’re trying to get more of is speed ….. You might say that those of us who run to train see life as a kind of graph, and concern ourselves primarily with the angle of its line.  Running just to run, on the other hand, is about sustaining. Those of us who are not trying to improve are running for the experience itself, and the only pressure we place on ourselves is to be able to continue.  We see life as a block of time, and concern ourselves with how best to fill it. The motivation is entirely different.”

Jerome goes on to clarify there’s no judgement involved and notes many runners blend these two approaches in the course of a week or during a longer training cycle. However, in light of Covid-19 constraints, I’m thinking about this in the context of a masters runner, and conclude I’d update the title to include “maintain.”  Here’s my thinking. 

Part of the graph Jerome refers to are races, track workouts, tempo runs, etc.  Right now we have none, or very little of that.  While a 30-year old can do baseline running and bounce back pretty fast, it’s not so easy for a 60-year old. Our systems wear out, become less efficient, and even just maintaining requires constantly pushing the pedal down towards the metal, if not to it.  Run at the same level of effort over weeks. months, and years, and a pretty steep drop-off is inevitable.  No judgement. It’s just the way it is.

As to Covid-19, we all expect a return to normalcy.  And when that happens we want to be ready.  Hence, while during the pause we may not have been looking to increase our speed, we have been motivated  to maintain it.  Afterall, we have spent a LOT of time over many years developing it.  Granted, Covid has colored a lot of things and some days maintenance seems a tall order. 

I’ve heard some suggest the pandemic is a chance to give our bodies rest. To reign in aggressive training, keep a low base.  Again, that may work for the younger set and for masters runners for a week or so.  After that, we older runners are subject to the dreaded use-it-or-lose-it syndrome.  We don’t lose ground incrementally, it goes in spurts!  So for us to maintain during Covid really requires a different approach involving, in some respects, even more discipline and forethought than pre-Covid.  Maybe we do drop down a bit on mileage, but we need to plumb into our psyche and find resolve to throw in some hills, up-tempo, and striders each week.  As, or even more important, is finding creative ways to do strength work.  The gym wasn’t an option until just recently.  I already had a small set of weights, Bosu ball, physio ball, and weight bench.  To supplement that, I ordered some heavy duty bands, a back extension bench, and a chinning and dip bar I installed in the garage.  I sorely missed the camaraderie of the gym and relied on podcasts and music to stay motivated, but felt I was covering the basics.

However, even with all of this, when I finally hit the track, I had lead feet and low-octane drive (see prior post The Road Back.).  I had been doing too much slow running, same pace, easy terrain.  I knew I needed to mix it up but just couldn’t get excited about doing it.  We need to live these things to know them.  And then act.  Lately, I’ve started adding hills, speed, distance, tempo, etc.  Have a ways to go!  The hard truth is during Covid Phase I did not maintain; I just ran.  Lesson learned I trust.

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