As I sit here, flying out of Chicago after spending my
summer working in this new city I think about how mundane my running was these
last three months. Don’t misunderstand me – mundane is not necessarily a bad
thing. Talking with my coach going into summer training, he told me to use the
time to do almost the same exact thing I did in DC and nothing more. I was wary
at first; that grinding type of training had worn me down over the span of
eight long months and left me flat for nearly all of track season. He assured
me that during last track season and in the weeks off of running that followed
it my body adapted, and that it would not feel nearly as difficult this time
around.
So, that’s what I did. Throughout June and July I built up
60-65 mile weeks slowly, and in late July I transitioned to 70 mile weeks which
I should hold through the end of this month, all in singles of base runs which
I slowly push throughout. 8-9 mile runs starting at 6:30-40 with the last 4
miles at 6 minute pace once again became my standard run. However, as promised,
I don’t feel as worn as I did not even half a year ago. Also, the soccer and
dodgeball leagues that my friends and I joined in the city helped develop my
posterior-anterior muscle sets along my IT on the outside and inner meniscus on
the inside of my legs, which brought some of that salivating pop back into
them.
As far as racing is concerned, I ran only two noteworthy
efforts. On July 4th, we ran our team 5k, which I ran in 15:58,
battling with another kid before running away from him, only to be outkicked by
someone else who had capitalized on our struggle. I think that coach has us run
this race because it comes only after 3-4 weeks of running, and as any runner
knows that first week to 10 days is useless training, so really only after just
shy of 3 weeks of training. It is just enough base to be able to run a race and
push yourself, but not enough to be considered fit in any sense of the word. I
think that it is perhaps my weakest point during the year that I would consider
myself in some semblance of shape, which I suppose is precisely the reason why
we run the thing – to get a base reading on our ability.
A month later and a month stronger, we ran a 6 mile time
trial which I clipped off in 31:56, just under 5:20 pace for the stretch. I ran
it alone at 11pm on a rainy Tuesday, clipping the uninterrupted miles on a
fairly flat bike path. The first three miles felt like nothing, and they
gradually got more difficult as I approached the final stretch. Truth be told,
while the converted time (~33:09 10k) is a better mark than the 5k from a month
earlier, the effort was half hearted. I told myself that I would try to
maintain under 5:20 pace and I think I limited myself in that goal, as I was
solidly under pace going into the last mile and a half and contented myself in
holding form instead of tapping deep into that extra gear.
Within 48 hours I begin my senior (and likely final, I never
was as enthused about it compared to track) Cross Country campaign. I know I am
fit, and this summer was an exercise in patience by direction. If there is any
use for a coach for an overzealous distance runner, it is to be the coachman –
pulling back the reigns with his a wider view of the valley, only to release
them when the timing is right. I trust my coach wholeheartedly, and have no
qualms following his word. We return a strong team, and I expect strong season.
I guess we will see soon enough.
