Monday, July 4, 2016

2016 Mid-Year Review

At the office right now we are doing "Mid-Year Reviews", a chance to see how our performance so far in the year is marching toward our 2016 Objectives.

So, I thought I'd take a minute to do a running "Mid-Year Review".

On January 1, 2016 I was two weeks into a new training plan, which I purchased from Jason Fitzgerald at Strength Running.  I was coming off an ITB injury, and wanted a long, slow build-up to end in a 10k 20 weeks later.  A few days later I set four running Objectives for 2016, they are:

2016 Objectives:
  1. Injury Free.
    1. So far, successful. 
    2. I've been doing consistent core, ITB, and overall strength.  Every week, and I've but back my running efforts if I feel any niggle or concern, especially ITB.
  2. Improve pacing and form
    1. I've been getting better with pacing.  But still have a long way to go.  Each race teaches me something, but I have yet to have a "strong / negative split" finish in a race.
    2. Need to improve on this in the second half of the year.
    3. Form for me means to things:  cadence and posture. 
      1. My cadence is pretty good and consistent now, usually 180 or so on easy runs and up to 190 - 195 in 5k's.  I think this higher cadence helps me stay injury free, and be a little faster.
      2. Posture is getting better, standing tall most of the time.  I have to remember to keep this at the end of races when I'm hurting the most.  I do fall apart some, so this is something to work on.
  3. 5k in 18:36
    1. My best 5k time is 18:41, which I did in March.
      1. I've run 2 5k's since then, and haven't been under 19:00 minutes for various reasons.
      2. My best chance to meet this goal will be in September at the Dulles Airport 5k.
  4. 10k in 39:30
    1. I ran one 10k and finished in 39:57 - the race was in very windy conditions and it was long (6.3 miles).
    2. My best chance to meet this goal will be in the late Fall.
I have changed my focus some since writing my original 2016 goals.  I've decided to run longer races, doing my first half marathon in June.  And, I decided to run a 20k in August.  And...run more races in general.

This change will help with my objective of pacing, I think, as my different race lengths and paces will help me "feel" the different efforts better.  I'm also doing more weekly mileage than I had originally thought I would, which I'm told helps my speed.

But, this change does hurt my chances of meeting my 5k and 10k goal times.  I have fewer chances to peak for a 5k / 10k. 

The one objective I didn't have for 2016 is the most obvious..."HAVE FUN".  My change in focus is allowing me to have more fun, and after all, I'm not in the Olympic trials, and no one is paying me to run....so "fun" is all it's really about.  And I'm having more fun this year than ever....so as Charlie Sheen would say "Winning"....

"Happy 4th" Everyone.  Have a beer and watch some fireworks.  Maybe break your usual "runner's diet" and eat a couple questionable hot dogs....what's more American than that?

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