Welp, time for end of the year lists, time for reflection, time for taking stock on the recent past.
LOOKING BACK AT 2014
2014 was, from my perspective, very much a return to form. I finally got back the consistency that had been lacking in my training since college. In 2012 and 2013, I was constantly shifting between race plans and training methods. I wasn't running consistent mileage, I wasn't doing appropriate development workouts, I wasn't training with any real plan in mind. I was just following my whims of the week.
But a little over a year ago I stopped writing my own workouts and got a coach to do that for me. I picked a new focus on long-term development for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials, which gave direction to my training. I had stability in the workplace, so I could get into a regular routine of running. I focused on solid, fundamental training.
And the results speak for themselves. I definitely had a few hiccups (summer hamstring woes) and a few disappointing races (especially the Pittsburgh Half), but overall the trend was up. I set new road-race PRs at every major distance from the 5k to the half marathon -- 14:33 5k, 30:12 10k, and 1:05:28 half (the latter two of which are close to my college times on the track). I began approaching every race with a renewed positive psychology, focusing less on the end result and more on executing an effort-based race plan. Every race this past fall was an improvement on the previous one, with the lone exception of the Thanksgiving Day Race.
I came into the year needed an overhaul in my physical and mental approach to the sport; I'm leaving the year with a renewed sense of purpose and consistency in my training.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015
So what do you do after a return to form? You build on that momentum. You improve. You train smarter. You perfect your strengths. You identify your weaknesses and correct them.
One of the things I'm most pleased about this past year is the return to consistent high-mileage training. And while my mileage was pretty good in 2014, it wasn't great. A typical week for me was between 80 and 95 miles -- while I'm certainly training more intelligently than I ever had (read: taking recover days with recovery miles at recovery pace), that mileage needs to increase for me to perform at the level I want to.
Additionally, my biggest weakness I need to address is my weakness -- and by that, I mean my physical strength. I'm a pretty weak guy, which has contributed particularly to some hamstring issues in the past. So I'm taking a renewed focus to strengthening my core, especially the glutes, hip girdle, and hamstring.
But other than those two main things, I really want to carry 2014's momentum into 2015. I'll have my first chance to capitalize on that in less than three weeks -- January 18th at the US Half Marathons Championship in Houston. The ultimate goal there is to run the Olympic Trials qualifying time of sub-1:05. I know I'm in shape to do it, but even if I don't get there, it will still be a great experience...and I'll make sure I take some more shots in 2015.
I don't have any race schedule worked out yet, but after Houston I'm planning on taking a short break before ramping up for a spring marathon. By then it will have been two years since my last full marathon, but in that time I've gotten in some of the best training of my life. It's time for another one.
LOOKING BACK AT 2014
2014 was, from my perspective, very much a return to form. I finally got back the consistency that had been lacking in my training since college. In 2012 and 2013, I was constantly shifting between race plans and training methods. I wasn't running consistent mileage, I wasn't doing appropriate development workouts, I wasn't training with any real plan in mind. I was just following my whims of the week.
But a little over a year ago I stopped writing my own workouts and got a coach to do that for me. I picked a new focus on long-term development for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials, which gave direction to my training. I had stability in the workplace, so I could get into a regular routine of running. I focused on solid, fundamental training.
And the results speak for themselves. I definitely had a few hiccups (summer hamstring woes) and a few disappointing races (especially the Pittsburgh Half), but overall the trend was up. I set new road-race PRs at every major distance from the 5k to the half marathon -- 14:33 5k, 30:12 10k, and 1:05:28 half (the latter two of which are close to my college times on the track). I began approaching every race with a renewed positive psychology, focusing less on the end result and more on executing an effort-based race plan. Every race this past fall was an improvement on the previous one, with the lone exception of the Thanksgiving Day Race.
I came into the year needed an overhaul in my physical and mental approach to the sport; I'm leaving the year with a renewed sense of purpose and consistency in my training.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015
So what do you do after a return to form? You build on that momentum. You improve. You train smarter. You perfect your strengths. You identify your weaknesses and correct them.
One of the things I'm most pleased about this past year is the return to consistent high-mileage training. And while my mileage was pretty good in 2014, it wasn't great. A typical week for me was between 80 and 95 miles -- while I'm certainly training more intelligently than I ever had (read: taking recover days with recovery miles at recovery pace), that mileage needs to increase for me to perform at the level I want to.
Additionally, my biggest weakness I need to address is my weakness -- and by that, I mean my physical strength. I'm a pretty weak guy, which has contributed particularly to some hamstring issues in the past. So I'm taking a renewed focus to strengthening my core, especially the glutes, hip girdle, and hamstring.
But other than those two main things, I really want to carry 2014's momentum into 2015. I'll have my first chance to capitalize on that in less than three weeks -- January 18th at the US Half Marathons Championship in Houston. The ultimate goal there is to run the Olympic Trials qualifying time of sub-1:05. I know I'm in shape to do it, but even if I don't get there, it will still be a great experience...and I'll make sure I take some more shots in 2015.
I don't have any race schedule worked out yet, but after Houston I'm planning on taking a short break before ramping up for a spring marathon. By then it will have been two years since my last full marathon, but in that time I've gotten in some of the best training of my life. It's time for another one.
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