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Coach Ed's Summer Running Hints

All -- 

As I write this, the summer has hit us with a bang -- our first June track workout will likely be with a heat index in the 90s.  (Remember those chilly nights in early May at Yorktown?)  A reminder of a few vital tips for using the summer to get in top shape -- as opposed to getting burned out. 

WORK, BUT RECOVER ALSO:  All of our programs -- SLR, Wednesday Track, informal mid-week runs -- are flexible.  If you're an "every week" attendee, that's great.  But take a good measure of whether you can or should do the full scheduled workout each week. Any sound training program is built around "periodization" -- meaning, in most programs, that every third week (or 10-day "week" in some programs) is a "fallow" or recovery period in which you train at 50-60% of your maximum volume.  This is particularly important in circumstances where the weather adds to the difficulty factor of each workout.  For advice on how to accomplish this, while "staying with the program," consult with one of the Club's coaches, myself, or your Marathon Training Program coach.  

RACING:   As many of you know, I'm a big proponent of building race fitness by, well, racing!  Not too frequently, but when you race, race hard!  The Club has great program of summer races, the Bunion Derby, not to mention the dozens of other races available in the area.  Do not try to do it all -- if you have raced hard on a Tuesday night, back off a bit for the Wednesday workout, and take it easy between then and the Saturday long run.

START SLOW:  This is particularly true for your SLRs and other long runs.  The best advice I have ever read said that the first 15-20 minutes of a long run should be ponderously slow -- specifically so that you body gradually burns off the thimble-full of its readily-available carbohydrate energy, before making the turn to converting your stored fat energy into carbohydrate.  Short-circuit that process by starting too fast, and the transition becomes more hurried and difficult, and your workout more labored.  

THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES: We are a running club -- so our workouts are not "run/walk."  But "run/stop" is a different matter.  A 1-minute break every 20-30 minutes to really hydrate, and a longer break at the top of the hour on a long run, will force you to get enough hydration, calm down your heart rate, and also give your mind something to look forward to other than the end of the run itself.  So, break up your longest runs, just as you break up your track workouts, with recovery stops.  

TRY TWO-A-DAYS: Got a 16-miler scheduled, but the weather is awful?  If your life schedule permits, break up the workout -- run 10 in the morning, then 6 in the evening.  The difference in training benefit is marginal, and will be more than offset by the break you have given your body, allowing it to recover for your workouts in the days ahead.  

WATCH THE DEW POINT, NOT JUST THE TEMPERATURE:  For runners, the dew point is a critical number.  The temperature early in the morning can be in the 70s, but don't be fooled -- the humidity is often the highest at that time of day (before the Sun has burned it off), and any dew point 65 or above will be uncomfortable.  Once we hit a dew point of 70, the bodily stress gets severe, and you need both to calm down your pace (as well as distance) and ramp up your water stops.   I found the following calculations in the Runner's World post done by a runner/meteorologist.  These should help -- keep in mind that on many a Saturday morning (and Wednesday night), DC's Temp + Dew Point approaches or exceeds 150.  (The calculation here is to add current temp to current dew point):  

Temp+dewpoint of 90-100 is probably ideal, but anything below 130 is pretty much OK to go for the fast time…maybe 120 for longer distances…say 1/2 marathon or above. Between 130-150 will see a gradual slowdown in pace, and if it’s above 150, forget pace altogether and just focus on finishing.

Here’s another poster’s way of looking at it (that the meteorologist agreed with):

Dewpoint <55*F: Go for it!
Dewpoint in the 60s…it’ll be tough for racing, training runs OK
Dewpoint in the low 70s…hard training will be tough
Dewpoint in the upper 70s….anything other than a recovery run will be a struggle
Dewpoint in the 80s…even a recovery run is tough

Run safe and well! 

Coach Ed 

Track Workouts for Summer 2011

All -- 

We are back on the track for the summer, all "home games" on Wednesday evenings being completed for the spring.  As of June 8, we will be welcoming participants in the DCRRC Fall Marathon Training Program -- please make these folks welcome!  As with every summer, we can expect a crowd on the track.  We will continue to aim for a 7:15 start; on nights when the track is very crowded, we may push back to 7:20 or 7:25 just to let the earlier groups finish up.  But do plan on that 7:15 start.  As always, workouts may be altered at the discretion of Coach Ed in case of extreme weather conditions.  

The post above this has a bit more to say about summer workouts in the Washington heat/humidity.  To summarize the most important point:  The number of repeats stated here is generally a maximum suited for our most fit runners.  Keep track of the total time you spend running the "fast" (repeat) portion of the workout.  For example, if you are running at a true 5K pace effort, and it takes you 4 minutes to complete an 800M repeat, you are running 33% longer at that pace than the runner who takes 3 minutes.  Adjust your number of repeats accordingly, especially on the hottest nights.  And to make the even more obvious point, hydrate well before, during, and after the workout!  Finally, these workouts are challenging, and meant to be so.  If they seem to be too much, talk to Coach Ed and/or your MTP coach.  

PACES:  "Interval" ("I")  = 5K race pace

             "Cruise" ("C")    = 10K race pace

             "Tempo" ("T")    = 10M to Half-Marathon race pace

See McMillan Running Calculator -- link above -- to calculate YOUR workout pace.  Also, keep in mind that weather conditions would affect your race pace, so they should also affect your training pace.  

Finally, it a good idea to finish all workouts with a cool down run that includes some fast-pace "striders" between 100M and 200M.  You can start with 1 or 2 striders and work up to 4.  Good recovery technique; also forces you not to over-exert during the workout.  

See you at the track!  

Coach Ed