The Build Up to Swampers (April 27)
About five weeks out from Swampers 5k I asked my friend, Chris Borden (http://twobordens.blogspot.com/) to write a training plan for me. I decided that my A-races for 2013 would be The Stump Jump 50k trail run and the Pensacola Marathon, so he started me on a base build as follows:
4 weeks to Swampers (this date was April 1)
4 runs this week.
2x30' aerobic
1x45' aerobic
1x60' aerobic
5 runs next week
2x30' aero
2x45' aero
1x60' aero
6 runs week 3
2x30'
4x50'
Race week:
Monday
30' EZ-aerobic
Tuesday
20' aerobic
Then 4x (2' 1 mile race pace, 2'ez) 10' EZ-aero
Wed-off*email me here for race strategy
Thursday - 30' aero with 3-4x20-30" strides. Stop when you feel good.
Friday-off
Saturday-
WU ~ 10-20' EZ building to aero with 3-4x20-30"strides, stop when you feel good
Swampers
CD-10' EZ
I followed this plan religiously.
About a week before the race I realized I would have a real, honest to goodness race strategy. Up until then I didn't think I would have enough running under my belt to even worry about it. I just figured I would run it as best I could then use that time to establish beginner training paces. The interesting thing about my training leading up to Swampers was that I wasn't given hard and fast paces I had to hold for prescribed durations, rather I was given only two paces, Easy and Aerobic. These were described as EASY feeling really easy and AEROBIC still being able talk. On Wednesday before the race, as noted above, I received my race strategy and nervously read it. I printed it out and carried it with me in my lunch cooler. I'd pull it out whenever I had an extra moment to look at it and make sure what I was rolling through my head was correct.
Race Day
Race day rolled around and I followed my strategy from warm-up to race as closely as I could. Chris had told me my legs would feel out of sorts, but don't let it faze me, it was normal. Sissy and Emma were running the race too so I was pretty excited about that as well. At the starting line I gave them high-fives and we threw up our Marshes. When the gun sounded people in thongs ran past me. Haha...just kidding! I watched throngs of people run past me. As they did, I wondered which ones I'd catch and which ones I wouldn't. It wasn't long before some of the more overzealous began falling behind me. A few minutes into the race I saw Sissy running too hard trying to keep up with her friend. I told her to chill out on the front end and finish strong then I ran on. The rest of the run went as planned. I followed my paces and ran the race lines not the curbs. It was nice running a smart race and not blowing myself up by outrunning my fitness. I was, however, incredibly surprised at how fast my friend Jimmy had gotten. It took me until about mile 2.9-3.0 to run him down and pass him. Holy frijoles that dude has improved...hats off to you, my friend! I made my pass on him right toward the end and hung on to make it stick. I finished at 22:40...that's a PR for me on a sponsored run!!!
Emma and Sissy PRed their runs too. Sissy won her age group (female 9-10) with a 27:05 and Emma at 30:06. Great job girls! You're doing the Marsh name proud!
Week of April 29
My training for this week looks like 3x50', 2x30' and 1x90' runs all at aerobic pace. I still haven't done any speed work other than some striders in the days leading up to Swampers and according to the plan for the next four weeks, I won't have any til the week of May 20. Thus far in the week, I've done two 50' runs. My average pace has been 9:05 and 9:07 both days.
The next 5k on my radar is the Loretto 5k in Loretto, TN on July 4. I hear the course is flat, fast and conducive to PRs!! I can't wait...see ya there!
