swimriderundave’s BodyBlog

I turn 35 in less than 4 weeks.  I’ve got about 26 days to get in the best shape of my life.  I’ve decided to continue to run 60 miles a week for the next 4 weeks and then take a week off.  I’ll have pics and all that after this whole ordeal is over.  Wish me luck!!!

 DAVE

Sounds pretty complicated eh?  What I mean is I’m running 15 miles a day for 4 days straight (quad 15) to achieve my goal of at least 220 miles this month.  I ran my first 15 last night and didn’t get home till about 11pm.  My total caloric expenditure was around 2300 kcals. so I was definitely at a deficit for yesterday’s total caloric balance.  I got 3 more days.  I’ll tell you how it  goes.

 DAVE

I’ve logged 33 miles so far and it’s only the middle of the week.  I’ve got a 17 mile run planned for this Saturday and a 10 miler tomorrow so I should finish with at least 60.  I’m looking to grind out between 220 and 240 miles this month and it looks like I’m off to a good start.  I took last week off after running for over 3 consecutive months and now the body’s pumped up and ready to go LONG!!  I’ve plateaued as far as body composition,…stuck between 8 and 9% bodyfat.  I plan on being a little more consistent in the gym and not skipping out on my swim sessions.  Stay tuned for another set of progress pics, should have them  ready by mid October.  Goal is to get down to 6% so we’ll see how it goes.

 DAVE

My initial goal was to run 200 miles this month,…but I went above and beyond this past weekend and racked up a total of 205 miles.  I’m still in my base phase of run training so the goal is to amass as much volume as I possibly can to stimulate the following physiological adaptations:

-     Strengthen my connective tissue

-     Increase cardiovascular capacity by increasing blood vessel strength and numbers

-     Increase my capacity to burn fat over sugar

-     Reinforce my new running mechanics

I’m going to take this week off and focus on recovery.  These physiological changes take time so I’m looking to maintain this slow and steady volume for the next 12-16 weeks.  I plan on incorporating the speedwork once my body is entirely prepared for it.  Remember:  the body that has the capacity to maintain the higher volume will have a quicker recovery rate and a greater level of DURABILITY.  This is one aspect of endurance training that MANY fail to address.  People who don’t address this go too fast too soon…and ultimately sustain injuries.

Happy Training,

DAVE

Its been a while since I’ve written a blog so I figure I give you guys a little ’somethin-somthin’.  Anyway, run training has been the most consistent that its ever been.  I’ve been studying African (Kenyan, Ethiopian, etc.) running mechanics for the last few months and have incorporated the style into my own running and the results have been amazing:

I’ve run a 125 mile month, a 145 mile month, and am one week short of completing a 200 mile month (just short of 50 miles per week).  AND I’m still swimming and lifting.  After seeing the changes, I cannot begin to stress the importance of consistent EASY volume.  The most dramatic improvement that I’ve witnessed is my body’s increased efficiency; I am now holding a 10 minute mile pace at a heart rate of 120 bpm, and am able to hit a 9:50 minute/mile pace at just under 130 beats per minute.  I’ve never been this efficient before and am SOOOO excited to see where I’ll be by December.  (my marathon race heartrate is in the 150s…)  I ran a 3:53 marathon and 19:45 5k when 130 bpm was an 11 minute mile.  Most of my mileage has been in the 9-10 minute mile range and I am confident that my EZ (130 bpm) will shift to a  8-9 minute mile before the end of this year.  I won’t even think of doing speedwork till mid November.

POINTS TO PONDER:

Assume two people go out to the track and perform the same speed interval set, say 16 x 400meters on 1:15 (quarter milers at 5 min/mile pace) with 2 minutes of rest between each one.  One person has held an average volume of 25 miles per week for 10 weeks while the other has held a volume of 70 miles per week for 10 weeks (assume that both hold the same pace).  Which of the two will recover faster from the speed workout?  Which will be able to do more speed workouts per week?  Obviously the one who averaged more miles per week.  This is the concept that I’m totally pushing for all you endurance athletes.  Far too often we talk about how fast we went for one workout when we should really be concerned with our overall volume.  The volume you do during your base phase will give your body the recovery capacity it needs when it comes time to really do the speed work.  The more volume you teach your body to handle, the better you’ll be at recovering from the speed workouts that you do in the weeks before your race.  The faster you recover, the more speed workouts you’ll be able to do.  The more speed workouts,….yup that’s right,….more speed workouts = more speed.  Don’t be impatient.  Pay your dues with the EZ volume and you’ll be faster than you’ve ever imagined.