MetaChat - Fintness Goal Heeeeelp!

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22 February 2006

Fintness Goal Heeeeelp! Cubie recently died of cancer. Fundraising ensues. People are solicited to participate in a 10K, which I've done before. The company will contribute funds for participation. →[More:]
Then floks start getting wild on the fundraising/memorial contribution - renting their executive parkings spaces, for example. So I say I'll take additional pledges only to be collected if I can finish the 6.2 miles in an hour and two minutes.

Life happens. Mom almost dies, I move her to a nursing home. Somking and drinking and weight levels up. Past week? Sinus infection, can't run.

Race is April 1. I think I need to take about five/six minutes off my time.

Doable? How? Weasel out? How? Finally, why do I appear to be a more inside loooser? I swear I just read the directions again.

post by: rainbaby at: 09:24 | 8 comments

Oh! More inside worked. So that's good.

posted by rainbaby 22 February | 09:25

Oh rainbaby. I have no advice for you. Running is on my list of "Things I Simply Do Not Do" right up there with wearing white pants. But I do want to say that I'm sorry to hear about your cubie and I think what you're doing is awesome. Run, rainbaby, run!

posted by jrossi4r 22 February | 09:33

What was your workout schedule like before life happened?

I'm currently training for a marathon, so workout schedules are on my mind and awful lot.

posted by sciurus 22 February | 09:44

Doable, but it will take work. Between now and then I would 1) start running 2) make sure that you run at least four times a week and that one of your runs is at race pace for 4 miles, and one is at :30 slower than race pace for 6 miles.

(Shit, I've got a marathon in a week and a half and I haven't run further than 16 miles since last November. This reminds me that I have to start running myself!)

posted by omiewise 22 February | 09:48

I was running four times a week, plus one cross training like an aerobic class. I'd switch between working on speed and working on endurance/incline. The race course is pretty darn flat. The best I've done so far is about three miles at race pace. I've run/walk the full race course, but I've not tried the whole course :30 under, that's a good (scary) idea. This past sick week, I've been walking on an incline for about three miles a day. I just have to clear out this headache, or I'm going to set myself back. Go go antibiotics! Last year I did it under 1:10, so there is race day adrenaline, too.

posted by rainbaby 22 February | 09:54

PS - 5'7", 150lbs, 37 yrs. No knee or ankle issues. I suck a lot of water when I run.

posted by rainbaby 22 February | 09:57

I think it's doable, rainbaby. I defer to OmieWise's advice here, but I wonder if an interval run 1x week wouldn't help with the speed? I do think the :30 slower race-distance run is very important. And you'll get the race-day boost, so things may work out fine. But it's probably a good time to sit down with a notebook or a grid and plot out the month's workouts so you'll have some structure to work within.

Sorry to hear about all those setbacks. But sometimes running is the best way to shed stress and clear the head, aside from the physical benefits. Good luck!

posted by Miko 22 February | 10:21

I would drop the cross training at this point and concentrate on the running just because of the time involved. miko's advice about intervals is good, I was worried that you might hurt yourself doing too much speedwork, but if I had to add some I would start with 2x800 meters at a nice hard effort that gives you a hard time maintaining it for the whole run. The next week add an 800, then another, until you get 2.5 miles total speedwork for the workout. Jog between the fast bits.

posted by omiewise 22 February | 12:21

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