Warning: This is a long rambling post about running. It contains no cute pictures or anecdotes of the kids. Reading this post may cause yawning, loss of interest, and possible eye strain.
This FIRST training program has been kicking my tail. I'm on week 3 of the sixteen-week marathon program. I spent about a month prior to the official start of this training cycle getting used to new feelings such as working at a much faster pace and listening to myself suck in gulps of air in response to the much harder training paces. I wasn't really enjoying myself as I have mentioned in other posts.
Changing to this program required a big, no huge shift in thinking. Almost every book I have ever read about running essentially nay-says the possibility that a person can run less yet run faster?!? So, my mind has been struggling with keeping the faith in a program that has been so challenging that it has made me want to quit over and over during the past 7 weeks. I've limped, cried, gasped, whined, and worried over more workouts than I ever have before. Being a huge proponent of the personal challenge, I had reached the point where I knew I was going to have to just suck it up, and move on with my life. I really felt like the FIRST program was on the right track, but something was missing that made it hard for me to embrace the program 100% and, in the words of Nike: Just Do it!
Enter Matt Fitzgerald's book Brain Training For Runners. I have read and enjoyed many of Matt Fitzgerald's other books. Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners was absolutely the key to my understanding fueling for the ultra marathon last summer and the Fresno marathon this past November.
Fitzgerald's Brain Training book finally addresses the part of my body that had not been fully cooperating with my training program--the brain! My heart has been in this, but my body and mind have been taking some time to come around.
His book also sings the praises of cross-training which so many of the book authors mention in their books, yet never incorporate into their training programs. His training programs actually show where cross-training fits in with key workouts. Fitzgerald's book stresses the importance of 3 key workouts just like the FIRST program. However, it also includes nifty little mental or sensory brain training cues that help the runner control stride for faster times and injury prevention.
Armed with new knowledge of the brain and it's ability to cause suffering without catastrophe, I hit the road on Wednesday to meet my nemesis AKA "interval training repeats" AKA the "high school track flashback workout". Using some of the brain-training cues and Fitzgerald's warm-up recommendations, I hit every single pace goal and only used the recommended resting interval distance between repeats! This was the first time I have ever hit every pace goal of the interval repeat workout. Prior to Tuesday, I always needed more recovery time between the repeats in order to psych myself up for the next one.
I'm not going so far as to say that I'm cured of my fear of suffering. One break-through workout doesn't mean all my problems are solved. Now, I at least understand how working on my brain can help get my body in sync with my training program. I'm still using FIRST since I've put so much into it at this point, but Matt Fitzgerald's program meshes nicely with the process. I am excited to work on this component of my fitness and to see how it translates into results.
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