Today kicks off an exciting time of the year...
TRACK SEASON!!
This year we're going to pick it up where I left off last year, the 1500.
It's going to be UNcomfortable. For a few reasons.
1.) I'm training for the 10k-Marathon this season. More mileage + less speed + 1500 = PAIN
Well that's actually the only reason.
Regardless of how unpleasant this particular race is going to be, I'm still very much excited for it. Going off of how surprisingly well I raced throughout the indoor season, I'm hoping to at least run close to my PR tonight.
Even though the speed might not necessarily be there, I'm a lot stronger than I ever have been, and I'm hoping that carries me through this race.
As my coach likes to tell me Strength = Speed.
Funny enough, my last race was exactly ten times as long as the one I'm about to run. That was the Mountain to Fountain 15 down in Fountain Hills, AZ.
That race was a pleasant surprise, as I took 2nd place (behind Olympian Andrew Lemoncello), and also brought home hundreds of beers (literally) and a pretty good pay day. Giving me some confidence heading into 10k season.
On a side note: If you live in the Flagstaff-Phoenix Area, you gotta run the Mountain to Fountain 15k next year. Fun course, GREAT prizes (Chipotle and BEER), and it's incredibly well organized. One of my favorite road races to go to. Awesome people.
While I'll miss the roads, I'm certainly excited to run some PR's and beef up my track resume a bit (it's pretty laughable in the 5k-10k column).
The schedule for the next 2 months:
Tonight: Baldy Castillo 1500
Next Week: ASU Invitational 5k (tempo run)
Week After That: Stanford Invitational 10k (Sub 29)
2 Weeks Later: Mt SAC Invitational (Sub 13:50)
2 Weeks Later: Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational (28:40)
6 Days after that: USATF 25k Championships (Top 10)
Nick
The Moderately Talented Distance Runner
Friday, March 21, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
The Start of a Great Year
Time to do some catching up.
In brief, here are my last few weeks.
BU Valentine: 18 sec. 3k PR: 7:57
USATF Cross-Country Championships: 19th Place
USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships: 3k- 13th Place.
Needless to say, it was an exhilarating few weeks there.
The PR was great, especially considering the lack of specificity at this point in the season. We've been focusing on strength, so to get out and run a huge PR gave me a big dose of confidence.
The next 2 weeks were OK. The experience was great, and getting the opportunity to run with the big boys was great, but the finishes were not. Next time I line up at a US Championship, I want to contending for a top spot, and not just running off the back.
I'll have to wait until May for that opportunity though.
The performances of the winter, I think, set me up for a great spring. Originally, my goals were to crack 14 min. in the 5k, and 29 in the 10k, but considering recent times, I think I need to raise the bar a bit.
How about, 13:45 for 5k, and 28:40 for 10k. That seems a bit better. '
Training continues to go well, and I continue to stay healthy (knock on wood). If those trends continue, than I'll be heading into outdoor with a lot of confidence. I've been able to get many weeks over 100 miles while continuing to have good workouts, so I just need to keep this momentum going.
Next up for me is the Mountain to Fountain 15k in Fountain Hills, AZ just outside of Phoenix. It has a strong field, but I believe that I can hang in contention and put up a good fight. My strength is definitely there, I just need to translate it onto the roads.
If you haven't checked it out yet, take a look at my weekly blog for the iRunnerblog. I write the column titled "The Running High", and its an opportunity to see me write about something other than myself.
I've heard from a lot of people after my run at the US Indoor Champs, and it was fantastic and I can't thank everyone enough for just being out there and following. Hopefully I can keep it up.
Also I want to thank the companies that have been helping me out thus far this year. I've been added to the Powerbar Team Elite roster for 2014, and I'm truly exciting to be representing such a great brand. Also a thanks to Swiftwick, for keeping my feet happy, and supporting me!
Nick
The Moderately Talented Distance Runner
In brief, here are my last few weeks.
BU Valentine: 18 sec. 3k PR: 7:57
USATF Cross-Country Championships: 19th Place
USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships: 3k- 13th Place.
Needless to say, it was an exhilarating few weeks there.
The PR was great, especially considering the lack of specificity at this point in the season. We've been focusing on strength, so to get out and run a huge PR gave me a big dose of confidence.
The next 2 weeks were OK. The experience was great, and getting the opportunity to run with the big boys was great, but the finishes were not. Next time I line up at a US Championship, I want to contending for a top spot, and not just running off the back.
I'll have to wait until May for that opportunity though.
The performances of the winter, I think, set me up for a great spring. Originally, my goals were to crack 14 min. in the 5k, and 29 in the 10k, but considering recent times, I think I need to raise the bar a bit.
How about, 13:45 for 5k, and 28:40 for 10k. That seems a bit better. '
Training continues to go well, and I continue to stay healthy (knock on wood). If those trends continue, than I'll be heading into outdoor with a lot of confidence. I've been able to get many weeks over 100 miles while continuing to have good workouts, so I just need to keep this momentum going.
Next up for me is the Mountain to Fountain 15k in Fountain Hills, AZ just outside of Phoenix. It has a strong field, but I believe that I can hang in contention and put up a good fight. My strength is definitely there, I just need to translate it onto the roads.
If you haven't checked it out yet, take a look at my weekly blog for the iRunnerblog. I write the column titled "The Running High", and its an opportunity to see me write about something other than myself.
I've heard from a lot of people after my run at the US Indoor Champs, and it was fantastic and I can't thank everyone enough for just being out there and following. Hopefully I can keep it up.
Also I want to thank the companies that have been helping me out thus far this year. I've been added to the Powerbar Team Elite roster for 2014, and I'm truly exciting to be representing such a great brand. Also a thanks to Swiftwick, for keeping my feet happy, and supporting me!
Nick
The Moderately Talented Distance Runner
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