December 2011

[marathondan]

Yep, without wishing to go over too much old ground, the 3 runs a week routine works well for me. And much as I might bore you with statistics, the timing of the sessions isn't that important to me. I know what the pace should feel like for a slow run, a tempo run and an interval session - I do time them (or did till my watch broke), but really the pace records are just there to give me a mental boost when I see the improvement. I don't think you need to have "6 x 800 off 60 sec rest" etc written into your diary in indelible ink. You just have the three sessions written on the fridge, and you tick them off in whatever order you like during the course of the week. And you almost always have the luxury of not running two days in a row - I probably haven't for the last 4 years, give or take once or twice. Or if you have a packed week ahead, bank them early over the weekend and you can do your thing during the week.

And I don't do any cross training to speak of. But I should remind you that I'm 10 years younger than you, which I do think allows me to get away with a bit more (less).

But let's be honest Sweder - if you can find the time to consistently put in the long runs and some tough hills, you'll be in great shape come April. You've done it before and you'll do it again. I think the challenge will be keeping space in your diary. If a plan helps you do that, then go for it. I guess we'll be gunning for around the same time in April, and despite my age advantage I have no confidence in beating you!