I'm Back!

Daily Quote: "The variation principle comes into play in several different ways in the FIRST training program.  After quality run training, we recommend that you cross-train (the variation principle) to give your running muscles a chance to recover.  You should also use training cycles to vary the intensity and volume of your training (the variation principle again) to help achieve peak levels of fitness.  --from the excellent and revolutionary book, "Runner's World, Run Less, Run Faster" by Bill Pierce, Scott Murr, and Ray Moss.

I'm finally back into training, slowly I've been adding my mileage since May 11th when I managed to achieve a hip flexor injury lifting luggage out of my cab and twisting my body to place it on the curb.   Most of my running has been very slow and painfully short, but this week I'm now up to running four miles in duration for four days! 

My next race is the Notch Run on July 17th, which is a four mile race straight up to Lee Canyon, hence my confidence is good since I can now run four miles in training.  This race is part of the Las Vegas Track Club Competition Series, which I'm currently ranked 11th.

Also, I have 23 weeks until the 2010 Las Vegas Marathon on December 5th.  I plan to start my marathon training on August 16th, which will be 16 weeks before the marathon.  Normally I would strive to train for 18-24 weeks, but I want to fully recover from my hip injury and give myself plenty of time to build up a base before marathon training...at least 30 mpw with a long run of 13 miles.  I have seven weeks to achieve this solid base before marathon training.

The last two years I've been injury prone, so I've decided using the F.I.R.S.T training method which consists of three hard running workouts a week (intervals, tempo, long run). Then there are two days of very specific cross-training.  This will also give my old body two days off from exercising per week.  Just writing this plan here sounds like drastic measures, especially when I enjoy high mileage training, but I can always return to my old ways next year...for now, I must get myself strong and fit again!  This isn't the first time I've tried the F.I.R.S.T. training method, I had used this method to train for the 2008 Boston Marathon.  The 2008 Boston Marathon was a disaster due to eating too much exotic foods the night before the race, causing me to stop at the porta-pottys many times, and can't really blame my F.I.R.S.T. training for the slow result.

Las Vegas has been over 100 degrees, which is normal for the summer months, I'll be adding most of my miles on the treadmill, but hope to run at least one quality road run after work, which is around 2:00 a.m.