Monday, July 11, 2011

Reader Poll

Quick and dirty question!  Given my abnormally high amount of anxiety regarding my training lately I'm thinking about NOT checking the schedule to find out how long my long run is this week.  In theory, if I don't know the distance I can't freak out, right?  Huge upside. I can just focus on my shorter lunchtime runs. Now, this also means that I won't have had a chance to look at the route. Downside. I'll find out the distance when I show up Saturday morning and hope for the best in terms of not getting lost.  Yes, I do run with a group but I am also the slowest person in that group, so the rest of them are not always in visual contact, hence why I usually check out the route in advance.  I'm pretty sure it is either 10 miles or 14 miles.  I suppose I could just obsess about both but I am so buried with schoolwork right now that I don't think I have the emotional energy to spare.  So, thoughts?  Do I check the mileage or do I show up and be surprised?  What would you do?
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5 comments:

  1. MeganJuly 11, 2011 at 5:26 PM

    Hahah I couldn't resist not knowing! I would just check, but that's just me.

    Now I have a question for you:

    I am signed up to do a 2 mile race this weekend. I have a 6 mile long run on my half marathon training plan. How should I do this? Break up the run? Or plan out a route to knock out the whole thing?

    Has this ever happened to you?

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  2. ImTheMarigoldJuly 11, 2011 at 7:05 PM

    I haven't had that happen to me but I think you have a few options depending on the time of the race. Bear in mind I'm not an expert.

    1. You can race the 2 first, and tack on another 4 at a recovery pace later in the day.

    2. You can run the two as a warm up to the remaining 4 miles, and run those at tempo pace.

    3. You can run the race at whatever pace you want and call it a day. Do the remaining 4 the next day.

    Those are the ideas that jump into my mind, other commenters may have other better suggestions. I'm not sure which of those I would choose, prob 1 or 2 are more likely then 3 because I love any reason to have a rest day after a long run :)

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  3. AnonymousJuly 12, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    I know the answer to Megan's question: Warm up 2 (shorter races need longer warm ups anyway) race 2, cool down 2. As for checking the route, I really don't know about that one...

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  4. ImTheMarigoldJuly 12, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    Thanks, Liz!

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  5. BeccaJuly 12, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    I would show up and be surprised. I never check my run routes. I just show up blissfully unaware and hope for the best. Probably not the 'best' plan but its always worked for me. Of course, most of my long training runs done with the group were pretty known courses and were on a trail or a specific area. Not winding through streets, etc.

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