Okay, I finally broke 4 hours last year at CIM.
Great, but now what is my next time goal? There is really only one number out there: 3:20! Or, maybe get a sex change and then it's 3:40 or maybe wait 20 years . . . Since I don't want to confuse my daughter with the sex change and I don't have patience to wait for many years, then I must get faster and I must get faster soon.
So the last couple of months I've been working on my speed. I used a heart rate monitor to gage my tempo and speed workouts and tried to run them much faster than in the past. I've been doing my long runs faster.
But, now to feel sorry for myself: I have a great 16-month old at home, a busy work schedule, and I teach. Which means my running time is limited. So must of my runs have to be late at night or early in the morning and, even then, it is hard (or impossible due to time constraints) to put in more than 30-40 miles a week. Maybe, a week or two I can get up to 50 miles.
Thus, I'm finding it very hard to get the increase in speed I need to make such a significant improvement for my marathon time. But, I'm not giving up. I'll do the best I can. It took my 6 marathons to break 4 so it will definitely be a challenge to knock off 40 minutes off my marathon time. I realize at someone point I'll have to pick a time such as 3:40 or so and work then work from there.
If anyone has helpful hints to increase your speed with a busy schedule, please do let me know.
Here is a video of Brooklyn on Easter:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
Hi Tim,
Hey there stranger! Ha ha, this made me laugh! Tell me about it...it is hard to get faster!! At least you broke a sub 4:) Go you! I am still attempting to do that this year at TC.
I was so bummed that I didn't get into the Napa to Sonoma half again. Grr! Maybe there is another half in Cali that I can run in. Suggestions?
I hope your little Brooklyn is doing well. She is probably getting so big. They grow so darn fast...just think, she will be in college tomorrow:)
Take care!
its not hard to get fast ... just run faster. lol
Nothing will help like track work and long tempo runs... good luck
Brooklyn is an expert egg finder! :) I hear you on the time constraints. I'd like to get faster this year...if I'm not too old to, that is. :)
I gave up on improving my times when I started running ultras. I'm now 47 and my marathon PR is 3:48. This year I find it hard to go below 4:30. The good news is that my dad ran his best marathon t age 52. So there is hope. Don't give up!
Chris seems to be dead on, haha
Yea, I think some speed work and more tempo runs are the main way to increase speed. Anything that helps to vary your pace during runs seems to help. I'm injured right now, but I hope to follow Pfitzinger's 18/55 week plan for Chicago in October. I also liked reading the marathon plan in Run Faster - it seems to have a little more speed work than Pfitzinger's plan.
I might see you at SF, I'm doing the 2nd half marathon.
Good luck!
Post a Comment