My wife and I were at a post-holiday party the other night with a group of mostly other runners, when one woman we know proudly announced that her husband had declared that this is her year to train for whatever she wants. I thought, "great", now my wife is gonna want the same thing! I know, after having four children in the last five years, and working hard to get in shape, it's only fair that she gets a chance to do what she likes. But our family's schedules have been tailored to accommodate my running the last few years!
What she did the other morning really makes me a little envious. She joined members of the Elmhurst Running Club for their workout on York High School's indoor track. The group does track workouts once a week in the early morning hours. Most of the members are training for spring marathons, or for the spring racing season.
I was envious because, as much as I enjoy running out on the roads or trails, the track has always been where I get that special feeling like I'm at home. I ran high school and college track (many, many years ago). And for my wife, this was her first track workout ever! She is relatively new to running, though she has done a couple marathons. This summer she dramatically lowered her 5k time. She set her goal for the new year to bringing that time down a couple minutes lower still.
I know the track workouts are the way to accomplish that goal. Long slow distance will only get you so far, before you need to get some speed work to get faster. I also know that because I work nights, there is really no way I'm ever going to make it to the track at 5am to join the group. So the reality is that she is welcome to go whenever she wants. I will stay home with the kids.
As for the workout, she tells me they did 800 meter repeats. That sounds like a good all-purpose workout designed to get your legs turning over a little faster, and get your heart rate up a little. She tells me it was a good workout.
Her experience reminded me that this is the time to start getting serious if you are considering a spring marathon. I've done a few of them, but I always wrestle with the challenge of training all through a Chicago winter, with the snow and cold making it tough to get consistent runs in, especially speed work.
In the past, I've basically ignored the speed work and run the marathon on distance training alone. That has meant lowered expectations, but I still enjoyed the marathons. And I found the training gave me a good head start for the summer season.
The alternatives don't much appeal to me. You could do speed workouts on a treadmill. But I really hate treadmill running. In fact, I really like the name my friend Janeth Ohst used for it the other day, "dreadmill". And I'm not getting up at 4:30 in the morning to run indoor track workouts! It would probably not be a great career move to go on a live shot at 10pm the night after getting up to run an early morning track workout.
I really respect those who can do it. They are the ones I'm watching ahead of me in those spring races! About the only real cardio workouts I get in the winter are from the two stair climb events I do annually. The first of those, the AON building climb is coming up soon as a matter of fact. But I digress.
As I mentioned at the start of this entry, this year should be the year my wife gets to train for whatever she wants. So far she hasn't asked, but the answer is, yes, it is her year. I just hope I that means I get to do a few good races!
See you on the roads....
Comments