*Reminder that all Weekly Updates are posted on the website by Wednesday so if you miss one, or want to refer back to one, you can find them on the right column, near the bottom.

Another – HHHH weekend for running.  With the Ben Moore Memorial Half Marathon and 10k going on, it was hard to tell how many did their long run on Saturday but I know those who did had some problems with the heat and humidity.  A number of the Half Marathoners and a few of the 10k runners also had some heat issues.

Again; Tom Nelson has constructed a site to show our routes and water stop locations for the long run coming up each week.  Check back to the following website later in the week for the latest info on water support:  http://www.runningahead.com/groups/truman/Forum

Wednesday Track Session -   START 6:00pm  This week we will do 5 x 400’s and 4 x 100’s;  with :30 sec after each 400, and :15 sec after each 100.  I plan to be there.  Gather at Squisito’s after.

Saturday Run –  ***START AT 6:00am. ****   The long run is a Drop-Back week of  12 MILES –PICK UP THE PACE for the LAST 3 Miles by :30 sec per mile; or 10 miles + 5 miles (one loop) of the AHS Trails for those training for a Trail Run or 5 miles for the A-10/Half Marathon group.  If you are just joining the group and are not sure if you are up to the distance, touch base with me before we start.

NOTE:  .  The route will be out Rt 450 to  RIGHT on St Stephen’s Church, RIGHT onto Chesterfield (water at Camp Barrett), RIGHT onto Crownsville to the Arundel Signs Water Stop, up to the ¼ Mile Mark on Pinedale, then back to Truman.

I will not see you Saturday or Sunday as I will be working my way through the 200 miles of trails of the Rockies doing the Wild West Relay along with Paula Carrigan, Gaye Bugenhagen, Steve Blazjewski, Matt Moser, Barbara Hamilton, Cris Eck, Erin and Joe Ferner.  Think about us J

Sunday Trail Run – The days are getting warmer so let’s start at 8:00 am.  This should NOT be a tempo run.  You ran long on Saturday and do not want to overdo it Sunday, even if it is on the trails. When done correctly, these runs are great for shaking off the stiffness from the previous day’s long run.

The Intermediate Group will be doing their run at 9:00am from Truman Park N Ride, for 5 mile run out to South River Road intersection, turn RIGHT, under the Rt 50 overpass and out to the Rt 450 intersection at the Arundel Sign Water Stop and back with four 2 minute walk breaks but try to pick up the pace slightly.

The number of people I encountered over the weekend that had problems dealing with the heat made me think a review of some basic cautions.  I guess I should not really be surprised.  This period in your training is tough.  You are getting stronger, working hard on your endurance, working hard on your pacing work, and working hard to make sure you get “quality” long runs in.  The problem is that “quality” to many of you means ‘as fast as possible’ – instead of ‘staying within your limits’.  This attitude gets many of you in trouble when you don’t adequately weigh significant changes in the variables that affect every workout – like what you did the day before, what you ate the day before, how much sleep you got, a cold coming on, stress at home/work, etc. etc.   In this case – the heat and humidity.  To illustrate, if you were aiming to do 10 min/mile for the 18 miles this weekend, or 2:00 hrs for the Half, or 35 min for the Dog Days 8k this weekend and went out and tried to maintain that pace, I can almost guarantee you either did not make that goal or you expended a lot more energy than you expected and felt terrible after – or both.  The rule-of-thumb is that if the conditions are moderately above normal you can expect a 5% decrease in performance.  For bad conditions, like this weekend, you should expect a 10% decrease and re-adjust your strategy accordingly; like starting out slower, additional hydrating, and lowering expectations.

It is not all bad news.   The disorientation, nausea, and light-headiness some of you felt could – should – become another data point in your understanding of  - yourself; how you react under different conditions.  You now know what is going to happen to you if the conditions are 85 degrees, and 65% humidity, and you try to run at 80%-85% effort – you pay for it :-)

“The essential thing in life is not so much conquering as fighting well. “ Pierre de Coubertin

Stay Healthy

Ron

Ron Bowman
BLUEPOINTTIMING.com
410-573-1929
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