[Litchfield Hills]

I have cut my LR short now 2 weeks in a row. I am in that uncomfortable place of running more than I ever have, but not as much as I want. Gonna crush my prior monthly high (on pace for around 140, prior was 103).<br><br>
A lot of the increase in milage is because I am running consistently 5 days/week, instead of 4. Still getting my rest in too. I generally run easy on M and W, med long on Tues, and a tempo\cruise interval session on Thu. LR on Saturday (so rest day before and after).<br><br>
I have a HM in a little over a month, and I am getting concerned about bagging my LRs. Any suggestions?<br><br>
(The link to my log is in my siggy, if you wanna see all the gory details.)

 

[Hippo]

You don't really say why you cut the LR's short. What is the specific reason?<br><br>
I'll say right away that an extremely common thing people do is long training runs that are too fast. Veerrrry slow and long enough is usually better than medium pace and too short.<br><br>
Have you run that long before? what is your experience?

 

[ScratchType1]

I'd say it's fatigue, plus today was about as brutal of heat and humidity as there's been all summer in the northeast.<br><br>
You've logged more miles this month than you ever have before and I'd guess your body is asking for a bit of recovery. What's your resting heart rate like? Has it been creeping up?

 

[Nettie]

Just from looking at his logs, it appears to me that his long runs are slow enough (they're the same pace as mine and I'm much slower than him), but that some of his easy runs might be too fast.

 

[tigger]

The goals of your LR are to build endurance, including improved CV, muscles, blood circulation, mitochondria density and stronger tendons. The optimal time is generally more than 90 min, but not more than 150 min. If I am not training for a race I will usually stop at about 120 min (2 hrs) because any more than that will lengthen my following recovery and interfere with future runs.<br><br>
For people like you and me (speedwise) we should treat HM racing like fast people treat marathons. In that sense, it becomes first and foremost an endurance race, and secondly (a distant second) a race at or near your threshold. If you want to improve endurance you need to alternate long/short/long/short/long/short when you set up your weekly runs. When I say "short" I mean a run of about 40 min or so. This allows you up to 72 hrs (assuming a day of rest included) before the next major run. So you could set up a run schedule (5 dpw) with 2 major runs, 2 short ones and one long one. One of those major runs would include some faster work at or near your threshold. The long run could be preceded by a day of rest and another day with a short (40 min) run, which would be done the day after a major run...say your threshold work. (Major runs would be in the 60 to 90 min range.)<br><br>
For illustrative purposes...<br><br>
Day 1 - Off<br>
Day 2 -1 hr to 90 min easy<br>
Day 3 - Recovery run of 30 to 45 min<br>
Day 4 - 1 hr to 90 min with 20 to 45 min at threshold<br>
Day 5 - Recovery run of 30 to 45 min<br>
Day 6 - Off (Can switch this with Day 5)<br>
Day 7 - Long Run - 2 hrs or so at easy pace. (Can alternate long & easy with 8 to 10 miles with 4 or 5 at HM pace)<br><br>
I have found from experience that my long run feels fairly easy when its length is around 25% of my total weekly miles. I run every day, so you might want to run that percent a bit higher....say no more than 30%. I have also found that this run feels easier when I do a mid week run of roughly three quarters of the LR distance.<br><br>
Some other hints... You may be attempting too much if you are trying to run long every week. Try a longish long run every second week and do about two thirds to three quarters of that one on your alternate week with 4 to 6 miles at your goal pace. Avoid other stressful sessions during the week before your longish long run. You should focus on your long run and not worry about anything else. The goals of the LR are to<br><br>
You only need a couple of those 14 milers before your race. I normally do one about two months out, and a second one about one month out from my race. Mine are normally in the 16 to 17 mile range. (about 2 hrs 45 min) These runs are done on fairly high mileage weeks, but with no other fast stuff before or after. Other than those two runs I will stick to about 2 hrs max, which for me is around 11 miles. I might go as high as 13, which would be around 2:15 or so.

 

[jcumming]

I think you just need to get your lazy ass out there.<br><br>
God made 7 day weeks for a purpose you know...6 days running 1 day rest.<br><br>
tigger, your long run is about my weekly total at the moment...but I'm comin' back. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile"><br><br>
All I can really say is don't get too friggin <b>anal</b>ytical.

 

[Litchfield Hills]

Part of it was the weather. Got spoiled in mid August with some fall-like weather and had a 9 M and 14.5 M run where I could have gone forever. The two I bailed on were on warm high humidity days. One was done pre-work, and my pace was slow to the point where I was gonna end up being late for work, so I cut it. On Saturday, from the moment I left my house, I felt like $&#*. Was gasping for air from the get-go. Felt soreness in my back for the first time in a while (had back issues in July that I though I was past), and my left calf cramped up (or worse - see below).<br><br>
I have run 14 M before - several times in spring, and once in mid Aug.<br><br>
I agree 100% - which is why I have no desire to run a full at this point.<br><br>
I think you may have nailed it -<br><br>
The follow up to that is that my left calf, which I originally though I had a cramp with, has something more going on. It is sightly sore all the time, but every few minutes, I get a sharp pain that is severe enough that I find myself gasping. Did not even realize that my wife asked why I gasped. Been icing it and loading up on vitamin I. Took an extra day off today, and will see about tomorrow. If anything, it will be short and easy.<br><br>
After thinking about it for a few days, I think I just ramped up my milage too quickly. May and June were both 103 miles, but in July, between a back issue and a vacation, I dipped to 55. August is at 123 at this point, and if I had not cut two LRs short, I would be around 130. Starting to think I should drop my HM in Oct, and maybe focus on shorter stuff for the fall. There is a nice 10 K on Sept 16th right near where I live that I may give a shot at. I dunno at this point.

 

[Kriddie]

Depending on how much you have your heart set on this HM, I'd say you will have enough training to run it.<br><br>
Funny thing, I've been having issues with my LRs the last couple of weeks too. I finally got out for 7 yesterday, which I would have like to have been 9 or 10 and was so slow I started thinking that there is no way I will PR at my half. I'm blaming it on the large amount of TM running I have done this summer to avoid the humidity. I don't push enough on the TM. However, the weather will be changing here soon, (it already is) and I know I have enough time to be ready by Oct 21st.<br><br>
My point? I'm not really sure other than to say if you really want to do that half (as I do mine) I know you will be ready for it.

 

[mykemp1971]

I'm not sure if this is the case for you or not... but I often cut my long runs short this time of year due to excessive heat and humidity. I find myself often just not feeling well (i.e. dehydrated) at a point in my run where I can cut it short, and I often do... I try not to be too short, but short is short, and I know it doesn't leave you with a good feeling.<br><br>
I'm often amazed at how much better I feel on long runs starting late september/early october. It's like I'm a new person.