Although my branding of "Dan the Running Man" is catching on quickly I am still a novice runner and have not figured out exactly how I should be training to improve my performance.  My first 5k was in December of '05 with a pace of nearly 11 minutes per mile followed by a week of limping around the office.  During the winter months I continued to train and ran 19 races in 2006, mostly 5k's and the longest being 5 miles.

I have always been somewhat of a gadget guy and a numbers nut.  Admittedly I got to be quite a site on a training run, stopwatch, pedometer, GPS, cell phone, mp3 player...when the cold weather came I stopped carrying the portable GPS because the batteries seemed to die very fast in the cold.

My family is always searching for gift ideas at Christmas time so last year my suggestion was a heart rate watch.  With the monitor came the discovery that my training might be too hard, I only knew one pace...heart pounding.... So I slowed down to stay within the range for easy or moderate runs. 

Now that I have a few spring races behind me and comparative data from last year I can see my lack of improvement.  I have slowed down!  Lost about 15-20 seconds per mile and I am huffing and puffing...

My goal for this year was to run a half marathon and I set my sites on the Fairfield Half Marathon that is quickly approaching.   My question is how should the Running Realtor train?  Short and fast or long and slow.... During the winter I was up to about 30 easy miles a week.  Since spring came and my schedule is busier I am down to 15 miles but can bump it back up by readjusting my priorities if necessary.

Any suggestions on how I can run around the Connecticut Shoreline and improve my performace will be welcome.  The faster I run the more time I will have to sell Real Estate.

 

 
Post is included in group: Active Runners

5 Comments on Training – Speed or Distance or Both

MAY
07
2007
228,891 Points 61 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Hi, Dan!  I am not a runner and have no tips for you.  Just wanted to tell you that in the car this morning, I asked my older daughter if she wanted to join a 5K for a local charity.  (I was mostly kidding, we walk, we don't run.)  She was AMAZED that I would even suggest it, and was far more surprised than I would have thought.  Turns out 5K to her meant 5,000 miles, because she KNEW what that "K" meant!  LOL!  She would be SO IMPRESSED with you!!!
9:26am • #1
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Well Sarah... the Tall One is "different" and must get a hefty allowance if she is already thinking in K's...  When I first started running I thought in miles, kilometers are not the American Way...
9:40am • #2
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Regardless of how you train I am proud of the fact that you stay with it.  I need to find the determination and discipline to keep at physical activity - I walk, but not as often as I should, I do not run - and my husband has made me swear I will never run in public again... to hear him tell the story it is pretty funny.

so, train the way you keep with it.
12:37pm • #3
MAY
09
2007
9 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

Dan, what a funny post! Yes, if you run it faster, you'll have more time after the Connecticut Shoreline to work real estate, if you so wish (as opposed to vegging for the rest of the day).

If you really want to improve you mile per minute, try running intervals. Start small... Run as fast as you can for 30 seconds to one minute, and then slow down to a real slow jog for one minute. Then start up again. Even ten mintues worth has incredible benefits. Overall, you'll start to see a marked improvement in your time per mile  with long runs with time. You can extend the intervals to a longer time period, or incorporate them into your runs, but either way it's one method profesional runners use.

 
12:48am • #4
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Thesa,  Walking works just as well, maybe even better!

Sara,  Yes...Gotta laugh at the crazy things we do...  Thanks for the tips... I have been meaning to add some speed training but fall into my routine and never get it done.  I hope to start today!
7:34am • #5

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