Thinking About the Value of Practice for Proficiency!

Being a music teacher, I understand the value of consistent practice as one prepares for a performance. You must practice, no matter how you feel on a given day and you must strive to perform the music correctly and at the appropriate tempo. Through the years I've learned that when students walk into the classroom, they can control the atmosphere in negative and positive ways if you will let them.

The key, of course, is to enable the most positive atmosphere to prevail and to show the students the value of consistent efforts toward reaching a goal.

Musicians and runners want to work more on the things we do best, but we will never improve unless we challenge ourselves by working on the difficult things.

Speed work is challenging, but with consistent effort, the rewards should be fantastic. When I achieve my goals, it will be like a great musical performance in which I perform the most challenging passages with ease because of my faithful practice sessions!

I felt pretty good about my speed work this morning. Running the 1200 meters in the middle was quite the challenge.It really stressed my body!

I believe that I had a pretty good workout, although I was disappointed in my final 400. I suppose that the lesson here is to accept what your body can do at the time. With that in mind, this was a very good workout.

1x400@2:20 (5 seconds too slow)
1x800@4:28 (On Pace!!)
1x1200@7:13 (28 seconds too slow)
1x800@444 (14 seconds too slow)
1x400@2:36 (22 seconds too slow)

I was only 1 minute and 3 seconds off pace for overall performance. This should pay off!! Rest tomorrow!

Getting ready to Up the Pace

For the past two days, I've run 9 miles at an easy pace. This included a 5 miler on monday and a 4 miler this morning. Prior to each run, I ran/walked a mile with Pat Schmidt, my wife! She's trying to build an aerobic base.

My 5 miler included ten minutes at a tempo run speed in the middle (that's 10:15 per mile). I felt like I could run faster, but I held to the recommendations of the McMillan Running Calculator. I felt very positive following this run, because the Temperature was rising and I easily maintained my pace!

This morning's 4 miler was run at a very easy pace of 11:44. I was once again in the parameters of the McMillan running Calculator's recommendations. I felt like I could run faster, but I deliberately held back knowing that I will be doing speed work tomorrow morning. So...tomorrow I shall see If I can build some speed on the track!!

Sunday Morning Speed Work

Woke up this morning with speed work on my mind. Using the McMillan running calculator, I had determined that I needed to run my 400 meter repeats at a pace of 2:07 to 2:15. I was determined to keep things as close to 2:07 at possible. Along with my friend Christian Camfield, I completed eight 400 meter repeats with 2 minute walk breaks between each repeat. Here are the results:

1. 2:12
2. 2:12
3. 2:10
4. 2:11
5. 2:12
6. 2:13
7. 2:12
8. 2:12

Not a bad morning's work. It is now late Sunday afternoon and I feel so good that I'm thinking about going out for an evening run. However, I think I'll just wake up early in the morning and go out for an easy 5 or 6 miles at somewhere around an 11:30 pace. Perhaps I'll even begin seriously thinking about a November Marathon!!

Still Adjusting to the Minimalist Shoes

My training pace has been consistently faster these days. I think it's because I've cut back on my mileage to adjust to my new minimalist shoes. I ran a decent 5 miler in the heat this morning. However, I slowed down as it got warmer.

The challenge is not the Nike Frees, it's the new Vibrams. I've run 9 miles in them so far. I've also been wearing them as I go about my daily business from time to time. I can really feel the difference in my calves and feet. I believe that, if I'm patient and maintain my training, I will benefit from these new shoes. 

Tomorrow morning, I'm planning to go to the track and running six 400 meter repeats at 8:30 to 9 minute pace. I'm currently running 5k distance at a 9:20 race pace. I'm going to try to get it down to 9 minute pace be September. I think the speed work will help me set a PR in the Covington Fuzz Run this fall.

Hopefully the Macon Labor Day Road race will afford me the opportunity to break an hour in the 10k thanks to my training this summer.