Tuesday, May 26, 2009

getting speedy...

Now that I have every length of race that I have wanted to do under my shoes, I have a new mission. Getting speedy. I realized I never really, truly buckled down and focused on getting fast. I have never trained as hard as I could have in regard to speed, and I get extremely frustrated at my lack of speed. However I've realized that I can't be frustrated at my lack of speed when I don't fully concentrate on getting speedy. That is going to change this summer. Oh yes, they will call me speedy pants by summers end... I hope. I am focusing all my running energy on getting a 10K PR.

Since I am determined to work on speed this summer, I figured why not team up with Runners Lounge and make it official. I have started a 10K group over on runners lounge and am going to be writing about my journey to get faster at 10Ks at least every other week. Nothing like a little accountability to keep a runner honest, right? Documenting my amateur attempts to get fast, because I am no pro, I'm hoping will help me stay motivated, and maybe inspire some others to join me in this quest. Having others in the same boat always helps right?

The good thing is I'm a huge research nerd, so when it comes to something like figuring out how to get speedy on my own, I research the poo out of it.
I'm also pretty systematic, I like lists, I like research, I like to figure out a plan before I ever get started. So in my quest to get faster, I have been doing research and calculating the speeds at which I need to train for my goal 10K pace. My goal by the end of the summer is to run a 48 minute 10K, I know that isn't super speedy for most people, but for me, it is. I have goals beyond that (my ultimate goal is to run a 46 minute 10K... in due time), but I feel like it's a good starting point, not to lofty to make me frustrated if I totally miss it. I think it's a very realistic goal.

In my research I found a few websites that helped me decide my paces and training plan for the summer. I used the McMillan Pace Calculator and the Runners World Pace Calculator (both offer differing paces) and I compiled the two to come up with my goal paces for the long and tempo runs, 400's, 800's and 1600's that are in my summer training plan. I'll be doing speed work anywhere from 7:00 - 8:00 miles. I think these pace calculators are a perfect starting point for deciding a training pace.

To get my goal pace I just typed in my goal 10K time (it usually tells you to enter your best recent race time) and went from there. I think it's a great starting point.
So I hope you all will dig my summer speedy training, and if you are in Runner's Lounge already feel free to go and join my 10K group where you can share your training tips and ideas, many minds are far better than one!

Cheers to a great summer of speediness my friends!

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Enjoy your summer of speed!

RunningLaur said...

Good luck with all of the speed work - sounds like you're ready to make it work for you!

Melanie Tait said...

Will look forward to learning the keys to speed through your blog! I'll live vicariously until it's my turn to speed up!

Mel -Tall Mom on the Run said...

I will send you speedy vibes.. All the best in your quest..LOL

Marlene said...

I love experimenting with pace calculators to see how fast I can get. Good luck with your speed!! Can't wait to read about a 10K PR. :)

Rookie on the Run said...

I wish I loved to do research! I could use some of that. I'll wait for you to do the research and you can tell the rest of us. :D Good luck!

Unknown said...

That sounds like a great plan for the summer. I think it's always a good idea to mix up speed sessions and long distance no matter what you are trying to run. It's just a matter of where you put your focus. I'm looking forward to hearing about your workouts.

X-Country2 said...

I'm desperate to get faster too, so thanks for all your links. Good luck to us both!

Ace said...

Rockin the speedy 10k-s! What races will have the honor of your forthcoming PRs?

J said...

That sounds so exciting! It is good to become speedy for 10ks and I can't wait to see how you do!

Anonymous said...

I can spend hours researching a topic too. Someone once told me to get fast you have to run faster! Of course all the speed work helps also. Good luck. Can't wait to watch your progress.

Marci said...

Sounds like the perfect way to spend your summer days!

IzzyBubbles said...

Hey! I joined up on Runners Lounge. Yay, another running website to keep me distracted at work!!