QOTD: Easter weekend is upon us. I realize there are a number of things that make this event very different for different people. So my question is, what do you do for Easter weekend?
ATTQOTD: Atheist here - I'd happily treat it as just another day, but my teen son made it clear he expected a basket to show up, so it did.
My day was laundry, cleaning, watching a movie, and a nice nap with the cat.
I have a running question for the experienced endurance runners that are oh so wise here: has anyone ever gone back to the beginning with a program such as couch to 5k with the intent of improving speed or form? After my half in April I'm thinking I'd like to focus on speed in shorter distances for a while, especially with the heat of the AZ summer rapidly approaching, making long runs much harder. Thanks for any advice!
I don't start over, per se, but I dial down the distance and add a little more speed work in summer. Floridian here, so summer is my off-season; my primary goal is to keep a decent base. Between heat and storms, I wind up indoors on the treadmill a lot, and I HATE the treadmill - that makes it perfect for short distance speed work
QOTD: Which season is your favorite for getting your runs in?
ATTQOTD: No particular season, just any day that's around 70-75* and high humidity makes me happy! So basically a few days between Dec and April, lol!
I have always loved the summer, and running, but not running in the heat of summer. About 3 years ago I decided to trust a coach who told me that running slower in the heat was safer, and that I wouldn't lose any conditioning - the later being the more important to me at the time. He told me to train to a heart rate in the heat, not a pace. Since your body has to act like a radiator in the heat, training to a heart rate means that you will automatically slow down, but not so much that you lose conditioning. The key is that the runs should still be uncomfortable, but they shouldn't create the risk of heat injury. As soon as temperatures fell I found that my conditioning had actually improved over the summer, even though most of my runs were at a pace about 2 minutes per mile slower than in the Spring. I was faster and stronger, and my Fall runs felt easier than any runs had felt in many years.
This x1000! Every spring, I fight against my body's natural reaction to the oncoming heat - namely to slow down. But by the time true summer hits, I've accepted it. I don't go by HR exactly, but by perceived effort. Some days, the same effort level can mean a 12:00 mile, others a 15:00 mile; it's all dependent on the weather and how well my body handles it on any given day. I remember an early Sept day when the heat index was 108* at sunset, but the sea breeze was so lovely, and the sun low enough that I was able to run in tree shade, I wound up having a really amazing run. Many other days it was 82* and 99% humidity in the pre-dawn and I wanted to die before I'd closed the front door behind me lol! But agreed: all the summer slogging pays off when it eventually gets cooler.
