Fall 2017 look ahead

This entry will be a boring, deep dive into my training and what I believe were my mistakes over the past year or so that led to poor performances in the spring and fall of 2017. It will also be an exploration of what I can do to improve in the future.

Looking at this calendar year, I've 4 big name races at 10-13.1 miles. All of them have been disappointing and below expectations considering the amount of training behind them. However, when I look at my career and my best races over these distances, I see a clear pattern.

2011: I spent all of the previous winter and spring focusing on track. I ran 1:07 in September 2011.
2013: I spent all of the previous winter and spring focusing on track. I ran 1:05 in September 2013.
2014: I spent all of the previous winter and spring focusing on Broad Street. I ran 1:07 in September 2014 and a 2:22 marathon.
2015: I spent all of the previous spring focusing on track. I ran 1:05 in October 2015. and 1:04 in January 2016.
2017: I did not spend any time training for shorter races, and ran a best of 1:07 in the spring of 2017 and 1:09 in the fall.

Like I said, clear pattern. Each time I've spent a good chunk of time, typically 4 months or so, really focusing on a shorter distance and the next season focusing on a longer distance, I've raced well over the latter. It seems that I'm able to carry my speed over to the next season quite well and build on it with the endurance for the longer race, but just training for endurance does nothing to build speed for me.

2011: I spent all of the winter and spring training very hard. It was the second training cycle I really committed myself to serious, twice a day every day, 100+ mpw training. I went from running 14:46 in 2010 to running under 14:30 three times, with a best of 14:22, in the spring of 2011 and getting second place to Eric Jenkins at my conference meet. Because our team got cut in January 2011, I was open to trying out anything in the 2011-2012 school year. I ran Philly Half in September 2011 and ran 1:07:32 after really only starting to train seriously with specific workouts about 6 weeks before.

2013: Since I was at OU during the 2012-2013 school year, I was being focused on the 1500-5k starting in December 2012 and going through early May 2013. This paid off with a lifetime PR of 4:06 for the mile indoors. I trained hard for Philly that summer, ran two road 5ks just before in 14:25 and 14:19 and then ran 1:05:40 for the half. This tells me I need to be able to hit those 5k marks to indicate a good half marathon.

2014: I had a thyroid virus in the winter of 2013, so I had to take a month or so off and resumed training very early 2014. I focused on running Broad Street and pulled myself together well enough to run just under 50 minutes. I was then able to carry that speed into the Chicago marathon and ran 2:22, running 1:07 in a warm and humid half marathon three weeks ahead of that.

2015: I focused hard on running the 1500-5k for the winter and spring. That paid off with a 3:50 1500 (2nd lifetime), 14:05 5k (lifetime PR) and 30:14 10k (lifetime PR). I then specifically trained with the intent of an OTQ at Philly on Halloween. I ran 1:05:59 there, missing my goal by a minute, but kept at it and ran 1:04:27 just after New Years 2016.

Looking back at these cycles, what I gather is that I need to focus hard on running well over shorter distances and work on maintaining that speed while gaining endurance for the longer races. Examples of workouts to follow later.