Shall We Train?

What do you say, shall we start our spring training?

Although we are still in the dead of winter, spring is really not that far away. If you have any spring events on your calendar, chances are really good that you've already started training for them.

My spring calendar is shaping up rather nicely...and (dare I say?), it's already pretty full.


Here's what I have on tap just in the next few months:

March 10th - Leprechaun Chase 10K
March 17th- St. Paddy's Half  Marathon
April 8th- Fight for Air Climb
April 22nd- Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon
April 24th- Drake Relays Grand Blue Mile

As you can see, there's five events and four of them are of different distances. That is so typical of me, though. It's no secret that I like variety. I'm more of a jack of all trades, but master of none (so to speak).

Having this plethora of "stuff" on my roster poses many interesting challenges for me and my training. For example:

The Leprechaun Chase is a 10K, so it's a medium-distance race. For me, endurance is not much of an issue for a 10K since I routinely run 5-6 miles at least once a week. For a 10K, though, my big challenge is figuring out what kind of pace I should run. Granted, I will not be running this race in hopes of winning, but I do want to run it strong. A new twist to my training this winter has been the addition of burpees (thanks to the Burpees & Planks & Push-ups Challenge from January). The Challenge ended on January 31, but I've continued doing burpees routinely....and I can't help but wonder if they will give my pace a little bit of a boost. I can definitely tell my core has been strengthened, and my waist and hips have tightened up as well.

The St. Paddy's Half Marathon will be a new race for me, so it's an automatic PR, right? Although  I'm no stranger to half marathons (this will be my 37th, I think), I have never run 13.1 miles this early in the year. There could still be snow on the ground in Iowa, after all! My main training focus is to get my endurance back up to going that distance in the cold weather. I have an 8-mile training run happening this weekend, and am on track to reach 10 miles in a couple weeks (and then taper after that).

The Fight for Air Climb fits perfectly right in the middle of all the action. I've been doing weekly stair workouts since before Christmas, so it's a no-brainer to continue that routine until Climb day. The Fight for Air Climb actually takes place in Des Moines, and involves climbing the stairs in four different buildings. The buildings, though, are pretty much off-limits to the general public prior to the day of the Climb...so it's pretty much impossible to mimic the "race course" for your actual training. As in years past, I do most of my training on the stairway in my house....going up (and down), over and over (again and again).

A different strategy I'm trying this year, is to incorporate varying intervals of single/double/triple steps with other HIIT-types of drills (burpees,squats, push-ups, etc.). Most of my workouts have been 30-40 minutes in length and the DOMS have been almost non-existent. I have finished in the top 5 of my age group several times, but have not yet cracked the top 3...so, it would be awesome to have 2018 be THE year to do so. Like with any other race, how you place is contingent on who else shows up in your age group. There are staggered start times throughout the entire 4+ hours of climbing, so you never know your final results until after everyone finishes. Participants who climb early in the morning have a huge advantage because the stairwells get really hot as the morning progresses (from all the heavy breathing of the several hundreds of climbers).

The Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon is, historically, a hilly race. I have run it three other times, and the course has varied a little each year, but has always had some good hills, none the less. I'm hoping all of my stair training will give me an advantage in conquering those hills. It's been awhile (almost two years) since I've had a sub-2:00 for a half marathon, but it would be ever-so-sweet if I could make that happen on a difficult course in the (unpredictable) spring weather.

And, finally, the Drake Relays Grand Blue Mile will be a new endeavor for me this spring. This 1-mile race draws a lot of racers, many of which are MUCH faster than your's truly. There are several different sanctioned flights (based on gender and speed), but I will be running in the women's "recreational" division. A sub-8:00 pace (or faster) was the suggested pace for the competitive division (there's also an elite division). Although I might be able to pull off an 8:00 pace for just one mile, I'd probably still be towards the back of the pack if I tried to "show boat" and up my flight.

I have never done a 1-mile race before, so I really have no idea just how fast I can make it to the finish line. Keep in  mind, this race is two days following the half marathon (and takes place in the evening), so there's no telling how recovered my legs will be. This race is part of the Bull Dog Challenge - racers who run the half marathon or 10K, and elect to do this race as well, receive a special commemorative medal. So, why not give it a go?

Whew! That's what's happening for me as I navigate my way through the rest of winter. Needless to say, spring is gonna be action-packed!

How about you...is your spring calendar filling up? Do you prefer one major event, or having several events on your roster? Do you have a favorite race distance?


I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0. We're chatting about our spring goals, join the conversation!

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