Priming The Pump
Given that I'm in taper mode I've cut the volume down significantly but am trying to hang on to quality. I ran just over 18 miles last week, spread over three workouts. This week will be the same. I ran tonight, will run tomorrow, a light speedwork session on Thursday, then the marathon on Sunday.
Tonight I went out and did the workout I had originally planned to do last night - the 4.4 mile route in my old neighborhood, River Park. The plan was to hammer, since this isn't a lot of milage, and a hard tempo run would shake loose any dust forming, or any sluggishness from LSD (no, not the drug - Long Slow Distance).
And that's what I did. I even came close to my "Bob Beamon" time from a year and a half ago. For those of you who have never heard of Bob Beamon, on October 18, 1968, at the Mexico City Summer Olympic games, American Bob Beamon, who had barely qualified to even compete in the Olympics, accomplished what many consider the greatest single moment in the history of track & field.
The world record for the long-jump stood at 27 feet 4 and 3/4 inches. In the 33 years from 1935 to 1968 the world long-jump record had been lengthened by 8.5 inches. Bob Beamon took off running, and in just six quick seconds, broke the world record by nearly 2 feet, jumping 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches. No one had ever even come close to jumping 28 feet. Beamon jumped over 29. I think it would be equivalent to someone going out this weekend and running a 1 hour 57 minute marathon.
Anyway, I'm certainly no Bob Beamon, and will never come close to any world record, but I had my own Bob Beamon moment in May 2006. I was not particularly in PR shape, was not training any harder than normal, and conditions were certainly anything but ideal. But I lowered my best ever time on the 4.4 mile route by 22 seconds. I was stunned when I looked at my watch and to this day I don't know how I did it. Tonight, in peak shape, perfect cold weather, a head full of determination and in the midst of my taper, I came within 6 seconds of that time. It was a great run and good confidence booster but I don't know where I could go back and shave six seconds. Bob, you're safe for now, maybe forever.
Incidentally, Bob's record stood for 23 years, an unheard of span for track and field. I've seen footage of Bob when he looked at the scoreboard and saw how far he'd gone. He collapsed on the track in shock. Ah, the wonder of sport and human achievement.
Total distance: 4.4 miles, 26:36 (6:03 pace).
Tonight I went out and did the workout I had originally planned to do last night - the 4.4 mile route in my old neighborhood, River Park. The plan was to hammer, since this isn't a lot of milage, and a hard tempo run would shake loose any dust forming, or any sluggishness from LSD (no, not the drug - Long Slow Distance).
And that's what I did. I even came close to my "Bob Beamon" time from a year and a half ago. For those of you who have never heard of Bob Beamon, on October 18, 1968, at the Mexico City Summer Olympic games, American Bob Beamon, who had barely qualified to even compete in the Olympics, accomplished what many consider the greatest single moment in the history of track & field.
The world record for the long-jump stood at 27 feet 4 and 3/4 inches. In the 33 years from 1935 to 1968 the world long-jump record had been lengthened by 8.5 inches. Bob Beamon took off running, and in just six quick seconds, broke the world record by nearly 2 feet, jumping 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches. No one had ever even come close to jumping 28 feet. Beamon jumped over 29. I think it would be equivalent to someone going out this weekend and running a 1 hour 57 minute marathon.
Anyway, I'm certainly no Bob Beamon, and will never come close to any world record, but I had my own Bob Beamon moment in May 2006. I was not particularly in PR shape, was not training any harder than normal, and conditions were certainly anything but ideal. But I lowered my best ever time on the 4.4 mile route by 22 seconds. I was stunned when I looked at my watch and to this day I don't know how I did it. Tonight, in peak shape, perfect cold weather, a head full of determination and in the midst of my taper, I came within 6 seconds of that time. It was a great run and good confidence booster but I don't know where I could go back and shave six seconds. Bob, you're safe for now, maybe forever.
Incidentally, Bob's record stood for 23 years, an unheard of span for track and field. I've seen footage of Bob when he looked at the scoreboard and saw how far he'd gone. He collapsed on the track in shock. Ah, the wonder of sport and human achievement.
Total distance: 4.4 miles, 26:36 (6:03 pace).
posted by Lance Collins at 6:56 PM
5 Comments:
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I'm rootin' for ya'll man.
I checked the weather in Dallas at weather.com. The low is 62 and the high is 78. We are still a few days out, but hopefully things will change.
The weather at the 30k won't be much different.
Good Luck!!!
Have a great race Sunday, Lance.
The weather will not be perfect (low 60s w/ high humidity). But your training and racing this fall have been excellent, so I think you're primed to get a big jump on your marathon PR.:-)
Good luck Sunday my friend!!
Good luck on Sunday Lance!! Looks like you're ready for a good one. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for you. If not, you can always use it as a training run and you still have Houston.
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