Group Training (running update)

I’m back to running with a group again.

The local running club does training twice a year for seasonal marathons and half marathons. I got most of the way through the last session but the Chinese virus stopped me cold, like a beating heart. OK, that’s not entirely true. The group stuff got cut short but I kept running until my plantar fasciitis sidelined me. When I could I got back in the swing and started a regular (ish) schedule again. I don’t see a time when I won’t be doing some sort of running throughout the week. Lifting weights and doing high intensity training will likely drop off over the years. It gets tough to hit the gym 5 days a week, every week. Some seasons we work more, or have health issues or family priorities. I’ve been hit or miss about going the last few weeks. 

This particular season is hectic for me at work. I’m putting in extra hours at work, 8 to 10 per week on average, and feeling every bit like I earned overtime. That isn’t always true in the fall or winter. Oddly enough I do more outdoor running in the cold weather because I have more time. Also I can run in the evening after work, outdoors. No contending with full sun and a heat index over 100 degrees. It’s much easier to get in a full 3 days of scheduled running.

I’m in the half marathon group again at Runner’s World. Every so often I’ll run with the full marathoners just to see what it feels like. It’s pretty much what I thought. I can keep up just off the lead pace for about 3 miles and then their speed starts to show up. In these early stages of group running the total distances are within my wheelhouse. I’m comfortable up to around 7 miles and then the heat kicks my ass. I can go further but only after a break which tends to cut into the overall time. But like always I’m not concerned with time right now. I’m focused on steady pacing throughout the run. This is where group running is better than solo at least some of the time. You start to improve when pushed by others who already run faster and further.

Officially we’re training for the Route 66 event in Tulsa in November. I’ll probably sign up like everyone else. The race isn’t the goal for me though. I’m more interested in the lifestyle of consistent running and steady improvement. Despite a slew of regular hard core, fit joggers the store sees an influx of people who only want to train for the upcoming races. After that they drop off. Different goals for different people, I won’t criticize them for it. But it seems pointless to me to put in that much work and not try to make it a regular thing.