Going To Pieces Without Falling Apart

Running is the process of breaking down.

Training is doing enough and not falling apart.

Most people, myself included, want to run too hard. I want to run as fast as my partners. I want to be where they are right now. I want more out of myself. I want to be able to endure the pain and fatigue at a higher speed. I want to be there. I never want to be where I am at.

That won’t get me where I want to be. Running workouts too fast. Running easy runs too fast. Doing anything outside of what my body can handle today is counter-productive to my goals. Though it’s so tempting.

To push myself to pieces. To run myself somewhere on the day I’ll accomplished, but a week later I am out or not recovered enough for the next workout.

Running breaks me to pieces.

I train to not fall apart.

All this ambiguity sounds very “head-nod”. Yep, ok I can do that check. But what does it mean in practice?

The following is my current weekly schedule and my thoughts on it based on the science and research I’ve read from

Steve Magness at The Science of Running

High Performance West Academy of Scholarship

Jack Daniels, Vin Lenanna

Joe Rubio’s Fundamentals for 1500 Distance Training

Etc, etc, etc…

Monday: 50-60 minutes easy + 6x10 second hill sprints + myrtle + core

Tuesday: 60 minute workout (3x3mins on/90sec off, end at hill 6x1min hills 2x[E,M,H], 3min jog, 4x30 HARD stride/60s easy) + weight routine + hurdles

Wednesday: 75 minutes w/ last 20 pick up the pace + core

Thursday: off + hurdles

Friday: 60 minutes easy + 6x10sec hill sprint + core + myrtle

Saturday: 20 min w/u, 2 miles @ 5:55 pace, 3 min rest, 1.5 miles @ 5:50 pace, 3 min rest. 1 mile @ 5:45 pace, 5min jog, 4x30sec HARD with 75 sec rest, 15-20 min c/d + weight routine + hurdles

Sunday: 85 min (30 easy, then 15 second hard stride every 3 min till the end)

My easy runs are between 8 and 9 minute miles. I work my hardest to make them truly easy, so I can try really hard on my workout days.

I use the workouts to tear my muscles into pieces.

I use the easy runs and recovery to keep myself from falling apart.

I use 8-9 hours of sleep and proper nutrition to benefit from the workouts. To build myself into something better than before. Or well, not better than before, I am fine just as I am. Not better, just different than before.

Going to pieces, without falling apart.