Don’t Hope, Practice Hitting your Goal.

“Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’
Plannin’ and dreaming each night…I will reach my goal.”

There are many in the running community that wake up each day and train hard.  Hoping to get fit enough to run a personal record or reach their goal time.  In fact, many of them are boarder line obsessive about it.  Yet, despite their efforts come race day they leave exhausted, with their silly free shirt in hand, and disappointment looming over their heads.

“Why? “

Because of something called “Junk Miles”.

Junk Miles are like rocking chairs, it gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.

Yes, I stole that line but, it’s true. Don’t waste your time, always have focused training!

With the 3M Half Marathon coming up we will use that particular distance for our example. The chart below is the Traditional approach for preparing for 1 hour and 30 min (7:00min mile pace) Half Marathon 8 weeks out from race day. Each block represents time spent at the corresponding mile paces to the left, and the color of each block represents the level of emphasis placed to each mile pace.

Black = Heavy Emphasis in a specific time zone

Blue = Medium Emphasis in a specific time zone

Yellow= Light Emphasis in a specific time zone

As you can see the Traditional approach focuses on high volumes at slower than Goal Pace a.k.a “Junk Miles” with little work at Goal Race Pace.

Below is the Goal Pace Approach.

Just like CrossFit the Goal Pace approach touches on everything.  Then as race day nears you spend more time training at Goal Pace, so when race day comes you have taken the guess work out of it.  Your mind and body are all on the same page.

We are 8 weeks out from the Austin 3M Half Marathon (sign up HERE), and now is the time to focus training to be successful for that race!

Come out on out to run class (Tuesday, Thursday’s, and Saturdays) or if your not a CFAer sign up for our stand alone running program to get prepared  right!