To Be Fast Again

Of course I ruminate on this subject now and then.

How would someone like me who has fallen so far from that competitive edge, begin to come back and run faster. Rekindle those competitive fires. Surprise a few folks along the way including myself.

1. I would need to be lean and mean. I hover around 140 pounds. Sometimes more and rarely less. Dropping down into the low to mid 130's would be optimal.

2. I would need to understand that it is not miles that would make me faster. I can do this on 25-35 mpw. All of my fast running after age 45 has come on this sort of mileage. Every time I have increased my running, I get end up tired and run down.

So there!

3. I could more than likely run 5 days a week if I kept my daily average to 5-7 miles. I could run a longer day of 8-9 miles once a week but any more than this would make the long day just another hard day.

4. Speed would have to come to me. I can't go after it with mass intervals. So a once a week Danny workout and perhaps a time trial every 2nd or 3rd week would do the trick. Maybe a tempo run every 4th week. Throw some striders in. Don't make them sprints. You'll injure yourself.

5. Keep your slow runs slow. Stay at or under 70% of max.

6. Have a goal. Ugh! Not that again. If nothing else just to be faster at 400 meters.

7. Keep my mouth shut about it. Just go do it and see where it goes. Don't press. let things happen to you. If you reach, you get injured or tired. Not worth the journey. Oh, I am just having fun. Words to that effect. In fact you did have fun at age 50 running just this way. So it's 13 years later. Who cares.