The last 8 months have consisted of alternate weeks of running and cross training. It's a nicely balanced schedule which has worked really well up to now. It has allowed me to run almost 1000 miles so far while being able to fit in work and family life. The results, so far, are there for all to see or read about. I'm running faster and further than ever before and I've lost count of the number of PBs I've managed over the last few months. It's all good stuff and is slowly but surely getting me where I need to be as I prepare myself both physically and mentally for the toughest challenge I have ever faced in my life.
While I'm quite happy with the current schedule, I feel the time is right to make a few tweaks to it. I suppose "tweak" is the wrong word as the changes I'm proposing could be seen to be pretty major.
Firstly, after spending a lot of time analysing the composition of my runs over the last week or so, I have decided to add another target to the schedule. Currently, the only target I have is TOTAL MILEAGE. My next running week, for example (Week 37, 12th July), will see me attempt a total mileage of 95 miles. Starting from that week I will factor in the AVERAGE DISTANCE PER SESSION to the schedule. This stat so far has been around about the 7 mile mark. I'll be looking to increase this over the next 6 months to an average of 14 miles per session. In other words, every time I go out I should be looking to be run just over a half marathon in distance! Of course, I'll be doing this within the constraints of the total mileage required for the week. This figure has been increasing steadily towards 110 miles a week and I should reach that by mid August.
So lets get this straight in our minds. By December 2009, I will be running 110 miles every other week and each run will be around 14 miles in distance. Wow! That's a far cry from the amount of running I did in preparation for the 874 mile jog from John O'Groats to Lands End in 2007. I should emerge a better runner as a result of the new target with a greater range and increased endurance.
The other "tweak" to the schedule will be seen in the cross training week. This is a more straightforward one! Quite simply, I will be allowing myself one single rest day as opposed to the 2 or 3 I'm currently enjoying. I feel that I'm just not doing enough sessions during the cross training weeks and I must change this. I wouldn't even rule out doing further running during these weeks.
These 2 tweaks will certainly increase the difficulty and hopefully the intensity of my training. With so many other day to day things to fit in, not to mention the planning and organisation of the USA 2011 run, there is very little margin for error or slip up. I wouldn't want it any other way!
