Run fast

I am confused how you race so fast but most of your training is done (relatively) slowly. Looking back at your training logs it seems like the bulk of your miles are at around 7 min pace and then you suddenly bust out 5 min pace on race day. Am I missing something?

Nope, that is very accurate. The fastest miles I usually run are during a marathon or a shorter race. Probably something I need to change, right? :)

7.5 was the magic # today. I briefly contemplated joining in on the TM workout.

Ken - Fritz has a world class ability to hold pace at longer distances. That's why no training "plan" fits two athletes the same way... everyone responds differently and ultimately if the goal is to race well, you do what you know works! :-)

My so-called unorthodox "plan" has worked to get me to where I am today but it probably won't work to get me to another level. I don't think I will ever take a completely traditional, out of a book approach but I know incorporating faster workouts will be crucial if I expect to improve.

Yeah, it's very interesting how the two of you have training plans that are quiet different but your marathon PR's are so close.

With all that LSD Fritz is doing I think he should grow out a mountain man beard like Amby Burfoot =)

Well those PR's probably won't be close for too much longer.

LSD as in the drug? Is it performance enhancing or does it help with beard growth? I need help with both.

haha, sorry Fritz. I thought everyone in the running community had heard the term LSD (referencing Long Slow Distance) before.

In my opinion it only makes you more awesome that you haven't heard of Long Slow Distance. If you were alive in the 60's you could have coined the term yourself and given Burfoot a run for his money at the 68 Boston Marathon.

http://www.joehenderson.com/longslowdistance/home.php?article=

It's called Fritz the beast! Amazing talent. Fritz just "has it."

Great stuff Ken. Thanks for the link. The below lines should probably be taken with a grain of salt but I think the underlying message is that you need to enjoy at least some of the training or you will stop coming back or you will get hurt. Jake has said this in other words.

@Matt- thanks for the kind words. I still have a ton of work to do.

High-speed, high-volume training can lead to a 50-minute 10-mile, but it can just as easily lead to frustration and a soured outlook on the sport that leads to premature retirement. I'm oversimplifying the situation, but it's still basically true that fast running hurts, and the faster one goes the more it's likely to hurt. Hurting isn't much fun under any circumstances.

Every runner eventually must ask himself, "What's it worth to me?" If it is worth taking steep odds, fine. I'm not going to try and change your mind.

But I've come to look at my own running as a "balancing act." It's an investment-return concept where the output of energy and time must have a pretty good chance of balancing the income of enjoyment, satisfaction or whatever it is we run for. Fast running, which hurts and weds its user to the treadmill existence of the track and stopwatch, is worthwhile only when a healthy return waits at the end.

In slow training, on the other hand, there's low risk, a small investment, and the chances of a modest dividend are close to 100 percent. The top returns might not match those gained by the best of the fast trainers. But reliable, steady income certainly beats the "bankruptcy" situation untold hundreds of disillusioned ex-fast runners find themselves in.

Wow, really well said Fritz. Poetic.

I couldn't agree more with you. Finding the balance is ultimately the key, and its a different balancing point for everyone. I struggled for almost a decade and too often had the "sour" outlook that you mentioned. Its only been in the last 2 years or so where I've truly found the enjoyment in the running I'm doing every day. And I know there are things I could personally do differently, but I'm healthy and running at a good level, and staying healthy, so while I'm trying to add in certain things to improve, I'm also sticking to what I know works for me, and what I know will allow me to continue to have fun while chasing my goals.

That's a great excerpt Fritz and a very appealing aspect to the LSD philosophy. There needs to be a balance with running, and really everything in life, and I know that I'm not always the best at finding the middle ground. I'm still struggling to find what works and I tend to be too far to one side or the other so it's helpful to come to the blog and to see so many different approaches.