Summer Training

A long distance run during a Texan summer can feel like a sweat-filled, scorching hot battle between your mental and physical strength, and the elements.

I treat running during the summer like off-season training. I try to find something new I can try, whether its new workouts, trying out longer distances, adjustments to my schedule, and to my diet, there is always something new I can learn.

This summer the change is more than just a new workout. I put my training in the hands of a coach. Having a coach has a lot of benefits. They have experience, help push past your own perceived limitations and can help you see blind spots in your training. They encourage a balance in the plan and can help in areas like rest and nutrition as well. And the best part: I'm married to my coach.

My wife has been running since middle-school. She's ran track, cross-country, coached at the collegiate level and currently owns her own fitness business. I'm not sure why I've waited until now to ask her to coach me. Maybe I was a little intimated. Asking her to coach me is putting trust in her, and putting myself to the test to see if I can take what she dishes out. The only condition she had was that I had to listen to her and follow instructions. In other words don't be a stubborn ...

Why the change

That answer is simple. I want to improve my fitness levels much more than before and much like last summer I feel I've hit a bit of plateau. I'm also a little bored of my workouts.

The benefit of my wife coaching me is she already knows me very well. She knows my tendencies good and bad. I can get after it and stubbornly follow a plan sometimes to my own detriment. Although it helps with pushing past pain, and going long distances, one of my blind spots is slowing down, and resting. I know she can challenge me but she can also pull me back to help me see the bigger picture.

Crafting the Summer Training Plan

Training in the heat is no joke. In the past, I've trained by level of effort measured by heart rate. It's not about pace, but just getting out there and trying to maintain a level of effort by sticking to a specific heart rate zone. It can be a little frustrating because on a hot day, inevitably your heart rate is going to creep up into a higher zone. The watch and heart rate data become an annoyance as it starts to buzz and beep warning me to slow down even though was maintaining a steady pace. I needed to get back to the basics.

My wife crafted a plan that started at about 20 miles a week. This volume is very much in my wheelhouse and she knew I could successfully complete it. The first phase of the plan was increasing volume. Each week she increased a few miles offering more of a challenge. The goal was to get the mileage done.

• Week 1 - 22 miles
• Week 2 - 25 miles
• Week 3 - 30 miles
• Week 4 - 23 miles - Rest week
• Week 5 - 27 miles
• Week 6 - 30 miles
• Week 7 - 33 miles
• Week 8 - 28 miles - Rest week

In addition to the runs, I was to continue strength training. While running is great for cardio, endurance also requires strength. The only thing she specified was regardless of what strength training I was doing, I'd still do push-ups, and pull-ups and single-leg body weight squats 5 days a week. Pullups and pushups work the core and upper body, while single leg squats work glutes and balance.

Starting the Plan

Starting off running again, even after only a few weeks off, can seem daunting. Yet the fresh start can feel exciting too. It feels like reading a good book. There is a gradual build like the first few chapters until suddenly you're hooked.

That first 3 mile run felt great. The key to starting a plan like this, or any plan is starting small and getting it done. Starting small builds momentum, prevents injury and allows you to find your rhythm.

I prefer running in the morning rather than suffer the heat of mid-day. Lunch time I reserve for strength and weightlifting.

As for the mandatory pushups, pullups and squats? Mid-morning, right after a meeting works best for me. They are quick and effective nudge for me to move around. Fitting it all in is all about adjusting those time blocks.

How it's going

It's going really well. I feel strong and have been running pretty consistently. This week marks week eight. I skipped my runs the past few days due to a summer cold; however, I've managed to run over one hundred miles this July, and given the mileage and future plans August looks like I'll top that.

We decided that at my current pace, we're going to hold the volume at between thirty and thirty five miles a week. I'm starting to get worn out and pushing past this fatigue without improving rest and recover could result in injury. Once we adjust recovery and as the pace picks up, we can add more mileage.

Training is a time of experimentation. It's time to figure out what works and what doesn't. If something isn't working, there is nothing stopping you from trying something or tweaking it in a way that works better. In my case, I put my trust into my wife to help facilitate a big change in my training. I decided a better way forward is to put her in charge of my training rather me try to do go at it on my own. She has the experience and knowledge to help me improve my fitness faster than I could myself. She'll help me see the changes I need to make earlier, and given her experience will have a plethora of suggestions and things to try. Turning to her and trusting her (not to mention marrying her) is already helping me be less of a stubborn ...