Photo from Mount Royal, Frisco, Colorado.

"That is happiness; to be disolved into something complete and great. When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep." - Willa Cather

Friday 26 March 2010

My training, my departure, my reading list

My my my. Strange-looking word the longer you look at it.

Training schedule
I have had some requests for my exact training schedule. Well, when it comes to running, it is simple:
Each week
1 long run
1 tempo
1 set of intervals (usually 6 x 1 mile with 2:10 pauses)

...3 days of hard running, the remaining days as little running as possible without gaining weight/losing my sanity. Let's use this week as an example:

Sat: 10k tempo in 42:44 (yeah, also a race ruined by gastroenteritis)
Wednesday: hard 18 miles on hilly trails
Friday: 6 x 1 mile hilly trail intervals (7:01 pace average; doesn't sound that great by my average on the same trails was 7:43 in the late fall)

I can hardly believe the shape I'm in. Hard to say if any of the training this week will make one iota of difference in the 50 miler in 8 days, however. But from now on, it is just about tapering.

My departure
I leave for the US tomorrow. Not much to say about that except I get to leave on a good note since I just got the news today that the region I live in in Denmark has agreed to pay my research salary for the next 3 years, full time! Now I just have to focus on eyes! No thinking about running in pregnancy, breastfeeding, birth outcomes, etc. Well, once in a while is ok, right?

My reading list
Here are the books I am taking on the trip:

Njáls Saga - unknown author (thank you for the rec, Steve Q!)
Bhagavad Gita - second read, but I was so young the first time (thanks again, Steve Q)
Kompendium i sundhedslovgivning/Compendium of Legal Medicine - (thanks Danish Ministry of Health) once I pass this last test, I receive a Danish medical license equivalent to Danish doctors.

Speaking of reading, the one book I really want to bring along is Stories from Running Routes of the World. Can't wait to read all of your contributions (trust me authors, this book is going to sell!). And if you've been inspired to write your own story and are new to this blog, send me an email.

Running song of the Day: One Tribe - by Black Eyed Peas (I can't believe this escaped my amazing and all-encompassing music radar :)... it is awesome; might make an optimist out of you.

6 comments:

Danni said...

Looks like a great schedule, I bet you'll have a great 50. I will try to write something. Supposedly speed helps endurance even without the long miles. Who knows.

mmmonyka said...

Have a safe flight and good luck for 50 miler. It is already long to write it f-i-f-t-y-m-i-l-e-r...

Helen said...

Safe travels and welcome back! Too bad La Crosse is a bit far for a training run but hopefully catch up in the summer if you're over for Voyageur. TX should be a good time - you're training's been going great. Just remember to be patient :)

SteveQ said...

Njal's Saga is unbelievably violent; one couldn't make up a story like that without people rolling their eyes.

I just finished "The Shadow Line" by Joseph Conrad. Man, could that guy write!

Diana said...

Safe travels and have fun at your race!

Diana said...

Oh, I also forgot to say congratulations for receiving your funding. Getting a grant or a stipend should always be celebrated. Congrats!