From bobg@Radix.Net Mon Feb 28 11:59:23 EST 2000

  A curiosity I put forward to see if anyone else has had the same 
effect/result and what came of it for them.  

  The first wave of change, for me as a person returning to running
after a long (greater than 5 years) layoff was the basic one of re-learning
a running stride, getting the cardiovascular system used to having to
work again, strengthening assorted muscles and the like.  All very good
things, and through the period (call it three years), steady progress 
in the 'more of the same' vein.  That is, steady incrementalism where
one year, I can run up to 10k, the next up to 20k.  The 5k pr drops by
a steady minute or so per year.  And speed work increases reps and
pace by modest increments.  Each year, the restart in February/March
is a several week slog as the reduction of running in December/January 
took a large toll.

  This year ... things are going differently.  Again, December/January
was a low period, averaging maybe 12 k per week in 2 outings.  Two
weeks ago I finally started running regularly, and have been averaging
5 days/week, 30 km/week.  Yes, this voice of conservative increments
has more than doubled his running in only two weeks.  From 2 outings/week
to 5.  And feeling better after the 5 days/week than I did last year
on 4 (which itself took a good 4-6 weeks to make feel reasonable).  The 
feeling better is key, as I've been awaiting signs of overdoing.  They're
not forthcoming, but other signs (omens?) are good: stride rate is up
to a consistent 170 from 160, pace on slow days is comparable to only
a little faster, tempo (attempt) run was under more control (and 20 s/mile
faster than last year), long days are much more evenly run, and the speed 
days have gone on greater repetition, more speed, and less or equal rest.

  As ever, many things have changed, so attribution is not easy.  One
change is that I'm taking 3 days (and only 3) 'hard' (long, tempo, or
speed), 2 days easy (day after long or speed - 4k run at 'slow' pace),
and two days off, vs. perhaps taking all 4 harder when it was 4 last year
(light was 6 k on a 30 k week).  The hard days, though, I'm definitely
taking harder.  The ramp up was a _lot_ faster than previously, though the
total I'm at now is not unprecedented for me.

  For things to have gone this (knock wood!) well so far, I'm thinking 
that there has been a second wave of physiological changes proceeding,
and I'm now starting to feel the benefits.  Part of them resulting in 
better ability to ramp up mileage and to hold form at speed.  Not that
I'd ever really plateaued, but I'm wondering if others have had a similar
leap forward (ok, race times not in hand to prove the case, my target
race is 10k at the end of April, but I'm planning on running a 5k 'tempo'
run at near my 5k PR this week -- having done the pace for 4k last week
in tempo form/ease rather than race.) after 3-5 years of running.

  Long run tonight.

-- 
Robert Grumbine http://www.radix.net/~bobg/ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links.
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much 
evidence and ease; this great facility makes them less appreciated than they 
would be had they been presented in a more abstruse manner." Two New Sciences