Ask Jim
Welcome to Ask Jim
Email your questions to: jburnett551@gmail.com
2018
Written by Jim Burnett
Jim
Intrepid Runners,
Now is a really good a time to start thinking about June 3rd.
Think – half marathon preparation, 13 weeks to go…
Yes, the 27th running of the Covered Bridges Half Marathon is a mere three months off. Remember, back in December, when you sat staring at your computer waiting, like Gary Cooper in the showdown in the classic western “High Noon”, to pull the trigger on your mouse and register for the most coveted high marathon in New England (world)?
Now is a really good a time to start thinking about June 4th.
You can publicly write a comment here in the comments section or you can privately email Jim at the address above.
Thank You Jim for providing this information for our runners!
See you all soon,
Mike, Bill and the Race Committee
Email your questions to: jburnett551@gmail.com
2018
Long Run Guidelines with 2 Months to go to 2018 CBHM
Written by Jim Burnett
Ask Jim has a Training Schedule for you!
How long should your weekend long runs be as you prepare for CBHM?
I suggest running timed runs as follows. Run out-and-back routes so you know to turn around when half the time is up.
During your warm up start really slow, even walking is good.
Give you body a chance to get the juices flowing gradually, then slow it down during the cool down to begin the recovery process.
I suggest running timed runs as follows. Run out-and-back routes so you know to turn around when half the time is up.
During your warm up start really slow, even walking is good.
Give you body a chance to get the juices flowing gradually, then slow it down during the cool down to begin the recovery process.
April 14-15 60 min: 15 min WU, 30 min @ race pace + 1:30-2:00 mpm, 15 min CD
April 21-22 90 min: 20 min WU, 50 min @ race pace + 1:30-2:00 mpm, 20 min CD
April 28-29 60 min: 15 min WU, 30 min @ race pace + 1:30-2:00 mpm, 15 min CD
May 5-6 120 min: 20 min WU, 80 min @ race pace + 2:00 mpm, 20 min CD
May 12-13 60 min: 15 min WU, 30 min @ race pace + 1:30-2:00 mpm, 15 min CD
May 19-20 90 min: 20 min WU, 50 min @ race pace + 1:30-2:00 mpm, 20 min CD
May 26-27 60 min: 15 min WU, 30 min @ race pace + 1:30-2:00 mpm, 15 min CD
It’s all about patience and restraint as you prepare for a half or full marathon. You want to get to the line fresh and injury free so you can enjoy the race.
Jim
Training for a Half Marathon
Written by Jim BurnettIntrepid Runners,
Now is a really good a time to start thinking about June 3rd.Think – half marathon preparation, 13 weeks to go…
Yes, the 27th running of the Covered Bridges Half Marathon is a mere three months off. Remember, back in December, when you sat staring at your computer waiting, like Gary Cooper in the showdown in the classic western “High Noon”, to pull the trigger on your mouse and register for the most coveted high marathon in New England (world)?
Well, you are “in” and now it’s time to make your journey satisfying and memorable (for all the right reasons). We can do this. I want to help.
2016's race was my most enjoyable half marathon ever. Why? I let my body do what I had prepared it to do and “I” just went along for the ride. Easy for you to say, you say? Well, I say anybody can enjoy a half marathon from start to finish whether it’s your first or your 100th.
2016's race was my most enjoyable half marathon ever. Why? I let my body do what I had prepared it to do and “I” just went along for the ride. Easy for you to say, you say? Well, I say anybody can enjoy a half marathon from start to finish whether it’s your first or your 100th.
And, here’s the secret = set a reasonable goal, start training early, be patient and don’t over train. If there is one thing I have learned from 60 years of running, and I’m somewhat embarrassed to say it took my stubborn self a long time to get the message, it’s that recovery time is just as important as training time. The road to running fitness is not a straight line: You don’t run straight up the training pyramid to get to the top. No, like a climber acclimating herself to climb Mt. Everest, you establish a base camp and you climb up a little, then climb down and rest, then climb up a little higher, until you are ready to take one last break and then go for the summit.
“Periodization” is the fancy name for this training technique. A rule of thumb is that it takes your body about three weeks to adapt to applied stress (quality workouts). This adaptation by your body is also called “training effect”. Picture the elevation profile of an ascent up a mountain (your training pyramid). In this case it’s a 12-week climb. Within each week you schedule 2 quality workouts (intervals, hilly runs, longer runs with “tempos”) surrounded by easy runs and rest days. Within each one-month block, you increase your weekly mileage gradually for three weeks, then you back off for a week. The 3 one-month blocks (12 weeks in all) follow a similar pattern with the exception of the last week of the third block, in which you taper back your efforts and prepare for the big day.
WEEK 1
Monday – easy run, Tuesday - easy run or cross train (bike, hike, walk), swim, Wednesday - intervals on the road or track or do a hilly run, Thursday – rest day, Friday – easy run, Saturday – easy run or cross train, Sunday longer run.
WEEK 2
Same as week one except your total mileage for the week should increase by 10-15%. You can switch up a rest day with an easy run day, just be sure you leave at least three non-quality workout days between your two quality days.
WEEK 3
Same idea. Up your weekly miles by 10-15% and follow the same pattern of quality days followed by easier days.
WEEK 4
Same schedule except run comfortably during your quality workouts (no huffing and puffing) and decrease your weekly mileage from week 3 by 20%. Be patient and let your body take a break during week 4.
WEEKS 5-8
Follow same weekly pattern as weeks 1 - 4, increase weekly mileage by 10-15% and cut back on quality workout effort and on weekly mileage from week 7 by 20%.
WEEK 9-12
Follow same weekly pattern for the third 4-week block except week 12 is “taper week”.
WEEK 12
Taper Week
Monday and Tuesday – easy run < 6 miles followed by 4 - 8 x 50-100 meter “strides” (accelerations to a little faster than race pace)
Wednesday – “fartlek” = after warm-up jog of not more than 1 mile, then run alternating bouts of 1-2 minutes at race pace, followed by 1-2 minutes jogging, ending with a cool-down of not more than 1 mile, for a total of between 5 – 10 miles, depending on your fitness level. Less is always better than more during “taper week” but you also want to run short bursts at race pace.
Thursday – Saturday: no more than 3 miles easy run with 4 – 8 x 50-100 meter ”strides”. Run “tall” and relax…
Jimmy’s Magic Formula may look very familiar to you or it may look like Greek. Feel free to post questions on the “Ask Jim” blog or email me directly with questions about your training.
Jim
jburnett551@gmail.com
“Periodization” is the fancy name for this training technique. A rule of thumb is that it takes your body about three weeks to adapt to applied stress (quality workouts). This adaptation by your body is also called “training effect”. Picture the elevation profile of an ascent up a mountain (your training pyramid). In this case it’s a 12-week climb. Within each week you schedule 2 quality workouts (intervals, hilly runs, longer runs with “tempos”) surrounded by easy runs and rest days. Within each one-month block, you increase your weekly mileage gradually for three weeks, then you back off for a week. The 3 one-month blocks (12 weeks in all) follow a similar pattern with the exception of the last week of the third block, in which you taper back your efforts and prepare for the big day.
Jimmy’s Magic Formula to Run Your Most Enjoyable Half Marathon
WEEK 1
Monday – easy run, Tuesday - easy run or cross train (bike, hike, walk), swim, Wednesday - intervals on the road or track or do a hilly run, Thursday – rest day, Friday – easy run, Saturday – easy run or cross train, Sunday longer run.
WEEK 2
Same as week one except your total mileage for the week should increase by 10-15%. You can switch up a rest day with an easy run day, just be sure you leave at least three non-quality workout days between your two quality days.
WEEK 3
Same idea. Up your weekly miles by 10-15% and follow the same pattern of quality days followed by easier days.
WEEK 4
Same schedule except run comfortably during your quality workouts (no huffing and puffing) and decrease your weekly mileage from week 3 by 20%. Be patient and let your body take a break during week 4.
WEEKS 5-8
Follow same weekly pattern as weeks 1 - 4, increase weekly mileage by 10-15% and cut back on quality workout effort and on weekly mileage from week 7 by 20%.
WEEK 9-12
Follow same weekly pattern for the third 4-week block except week 12 is “taper week”.
WEEK 12
Taper Week
Monday and Tuesday – easy run < 6 miles followed by 4 - 8 x 50-100 meter “strides” (accelerations to a little faster than race pace)
Wednesday – “fartlek” = after warm-up jog of not more than 1 mile, then run alternating bouts of 1-2 minutes at race pace, followed by 1-2 minutes jogging, ending with a cool-down of not more than 1 mile, for a total of between 5 – 10 miles, depending on your fitness level. Less is always better than more during “taper week” but you also want to run short bursts at race pace.
Thursday – Saturday: no more than 3 miles easy run with 4 – 8 x 50-100 meter ”strides”. Run “tall” and relax…
Jimmy’s Magic Formula may look very familiar to you or it may look like Greek. Feel free to post questions on the “Ask Jim” blog or email me directly with questions about your training.
Jim
jburnett551@gmail.com
2017
Think – half marathon preparation, 13 weeks to go…
Intrepid Runners,Now is a really good a time to start thinking about June 4th.
March 4th, 2017 – Sunny, wind chill -10F
Yes, the 26th running of the Covered Bridges Half Marathon is a mere three months off. Remember, back in December, when you sat staring at your computer waiting, like Gary Cooper in the showdown in the classic western “High Noon”, to pull the trigger on your mouse and register for the most coveted high marathon in New England (world)? Well, you are “in” and now it’s time to make your journey satisfying and memorable (for all the right reasons). We can do this. I want to help.
Last year’s race was my most enjoyable half marathon ever. Why? I let my body do what I had prepared it to do and “I” just went along for the ride. Easy for you to say, you say? Well, I say anybody can enjoy a half marathon from start to finish whether it’s your first or your 100th. And, here’s the secret = set a reasonable goal, start training early, be patient and don’t over train. If there is one thing I have learned from 60 years of running, and I’m somewhat embarrassed to say it took my stubborn self a long time to get the message, it’s that recovery time is just as important as training time. The road to running fitness is not a straight line: You don’t run straight up the training pyramid to get to the top. No, like a climber acclimating herself to climb Mt. Everest, you establish a base camp and you climb up a little, then climb down and rest, then climb up a little higher, until you are ready to take one last break and then go for the summit.
“Periodization” is the fancy name for this training technique. A rule of thumb is that it takes your body about three weeks to adapt to applied stress (quality workouts). This adaptation by your body is also called “training effect”. Picture the elevation profile of an ascent up a mountain (your training pyramid). In this case it’s a 12-week climb. Within each week you schedule 2 quality workouts (intervals, hilly runs, longer runs with “tempos”) surrounded by easy runs and rest days. Within each one-month block, you increase your weekly mileage gradually for three weeks, then you back off for a week. The 3 one-month blocks (12 weeks in all) follow a similar pattern with the exception of the last week of the third block, in which you taper back your efforts and prepare for the big day.
Monday – easy run, Tuesday - easy run or cross train (bike, hike, walk), swim, Wednesday - intervals on the road or track or do a hilly run, Thursday – rest day, Friday – easy run, Saturday – easy run or cross train, Sunday longer run.
WEEK 2
Same as week one except your total mileage for the week should increase by 10-15%. You can switch up a rest day with an easy run day, just be sure you leave at least three non-quality workout days between your two quality days.
WEEK 3
Same idea. Up your weekly miles by 10-15% and follow the same pattern of quality days followed by easier days.
WEEK 4
Same schedule except run comfortably during your quality workouts (no huffing and puffing) and decrease your weekly mileage from week 3 by 20%. Be patient and let your body take a break during week 4.
WEEKS 5-8
Follow same weekly pattern as weeks 1 - 4, increase weekly mileage by 10-15% and cut back on quality workout effort and on weekly mileage from week 7 by 20%.
WEEK 9-12
Follow same weekly pattern for the third 4-week block except week 12 is “taper week”.
WEEK 12
Taper Week
Monday and Tuesday – easy run < 6 miles followed by 4 - 8 x 50-100 meter “strides” (accelerations to a little faster than race pace)
Wednesday – “fartlek” = after warm-up jog of not more than 1 mile, then run alternating bouts of 1-2 minutes at race pace, followed by 1-2 minutes jogging, ending with a cool-down of not more than 1 mile, for a total of between 5 – 10 miles, depending on your fitness level. Less is always better than more during “taper week” but you also want to run short bursts at race pace.
Thursday – Saturday: no more than 3 miles easy run with 4 – 8 x 50-100 meter ”strides”. Run “tall” and relax…
Jimmy’s Magic Formula may look very familiar to you or it may look like Greek. Feel free to post questions on the “Ask Jim” blog or email me directly with questions about your training.
I am happy to make personalized suggestions. Need help picking a reasonable race pace? Want suggestions for interval workouts, tempos or hilly runs? Want to know what is a good starting weekly mileage for you?
Email me and tell me about your running and I will help you get started.
Zooooooooooom to that…Time to start crankin’
Jim
jburnett551@gmail.com
The Upper Valley Running Club is organizing a series of Saturday training runs on the CBHM course leading up the race day. Watch the UVRC Meetup site for upcoming details.
https://www.meetup.com/Upper-Valley-Running-Club/
Yes, the 26th running of the Covered Bridges Half Marathon is a mere three months off. Remember, back in December, when you sat staring at your computer waiting, like Gary Cooper in the showdown in the classic western “High Noon”, to pull the trigger on your mouse and register for the most coveted high marathon in New England (world)? Well, you are “in” and now it’s time to make your journey satisfying and memorable (for all the right reasons). We can do this. I want to help.
Last year’s race was my most enjoyable half marathon ever. Why? I let my body do what I had prepared it to do and “I” just went along for the ride. Easy for you to say, you say? Well, I say anybody can enjoy a half marathon from start to finish whether it’s your first or your 100th. And, here’s the secret = set a reasonable goal, start training early, be patient and don’t over train. If there is one thing I have learned from 60 years of running, and I’m somewhat embarrassed to say it took my stubborn self a long time to get the message, it’s that recovery time is just as important as training time. The road to running fitness is not a straight line: You don’t run straight up the training pyramid to get to the top. No, like a climber acclimating herself to climb Mt. Everest, you establish a base camp and you climb up a little, then climb down and rest, then climb up a little higher, until you are ready to take one last break and then go for the summit.
“Periodization” is the fancy name for this training technique. A rule of thumb is that it takes your body about three weeks to adapt to applied stress (quality workouts). This adaptation by your body is also called “training effect”. Picture the elevation profile of an ascent up a mountain (your training pyramid). In this case it’s a 12-week climb. Within each week you schedule 2 quality workouts (intervals, hilly runs, longer runs with “tempos”) surrounded by easy runs and rest days. Within each one-month block, you increase your weekly mileage gradually for three weeks, then you back off for a week. The 3 one-month blocks (12 weeks in all) follow a similar pattern with the exception of the last week of the third block, in which you taper back your efforts and prepare for the big day.
Jimmy’s Magic Formula to Run Your Most Enjoyable Half Marathon
WEEK 1Monday – easy run, Tuesday - easy run or cross train (bike, hike, walk), swim, Wednesday - intervals on the road or track or do a hilly run, Thursday – rest day, Friday – easy run, Saturday – easy run or cross train, Sunday longer run.
WEEK 2
Same as week one except your total mileage for the week should increase by 10-15%. You can switch up a rest day with an easy run day, just be sure you leave at least three non-quality workout days between your two quality days.
WEEK 3
Same idea. Up your weekly miles by 10-15% and follow the same pattern of quality days followed by easier days.
WEEK 4
Same schedule except run comfortably during your quality workouts (no huffing and puffing) and decrease your weekly mileage from week 3 by 20%. Be patient and let your body take a break during week 4.
WEEKS 5-8
Follow same weekly pattern as weeks 1 - 4, increase weekly mileage by 10-15% and cut back on quality workout effort and on weekly mileage from week 7 by 20%.
WEEK 9-12
Follow same weekly pattern for the third 4-week block except week 12 is “taper week”.
WEEK 12
Taper Week
Monday and Tuesday – easy run < 6 miles followed by 4 - 8 x 50-100 meter “strides” (accelerations to a little faster than race pace)
Wednesday – “fartlek” = after warm-up jog of not more than 1 mile, then run alternating bouts of 1-2 minutes at race pace, followed by 1-2 minutes jogging, ending with a cool-down of not more than 1 mile, for a total of between 5 – 10 miles, depending on your fitness level. Less is always better than more during “taper week” but you also want to run short bursts at race pace.
Thursday – Saturday: no more than 3 miles easy run with 4 – 8 x 50-100 meter ”strides”. Run “tall” and relax…
Jimmy’s Magic Formula may look very familiar to you or it may look like Greek. Feel free to post questions on the “Ask Jim” blog or email me directly with questions about your training.
I am happy to make personalized suggestions. Need help picking a reasonable race pace? Want suggestions for interval workouts, tempos or hilly runs? Want to know what is a good starting weekly mileage for you?
Email me and tell me about your running and I will help you get started.
Zooooooooooom to that…Time to start crankin’
Jim
jburnett551@gmail.com
The Upper Valley Running Club is organizing a series of Saturday training runs on the CBHM course leading up the race day. Watch the UVRC Meetup site for upcoming details.
https://www.meetup.com/Upper-Valley-Running-Club/
You can publicly write a comment here in the comments section or you can privately email Jim at the address above.
Thank You Jim for providing this information for our runners!
See you all soon,
Mike, Bill and the Race Committee