Week #2--Week at a Glance

The mileage will slightly creep up in distance these next couple weeks before dropping off a little in week #4. Just remember, it's not necessary to run any of the mileage fast--slow is good. We will do similar runs this week with another installment of the technique drills (that the boys decided to not do last week). It's important to stick to the plan folks. Last year we didn't do any drills but maybe once. This something that was definitely lacking in the recipe for success. By the time the coaches come to the workouts (after the completion of the dead period), you should be ready to run the drills very easily and more than once per week. If you're feeling a little sore and tired after the first week, don't worry about it. This is a normal function of the "getting in shape" process. It's to be expected.

Here's how the week plays out:

You will see three numbers after each day of the week in descending order according to the running experience levels (upper, middle and lower).
Totals: 36 miles, 29, 25
M--5.5, 4.5, 3.5 T--3.5, 3, 2.5 W--9, 7, 6.25 TH--3.5, 3, 2.5 F--5.5, 4.5, 3.5 SA--9, 7, 6.25

Just to reinforce what we're doing in terms of the way the mileage is set up--it's all about recovering from one day to the next. We start with a 15% day on Monday, which is the percent of the week's mileage total. The other days' mileages are the following percentages of the week in this order: 10%, 25%, 10%, 15%, and 25%. As you may notice, each hard day (25%) is followed by a recovery day of 10% of the week's total. Another thing about distances: don't expect to hit the mileage perfectly. These things tend to equal out from one day to the next. So, if you're off by .5 miles one day, then it can be easily made up the following day. However, you should never be more than 20 percent above or below your current goal. For instance, if the plan is to run 10 miles, and you end up running 12 miles (an increase of 2 miles or 20 percent), then that's the maximum by which you'll ever want to increase it. If that ever happens, you could easily decrease by 2 miles for the following day. Furthermore, it's not a problem if you're off a few miles during any given week, either more or less. The important thing to remember is putting in that time and running 6 days-a-week. This is infinitely more important than hitting a specific number in mileage.

I suggest you go flat tomorrow--Map.

Remember, this Friday marks the first day for the coaches.