Time Management

Time Management
My mother had a favourite phrase “Do It Now”.

All very fine and dandy in its way but not practical. Maybe OK for those multiple multi-taskers amongst us but a recipe for displacement activity.

Working out the priorities is only part of the solution. If routine but non-urgent things are not done regularly they soon become irregular, urgent and potentially overwhelming.

Like my filing.

Newbridge Not Too Far

Managing Running Training
In theory as a retired individual I should have no problem managing my running training. In practice, like all retired folk, I have taken on too many activities to fit into my remaining time.

It is called “Old Man In A Hurry” syndrome.

Part of my problem is that I don’t understand all the technical terms used for running training. Tempo Runs, LSRs, Heart Rate training, Interval Training, Cross Training, or Fartlek. Get it from IKEA?
Or whether any of these techniques would be of any use to me.

Working to my usual KISS principle - keep it simple stupid - I have decided that what I want to do is improve both my stamina and speed - marginally - over what it is now.

Target
Having knocked 6 minutes off my half marathon time during last year I want to complete a half marathon in under 2 hours. That is another 6 minutes off. I need to be able to average 9 minute miles for the whole distance - an improvement of half a minute off every mile. An improvement of 6%. Not marginal.

Techie Techniques
The consensus appears to be that training with only long runs is not sufficient. This may help increase stamina. But issues are:-

• Boring
• Dispiriting
• Tiring - can cause injury through over-tiredness
• Does not increase speed or pace
• No competition from other runners

The view is that even for slow runners there are benefits from speed training. Sprinting between lampposts, for example. Training like this steadily builds the ability to run just a bit faster. There is then a greater margin between average race pace and “flat out” - so that at the average race pace the runner is working less hard to achieve that pace.

Bit like a big engine in a small car can be more fuel efficient than a small one.

Speed and Distance
To improve my speed I am doing the once-a-month 1 mile self-timed time trial on Runners Forum.

I am using a stretch of path between 2 bridges. The outer ends of the bridge parapets are exactly 1 mile apart. To date my fastest time is 7minutes 22 seconds. This month will be the sixth.

To maintain my distance I am also doing the 1000 miles in 2012 on Runners Forum. Allowing for holidays I reckon this will require an average of 20 miles per week. At present I am slightly behind the curve with 35 miles in the first 2 weeks of the year.

Countdown
Eight weeks to go to the Bath Half Marathon.

Time to get moo-ving.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  James 4-14.