After another failed attempt at a sub 60 second 400 meter the other day, I decided I need to finally sit down and develop a plan of attack rather than simply running them all out and hoping that later on in the week I’ll be more fit - I guess that technique only works up to a point and for me that was around 61 seconds.

There are 2 primary angles of attack, and my plan is to do each type of workout once per week: Aerobic power runs consisting of 12 to 16 quarters at a 70 to 85 second pace per lap, with a 200 meter recovery jog lasting between 30 seconds to 1 minute and 30 seconds. And finally anaerobic glycolysis runs consisting of 8 to 16 quarters at 65 to 68 second pace with 2 to 10 minutes of walking recovery between reps.

I think this plan is pretty solid, but we’ll have to see how it holds up at the track. Comments are needed!

I replied in much haste: “You’re just one little thing and my soul, it does sing with everything that isn’t you. The wind in the trees, the crisp morning breeze, all remind me of what I can do; you are part of me, you see, and without you I’d be left unchallenged in this quest that is true. So join me, dear Agony, come along for the ride; I’m not going to slow down. Now wipe away that frown while I show you what we will do.”

As of right now it still remains, my favorite song for anyone who might want to have a listen is still Blank and Jones’ ‘Beyond Time’

The song is such a great example of “body in motion” music and really pumps me up in preparation for a tough workout. The lyrics are a constant reminder that a purpose in my training is limitless in that through it I have the potential to touch so many lives with pure inspiration through undwindling commitment and love… at least that is the intent.

Have a listen, let me know what you think!

So the half marathons are feeling like they are getting easier, but maybe that is just because I have been running them more slowly.

… and all you want to do is quit: tell yourself, if it did not hurt - if it was not extremely difficult - then it would not be a thing of beauty.

Incredibly busy. That has been the theme of the past 30 days, and as a result, I have slacked a bit in terms of my dedication to my runs.

I want to run at least 200 miles this month. Yesterday I figured that in order to do so I would have to run at least 12.56 miles every day for the rest of the month. Since 12.56 is so close to the half marathon distance, I might as well round each run up for good measure, right? And so half marathon mayhem beings!

I am not sure if increasing my distance this much over a 1 week period is a good idea, but I am sure that I will soon find out. Stay tuned for updates!

Today was the much anticipated 2 miler that I have been training so much for these past few months. I accomplished my primary goal of a sub 13:00, so I’m happy. The official results still have yet to be posted, but I think I may have placed in the top 10 with that time! Although, it wasn’t a very competitive field.

Honestly, the past few months have been primarily base work and not much else. It should be interesting the difference anaerobic and speed work will have with regard to my time in this coming October race.

It is interesting to note the relatively huge difference between my 2 mile race time on the 16th and my 2 mile PR set in Feb. The PR was on a flat track where this recent race was on a fairly hilly course. Looks like I need to start doing some more endurance runs on really hilly terrain!

I was supposed to run about 250 miles this month. Instead, I ran under 200.

I was very sleep-deprived this month and had trouble keeping up with my workouts. I am not sure if I did everything I could to keep going strong or if I am using my lack of sleep this month as an excuse to justify not working out as much. I feel that I did as much as I could and that I found the bleeding-edge of that fine line between determination and long-term injury. I noticed that my run quality was suffering and I was much more prone to injury. Lots of little injuries kept creeping up on me - even during runs that I would have otherwise classified as easy.

Every day is a learning experience and from this month as a whole, I’ve learned the value of consistent, adequate sleep, of both sufficient time and depth. When you work out as much and as hard as I am, 3 to 5 hours of sleep night after night eventually builds to the point where it simply will not support your lifestyle anymore and something will have to give.

Well, I have not been writing in this as much as I would like. It has been a very busy month for me in general.

In terms of my running, this month was a much higher intensity month than last. The plan was to try and maintain 200 miles, but I found that my body is just not ready for that kind of distance at this high of an intensity. Average pace for all 136 miles this month was 7:16, over 1 minute faster than January - that is quite the drop.

Last night I found myself unable to sleep, my insomnia brought about laying in bed trying to visualize myself running a mile in under four minutes. The thought doesn’t seem that unreasonable, just a tiny bit more than four times around a 400m track in slightly under four minutes, nothing to it, right? After all, it is only four minutes! Then I began thinking about how so few runners ever break the four minute mark and why. Is it because most who try do not go about it the right way? Could smarter training have helped them succeed in their goal, or are most people limited in some way by a genetic speed cap of some sort for various distances? What is the true limiting factor of human running ability assuming leg speed is not an issue? So many questions, so few answers.

In order to run a four minute mile, one must average fifteen miles per hour across the whole distance. Most average people can’t even run this fast, even in an all-out sprint. Those who have a top speed of fifteen mph might be able to maintain that pace for 100 meters at best - 15 seconds - 1/4 of a minute, even if they have been running for years. It is a lot to ask of the human body to maintain that speed for four minutes straight.

I think that my top speed when deconditioned is somewhere around 20 to 22 mph. I am hoping that with the introduction of speed-focused training starting in March, and the onset of 100% effort speedwork in May, that I will raise my 200 meter sustainable top speed to somewhere between 24 and 25 mph, which should give me a nice buffer in which to work at higher endurance, hopefully increasing my anaerobic threshold speed to somewhere around 12.5 to 14 mph eventually. 14 mph may be pushing it, but I’m pretty sure 12.5 is doable in a couple of years.

I could not sleep easily that night because there are so many unanswered questions about my top speed that I just want to know, but must stick to my plan, so they will stay unanswered until May, unfortunately. All I can say is that this is quite the goal I’ve set for myself, but I will not give up, not until I have convinced myself beyond a reasonable doubt that I am yet another of the many runners who is physically incapable of a sub four, no matter how hard I try.