My new running plan...

Ever since the last marathon, I've been in the pool more, but I've just been throwing together the runs here and there. I have been searching around for a new training plan and was thinking that I was going to do a "self coached" plan. But last week I stumbled across a really good book on running, called "Brain Training for Runners, by Matt Fitzgerald. ISBN 978-0-451-22232-9. And I've been doing some reading...

Despite the title, the core thesis of the book is not about "mental training," but how the brain interacts with the muscular, cardiovascular, nervous and other systems to determine racing, pacing and training effects.

The book is thick, but that's because it is half training plans -- from 5k's to the Marathon. I think that is just fine, because the front half is packed with running theory and studies. What I liked most was the studies he cited that effectively challenged some of my longer-held assumptions (example: lactic acid balance in muscles returns to normal in about an hour after a workout - who knew? Despite no change in my acid balance, I'm still going for a sports massage ). There were parts when I laughed because I knew from experience what he was saying was accurate. Interestingly, he ditches the heart rate monitor as a training tool in favor of pace-based approaches.

One weakness for Texas triathletes is that his section on heat and hydration was not terribly nuanced. As the book barely points out, heat is the one condition where mixed signals between the brain and body can have truly drastic consequences. Heat can kill. In my opinion, the section could have been stronger (and should have been) and included more variations in running speeds outside elite runners.

All that said, I learned a lot and I'm fired up. I started my 10K running program Sunday and will switch over to the marathon program in about 12 weeks.