Monadnock Regional Milers

Follow links in "Coaches Corner" to view weekly track workouts or click on handouts below for full month.

In my March's coaches corner I waxed poetic about the coming of March, the idea of hitting the trails, and the faint hints of spring. A time of rejuvenation. Little did I know when I wrote that piece how woefully long we were going to have to wait for the trails to be free of snow, never mind solid enough to leave your shoe on your foot.

By now the spring season is in full swing whether the weather has arrived or not. We’re into our second track session under less than perfect conditions and my teams have just completed their first meet. The shorts have been donned, and the reserve to which our running tends to slip to during the winter time has been replaced by new spring aggression. Or so goes the plan.

My own running has turned the season as well. While my training tends to remain reasonably stable regardless of the season, the spring adds the high school component which provides me by default, more core work and more "specific"; workouts than I tend to do on my own. The structure is more set, the distances and types of training more set in order to match their race schedule.

Last year this schedule worked in my favor, setting me up for a very solid summer of training and racing. Everything clicked, workouts went smoothly, I put in longer runs for my long runs, quicker "fast work", and saw the two biggest training weeks I've ever had in terms of mileage, 66 and 73, than I've ever done including during high school.

This year, I seem to be stumbling a bit. After a decent opening at the Chip Chase, I struggled at Half at the Hamptons, running a very solid time in a windy cold outing, but struggled with the race throughout its entirety. Workouts and long runs haven't been as effortless. And most recently I had to abandon my attempt at a quick, but in theory, doable goal at the Great Bay Half marathon due to some calf issues.

Which has led me to reassess my training and where I'm headed. I’ve got a nagging knee issue that doesn't seem to be abating and a sore lower back from time to time. The calf issue flares up sometimes when I heavily change the pace, but not necessarily during speed work or hills.

As of late, the knee pain seems manageable as does the back. With the kids program, I’ve added more core work and more short quick stuff and I think that's helping. I've been more attentive to stretching and hydration. The performance seems to be coming as well. An intended "tempo" workout at the Run for the Socks found me out in front, feeling easy most of the way, and seemed to be in line with what I would expect from myself.

These nagging injuries have forced me to reevaluate what I thought I was doing, make me address issues I've pushed to the back, and refocus on both what I need to do and where I want to go with my running. Sometimes you need to step back in order to provide the proper perspective in order to move forward.