Bonking in Poopy Pants.

If you are an Agnoite going for the Lehigh Valley Marathon, this is your last hard workout week.  If you are training for NYC Marathon, Chicago, Toronto, JFK50, Philly, California and anything else, this is just one of the many hard weeks to come!  A few of us are running 20s this weekend either in Central Park (NYRR Supported Long Run) or in Prospect Park (Battle of Brooklyn).  If you are, remember, it’s OK to push yourself, but don’t hurt yourself.  These runs are not your “A” race!!!!!  Think about the big prize and focus on maintaining good form, even cadence and practice fueling. 

Fueling and hydration technique is what really separates a marathon from all the other races.  You eat or drink too much and you cramp up.  You don’t eat or drink enough you won’t make it.  Even pros have to practice this:  http://leblogdurob.com/blog-95/  (Go!  ROBBIE!  Go!)  Treat these longish races and runs as a testing ground for your hydration/fueling plans! 

Here’s what Robbie’s got to say:

So anyways, my point here is that during your marathon build you have to get in some specific runs in which you practice you fueling and hydration plans. Don’t wait until race day to try this out, because if ya do that than you are at risk of pooping your pants…and then bonking. The only thing worse than bonking is bonking with poopy pants.

Repeat this mantra:

WE DON’T WANT TO BONK IN POOPY PANTS.

WE DON’T WANT TO BONK IN POOPY PANTS.

WE DON’T WANT TO BONK IN POOPY PANTS.

WE DON’T WANT TO BONK IN POOPY PANTS.

WE DON’T WANT TO BONK IN POOPY PANTS.

And chanting mantras will lead us to…Wednesday Ninja Monk Speed Class!

OK. Folks.  The turn out rate for this class has been kinda low.  Are the classes too hard?  Ya’ll afraid of hard work?  Just kidding.  We know you got other life-plans.  We’ll be here when you need us!

This week, we’ll do a track-like workout in Central Park.  Meeting place is usual Engineer’s Gate at 6:45PM.  Warm up run to GREAT LAWN.  Since the circumference of the Great Lawn is roughly 800m we’ll just pretend that’s an 800m track.  Track workout is always good to do before a distance race because it’ll get your legs moving and the flatter terrain is definitely less taxing.

Workout: 

800X3 (three loops) at MP. 

800X2 (two loops) at HMP. 

800X3 (three loops) at 10K.

NO RECOVERY – it’s only about 4Ms of continuous run but it will not be easy!  Since Agonite’s primary goal is for a strong marathon, this is a bit of that whole pacing practice.  You go out too fast on the first 3 loops and you’re essentially screwed.  Go too slow and you’re 10K pace look will look abysmal. Here is a sample of this workout.   Feel free to kick it up a bit on the last 800m if you feel like you’ve “got it”!