Re: April 50 Plus Training and Racing
I agree with the sentiment about "speed work." Until recently, when I felt I had done enough distance stuff I would turn to doing speed work, but that was just a generic term for what were intervals, perhaps of varying distances (400-1600), but always pounding away. No particular focus on what the point was.
Having gone into the Daniels' Running Formula -- and there are comparable programs that make the same distinctions, including a triathlon book I have (not for me but so I can understand the bi/tri guys in my Club) -- I've been able to distinguish the types of speed work and the different paces, and I've tried to get my Club members to understand as well. The mantra is to always know why you do a particular workout.
I also think that I learned much from my marathon experience of 2006 (and hope to develop a slightly better plan for my Club this year), and have come around to the view that you need mileage, threshold runs, and some long MP workouts. I don't know about the need for doing 10Ks and wonder about missing some long runs because of a 10K race, not about the benefit of an occasional run at that distance, from which recovery is easy if you have a base. But around me, at least, there aren't a lot of 10Ks any more. 5 milers are much more common.
As to how good you are, I'm a believer in using age-graded tables because they allow a runner, particularly as they age, to have a frame of reference across the years and across distances. So if someone has a 70%, I want her to aim to have that at all distances and, better, see if she can get it to 71. Our Club results page automatically provides that info.
Finally, in 1983, I ran a 2:29:13 in my debut and only other completed marathon, but while I have a general notion of what training I did, such as that my maximum mileage was 84, I did not do a lot of 20 milers, and I did twice a week interval work of varying distances and often on hills, I don't remember the specifics.
