Assessing FIRST - Part 3 Specificity

Since I left behind my FIRST training plan for a custom training plan purchased from Greg McMillan I have had many miles to reflection on why I felt the need to make the change. One of the things I keep thinking about is a well known principle of training, the principle of specificity. Generally, the principle says that if you want to be a runner, the most effective training is to run. You train for what you want to be good at. In FIRST they take the principle a little farther. The principle is applied to training paces, temperature and humidity during training vs projected temperature and humidity during the key race, hills etc. It may be why there is no flexibility on the pace of a work out.

For me, the principle is not a lot of help beyond keeping me focused on running. I live at 6200 ft elevation. I plan to race at 400 ft. Every where I look from my home I see hills. My target race has some rolling hills in the first 6 miles then is essentially downhill for the last 20.2 miles. I'm running in winter mountain temperatures and plan to race near sea level in California. There is nothing about my training environment that is specific to my target race environment.

So what am I to do? FIRST doesn't really give me a way to adapt my training. Your not supposed to adapt your training. It is supposed to be specific to the conditions of your target race. But that doesn't help me. To be fair, Scott Murr did point me to an appropriate 5K pace that was intended to compensate for the elevation difference. But there was still no way to accommodate hills, snow, wind or other training variables that are out of the runner's control.

I think if you lived in San Diego and were training for a local marathon, the principle of specificity as interpreted by FIRST would be satisfied. And probably very useful. Even if you were a less black and white person than I am, you might still find it acceptable. My problem, is if you tell me I have to run 20 miles at a specific pace (not range) to be successful this in a workout, then that's what I will do. Ignoring snow, wind, hills. Even if it nearly kills me. With FIRST I was completing my workouts, but I was not enjoying running.

It may be fair to ask what my goal is - to enjoy running or to qualify for Boston? The answer for me is easy - both. I have no desire to give up the joy I get from running, even temporarily, to achieve a goal like qualifying for Boston. I guess I'm not that driven. I love running and have as long as I can remember. Almost as long as that I've dreamed of qualifying for Boston. But it's a dream that is build upon doing well at something I love to do.

It is true that we tend to like things we are good at, but for me running doesn't really fit that tendency. I love running because it clears my head, running allows me to solve difficult problems, to enjoy the outdoors, and to feel healthy. There is also something less tangible. I am part of a community of runners, of like minded people, of wide ranging abilities and yet still brother and sister runners. We have a common bond and can enjoy each other's company with little introduction.

In any case, I would never abandon the joy from my running to achieve a time goal. And I have never felt I needed to. My half marathon time, adjusted for altitude and projected to the marathon distance said I had the speed to qualify for Boston. What I needed to do was to build the endurance to run 26.2 miles. Does that mean that a Boston qualifying time is the best I can do? Probably not. But I'm not sure I care (right now) to run the fastest marathon I'm capable of. I would be very content to quality for Boston.

Bottom line, you need to understand your goals and what's important to you. If it happens that you can train under the same conditions that you will be racing under, I think FIRST is worth a look. If not, there are other approaches. I have found Greg McMillan's custom training plan to be an excellent approach. I'm enjoying my training, working hard and beginning to feel prepared.

I'd better. Napa is less than 6 weeks away.

P.S.

In case you're thinking that all this talk about enjoying my running means I must not work very hard at my workouts, come on out to the track on Thursdays. I love a good interval session.