What is it like to train like a pro? Think you could do it? Spend a week in a professional distance runner's shoes—and at the end of the week, you could win them.
Join us Nov. 9 through Nov. 15 as we attempt to complete a week of workouts designed by Hoka NAZ Elite runner and PRC alum Scott Fauble based on one of his own work weeks.
Seven days won't make you a 1:02/2:09 monster like Scott, but you'll get a feel for the variety, rhythm, and strain of a professional runner's routine.
Scott will join us for an Instagram live check-in this week to see how everyone is doing and offer some insights on how to approach a difficult training period to maximize returns.
Runners who complete a day's workout and share it on Instagram tagged @portlandrunningco and #alafauble will be entered in a daily drawing for Hoka One One swag.
Everyone who completes all seven workouts and shares them daily will be entered into a drawing at the end of the week for one of two free pairs of the new Hoka One One Rocket X racing shoe.
Sunday, Nov. 14, 2020
Four miles easy.
You did it! How do you feel? Today everyone, pro and weekend warrior, runs four miles easy. Share it on Instagram with the tags @portlandrunningco and #alafauble. We'll draw the names of the shoe winners very soon.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020
Pro workout: 4-10-4. That's 4 miles at marathon effort, 10 miles alternating like this (1 mile at glide effort, 1 mile at marathon effort, glide, marathon, glide, marathon, glide, marathon, glide, glide) and then straight into 4 more miles at marathon effort.
Weekend Warrior workout: Same as above, but not as much volume. So 2-6-2. That's 2 miles at marathon effort, 6 miles broken up as (glide, marathon, glide, marathon, glide, glide) and then 2 more miles at marathon effort.
What is this glide anyways? For Scott, he's alternating between 5:10/mile (feels like marathon effort) and 6:00/mile (glide). So that glide is about 16% slower/easier than marathon. Here's how that might work for you:
If 6:00/mile feels like marathon effort, run 6:50s when you glide.
If 7:00/mile is marathon effort, run about 8:00/mile or 8:10/mile when you glide.
If 8:00/mile is marathon effort, run about 9:15/mile when you glide.
If 9:00/mile is marathon effort, run about 10:20/mile when you glide.
If 10:00/mile is marathon effort, run about 11:30/mile when you glide.
Make sense? So a weekend warrrior for whom 8:00/mile is marathon effort would run 10 miles total broken up like this: two @ 8:00 mins/mile; 9:15, 8:00, 9:15, 8:00, 9:15, 9:15; two @ 8:00.
You're gonna need a burrito and a nap after this one!
Friday, Nov. 13, 2020
Pro: AM 10 miles easy; PM 4 miles super easy plus strides
Weekend Warrior: 4–6 miles easy plus strides
Nice and easy today, but as with most professionals training for a marathon, Scott's volume remains high. See the Tuesday workout below for a description of strides if you are unsure. Saturday's another doozy, so hydrate, get lots of rest, and don't overdo it today.
Keep tagging those Instagram posts of your workouts #alafauble and @portlandrunningco to be included in our drawings. Someone's winning shoes. Two someones actually.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020
Pro: AM 10 miles easy; PM 4 miles easy plus strength work
Weekend Warrior: 5–6 miles easy plus strength work
Yesterday was hard enough; you thought today would be a cinch, right? Today you get to do something that isn't running! That's fun, right? Scott's strength work looks like this:
- Kettle bell swings - 3 sets of 8 at 45 lbs.
- Deadlift - 3 sets of 6 at 115 lbs.
- Adductor isometrics - 3 X 20 seconds
- Planks - 3 X 45 seconds on all sides
- Calf raises - 3 X 12 w/ 70 lbs. of weight
- Pull-ups - 3 X 5
You choose appropriate weights for you; this is just so you can see what kind of weight Scott is using. Most of these exercises are well-known and pretty straightforward. Use Google if you aren't sure. Adductor isometrics can be done by squeezing something between your legs (easier) or in the fashion of a plank, with one leg on an elevated surface and one leg below the surface, but held off the floor (harder).
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020
Pro Workout: 5 X 2 Miles at Half Marathon pace with three minutes recovery between each two-mile rep. Afterwards, run 8 X 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy.
Weekend Warrior Workout: 3 X 2 Miles at Half Marathon pace with three minutes recovery between each two-mile rep. Afterwards, run 4–6 X 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy.
Bear down for this one. Scott's paces will be 4:50/mile for the half marathon-pace stuff. He'll cover 200m. for every "hard" 30 seconds he runs at the end. (Did we mention he's doing this stuff at altitude?!)
After you finish running your two-mile reps, take a short break to catch your breath, grab a drink, and shake out the legs. (Scott might change shoes, too.) Then run your 30 second on/off continuous rotations. Using a countdown timer on your watch is a good idea for this part.
Pace for the 30 seconds "on" is hard—think about the top speed you achieved during your strides on Tuesday. Not a sprint, but not far off it. Thursday is easy, so let it rip!
Remember to share your run on Instagram and tag it @portlandrunningco and #alafauble.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020
Pro and Weekend Warrior session: 4–6 miles easy; follow it up with 6–8 strides.
Some of you might be wondering, "What are strides?"
After your easy run is over, find a flat uninterrupted stretch (track, grass field, street) of about 100 yards.
Start running with short steps, and after a couple seconds begin to accelerate by opening up your stride length. Accelerate to a maximum of 80%–90% of full speed, hold that for a few seconds, and then gradually decelerate, coming back to a walk.
The mantra here is "fast but controlled." Keep your torso upright, your shoulders relaxed. Strides are a form drill, so it's good to recover completely between each rep. You want to do it right, not just get it done.
You have a workout coming up on Wednesday, and a few pickups like this will put some snap in your legs for that.
Remember to share your run on Instagram and tag it @portlandrunningco and #alafauble to be entered in a daily drawing for Hoka swag. Share all seven workouts from this week and you'll be entered into that drawing for a pair of Hoka One One Rocket X racing shoes.
Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
Your works starts Monday, Nov. 9. In Scott's training log his Monday runs are almost easy runs. He sometimes doubles (runs twice), as he will tomorrow. Occasionally drills or strength exercises are thrown in.
Monday's Pro Workout: AM 10 miles easy; PM 4 miles easy (yeah, that's a double)
Monday's Modified Workout: 5–6 Miles Easy (one run)
We'll give you credit for the Pro Workout or the Modified weekend-warrior version. Take your pick.
Easy means easy. Check out one of Scott's runs. He might do 9 or 10 miles on a Monday at more than 2 minutes per mile slower than his race pace. That's 40% slower for him. If he doubles, that second run may be even slower.
How does that translate for you? If you wanted to run a marathon at 8:00/mile (about 3:29), 40% slower would have you doing your easy runs north of 11 minutes per mile. So take it easy!
