Ran a 10k in June (5 Viewers)

[pmbrown_22]

Ned - Stuff happens. I think we have all been there. Just take it as a learning experience and roll with it. If we were all at the top of our game all the time what would be the challenge. Take solace in knowing that the weather was a big factor in all of this and you cannot control that.

There will always be other races. This Spring has not exactly been normal weather-wise for most of us. Just a crazy year so far.

 

[comfortably numb]

Dover AFB Half Marathon

Like I mentioned in my response to tri, this isn't a RR that will come easily. I'm embarrassed with how I handled this run and would like to forget it quickly. For as much as I preach about HR, I didn't do a good job of listening to what I preach. Denial is a powerful thing. Its amazing what you can convince yourself of.

We were camping this weekend in a state park 15mins from the base. We had a blast with the kids and dogs (2 labs LOVE camping). The heat was pretty bad in the sun, but was pretty tolerable in the woods/shade. Lots of hiking and hanging out by the campfire had me really relaxed. I slept great both Friday and Saturday night.

Sunday morning came and it was a pretty uneventful start. We left on time, which is a minor miracle in itself with the kids and dogs in tow. I thought my wife was nuts for wanting to keep track of 2 big dogs + 2 kids at the race, but who was I to argue? Pulled in to the base at 7:15 and hit sign-up. Wow it was already steamy. I did my best to stay in the shade while we waited for the start, which was only possible by standing under the planes on display at the museum. This place has next to zero trees. Side note - if you are ever in the area, their museum is small, but a must see. The kids absolutely loved seeing all of the displays and asking what planes I worked on.

My plan was to follow the 5-5-5 plan for this race. Run the first 5mi below LT (178) and reassess how I was feeling. Based on how I felt, I'd adjust as needed for the next 5mi. Knowing the heat was going to cause HR creep, I fully expected the second 5 to be slower no matter how easy I took the first 5. I expected to have to run the last 8 at or above LT and felt capable of doing that (mistake #1). I always carry water with me on training runs, but never at races. I was at least smart enough to bring my handheld bottle with me. I also planned on taking water at each of the 8 aid stations no matter what. I'm a pretty heavy sweater and was worried I'd get dehydrated quickly.

The gun goes off and I settled in at a comfortable pace. We were running into a slight headwind, which actually felt good given the steamy sun (76 at the start, I don't know the humidity levels). I wanted to make sure it was really easy and resisted the urge to pace the guys that I thought were beatable. I'm a very competitive person, so it was difficult for me. I thought back to my triple crown where I had to let the non-triples go do their thing, which helped. I was feeling good, of course, and the first couple of miles were going smoothly. At mile 3 people were already starting to fade. This was a confidence boost, which in hind sight was a double edged sword. Somewhere around this part a younger guy in his mid 20s was in front of me for a while. He started to fade a bit so I passed him slowly. Just as I cleared him, he ducks in behind me to draft and actually laughed with an evil 'HAHA'. That pissed me off, so I picked it up a tick making him earn the draft. He didn't hang with me, which was a mild victory. This here was my first warning sign, but I didn't see it at the time. I felt like I had picked it up a decent amount, but it only amounted to a 4 second diff from my avg pace. All that effort for 4 seconds should've told me my body was working harder to regulate my body temp. But, I didn't see it and kept on goin'. I hooked up with a guy around my age at mile 4 and we joked about the lack of shade - It was his first time being on a military base and said "I guess these bases aren't allowed to plant trees". Splits: 7:50/173, 7:52/176, 7:49/177, 7:46/180, 7:51/183

I justified the higher HR at a slower pace as taking it easy. I know I can run 7:35-7:40 easily at this HR range, so in my mind the 7:50 average was OK. I was going slower, so I was holding back. Right?! What a dufus. Instead of heeding the warning signs of the high HR at a slower pace, I justified it by telling myself I was running slower and would be fine (mistake #2). We worked our way around the perimeter of explosives area of the base which had me reminisce a bit about old times. The reminiscing quickly ended when I noticed my HR wasn't coming back down below 180. Oh frig, I'm in trouble. An aid station was at 5.5 and I decided I better take advantage of it and stop to get a full drink (instead of running/drinking thru it). At this point, I could feel the heat pouring out of my singlet. I knew I was in trouble, but really convinced myself that I could salvage it by dropping the pace (even more). I quickly learned that wasn't going to happen as the pace slowly erroded and I couldn't get the HR back under 180. I walked and double fisted each aid station. 1 water to drink, 1 water for the head/back. Around mile 8 I realized this was a lost cause. I am embarrassed to admit that I mentally checked out. I gave up. I pride myself on being able to fight through crap (hell I puked 2x at Philly and fought through that), but for whatever reason I just quit. I might as well just walked off the course and quit the race. After the aid station just after mile 8, I did attempt to pick things back up, but every time it was a failure. The legs had nothing. Splits: 8:13/181, 8:20/181, 8:37/180, 9:04/179, 9:10/177

The rest of the run I just shuffled it on in. The heat was rising rapidly (87 and still sunny at the finish). As I ran past the BX, they had the in-ground sprinklers going on the lawn. I veered off into the edge of the grass to get hit with the sprinklers. Wow that felt awesome. It gave me a little jolt of energy, and I picked it up some. That was short lived as my legs gave way to the heat a short time after. I was mentally dejected and just cruised it on in to the finish. As I got to the finish, a few of my old buddies from my unit were there to cheer me on. I was thrilled to see them and was really appreciative that they'd sneak away from drill to come support me. Splits: 9:33/174, 9:25/176, 9:18/177, 0.22 - 8:12/180

Total time was 1:52:44 (1:52:58 gun time - no chip timing). 31/194 OA and 8th in my AG (I don't know the total in my AG). I try hard to keep perspective on this game and remember where I came from. I remember that feeling of accomplishment when I finished my first HM a year and a half ago. I still finished a HM in less than prime conditions. As hard as it is, I have to forgive myself for the 'quit' and remember that I'm out here doing something I never considered possible even 2 years ago. Maybe it's just a way to cope, but it helps to remember the beginning.

In the wise words of tri, this was a big time teachable race. I have to respect mother nature no matter how strong I feel. I should've started out way slower and way below LT. I'm thinking even at 165 I would've been in trouble towards the end. I also never want to feel like I did on this run. Mentally quitting was really upsetting and still bothers me to type it out 3 days later. Regardless, I still need to be honest with y'all and myself. It's easy to write up the PR RRs and keep the bad races short.

Thanks Ned, sucks to get yourself psyched up for a race and then fall short of your expectations but understand that to a guy like me just starting out I couldn't finish this race so to me, this is quite the accomplishment. I know we are all at different levels but keep in mind you and the others in this thread give guys like me something to shoot for. Your worst day in a HM is better than my best day, don't kick yourself too hard. Sounds like a helluva effort to me

 

[Juxtatarot]

Ned, I wonder if the camping and hiking over the weekend also took its toll.

Since you have a competitive personality, I think you will look back at this race as a positive learning and motivating experience in about a year. The only race I ever walked part of was Chicago 2010 and I now feel this was a turning point for me.

 

[sho nuff]

Dover AFB Half Marathon

Like I mentioned in my response to tri, this isn't a RR that will come easily. I'm embarrassed with how I handled this run and would like to forget it quickly. For as much as I preach about HR, I didn't do a good job of listening to what I preach. Denial is a powerful thing. Its amazing what you can convince yourself of.

We were camping this weekend in a state park 15mins from the base. We had a blast with the kids and dogs (2 labs LOVE camping). The heat was pretty bad in the sun, but was pretty tolerable in the woods/shade. Lots of hiking and hanging out by the campfire had me really relaxed. I slept great both Friday and Saturday night.

Sunday morning came and it was a pretty uneventful start. We left on time, which is a minor miracle in itself with the kids and dogs in tow. I thought my wife was nuts for wanting to keep track of 2 big dogs + 2 kids at the race, but who was I to argue? Pulled in to the base at 7:15 and hit sign-up. Wow it was already steamy. I did my best to stay in the shade while we waited for the start, which was only possible by standing under the planes on display at the museum. This place has next to zero trees. Side note - if you are ever in the area, their museum is small, but a must see. The kids absolutely loved seeing all of the displays and asking what planes I worked on.

My plan was to follow the 5-5-5 plan for this race. Run the first 5mi below LT (178) and reassess how I was feeling. Based on how I felt, I'd adjust as needed for the next 5mi. Knowing the heat was going to cause HR creep, I fully expected the second 5 to be slower no matter how easy I took the first 5. I expected to have to run the last 8 at or above LT and felt capable of doing that (mistake #1). I always carry water with me on training runs, but never at races. I was at least smart enough to bring my handheld bottle with me. I also planned on taking water at each of the 8 aid stations no matter what. I'm a pretty heavy sweater and was worried I'd get dehydrated quickly.

The gun goes off and I settled in at a comfortable pace. We were running into a slight headwind, which actually felt good given the steamy sun (76 at the start, I don't know the humidity levels). I wanted to make sure it was really easy and resisted the urge to pace the guys that I thought were beatable. I'm a very competitive person, so it was difficult for me. I thought back to my triple crown where I had to let the non-triples go do their thing, which helped. I was feeling good, of course, and the first couple of miles were going smoothly. At mile 3 people were already starting to fade. This was a confidence boost, which in hind sight was a double edged sword. Somewhere around this part a younger guy in his mid 20s was in front of me for a while. He started to fade a bit so I passed him slowly. Just as I cleared him, he ducks in behind me to draft and actually laughed with an evil 'HAHA'. That pissed me off, so I picked it up a tick making him earn the draft. He didn't hang with me, which was a mild victory. This here was my first warning sign, but I didn't see it at the time. I felt like I had picked it up a decent amount, but it only amounted to a 4 second diff from my avg pace. All that effort for 4 seconds should've told me my body was working harder to regulate my body temp. But, I didn't see it and kept on goin'. I hooked up with a guy around my age at mile 4 and we joked about the lack of shade - It was his first time being on a military base and said "I guess these bases aren't allowed to plant trees". Splits: 7:50/173, 7:52/176, 7:49/177, 7:46/180, 7:51/183

I justified the higher HR at a slower pace as taking it easy. I know I can run 7:35-7:40 easily at this HR range, so in my mind the 7:50 average was OK. I was going slower, so I was holding back. Right?! What a dufus. Instead of heeding the warning signs of the high HR at a slower pace, I justified it by telling myself I was running slower and would be fine (mistake #2). We worked our way around the perimeter of explosives area of the base which had me reminisce a bit about old times. The reminiscing quickly ended when I noticed my HR wasn't coming back down below 180. Oh frig, I'm in trouble. An aid station was at 5.5 and I decided I better take advantage of it and stop to get a full drink (instead of running/drinking thru it). At this point, I could feel the heat pouring out of my singlet. I knew I was in trouble, but really convinced myself that I could salvage it by dropping the pace (even more). I quickly learned that wasn't going to happen as the pace slowly erroded and I couldn't get the HR back under 180. I walked and double fisted each aid station. 1 water to drink, 1 water for the head/back. Around mile 8 I realized this was a lost cause. I am embarrassed to admit that I mentally checked out. I gave up. I pride myself on being able to fight through crap (hell I puked 2x at Philly and fought through that), but for whatever reason I just quit. I might as well just walked off the course and quit the race. After the aid station just after mile 8, I did attempt to pick things back up, but every time it was a failure. The legs had nothing. Splits: 8:13/181, 8:20/181, 8:37/180, 9:04/179, 9:10/177

The rest of the run I just shuffled it on in. The heat was rising rapidly (87 and still sunny at the finish). As I ran past the BX, they had the in-ground sprinklers going on the lawn. I veered off into the edge of the grass to get hit with the sprinklers. Wow that felt awesome. It gave me a little jolt of energy, and I picked it up some. That was short lived as my legs gave way to the heat a short time after. I was mentally dejected and just cruised it on in to the finish. As I got to the finish, a few of my old buddies from my unit were there to cheer me on. I was thrilled to see them and was really appreciative that they'd sneak away from drill to come support me. Splits: 9:33/174, 9:25/176, 9:18/177, 0.22 - 8:12/180

Total time was 1:52:44 (1:52:58 gun time - no chip timing). 31/194 OA and 8th in my AG (I don't know the total in my AG). I try hard to keep perspective on this game and remember where I came from. I remember that feeling of accomplishment when I finished my first HM a year and a half ago. I still finished a HM in less than prime conditions. As hard as it is, I have to forgive myself for the 'quit' and remember that I'm out here doing something I never considered possible even 2 years ago. Maybe it's just a way to cope, but it helps to remember the beginning.

In the wise words of tri, this was a big time teachable race. I have to respect mother nature no matter how strong I feel. I should've started out way slower and way below LT. I'm thinking even at 165 I would've been in trouble towards the end. I also never want to feel like I did on this run. Mentally quitting was really upsetting and still bothers me to type it out 3 days later. Regardless, I still need to be honest with y'all and myself. It's easy to write up the PR RRs and keep the bad races short.

Thanks Ned, sucks to get yourself psyched up for a race and then fall short of your expectations but understand that to a guy like me just starting out I couldn't finish this race so to me, this is quite the accomplishment. I know we are all at different levels but keep in mind you and the others in this thread give guys like me something to shoot for. Your worst day in a HM is better than my best day, don't kick yourself too hard. Sounds like a helluva effort to me

That terrible day by him would be a PR for me by almost 2 minutes.

I know its not what you wanted Ned...but you definitely learned to keep your own plan in your mind and watch those little reminders about when to cut back even if your legs are feeling fine and part of your brain is telling you to still push.

And agree with Jux...in time Im betting you will take the experience to learn from and motivate you to not let that happen again.

 

[sho nuff]

Had a good little workout this morning.

Some light weights on my biceps and triceps.

Lunges and squats between sets.

Then 5 miles on the TM.

10:15 average pace...155 average HR.

Feeling good getting back into it after the 4 days off last week.

Lungs are still a bit wheezy after the run, but feel like Im getting good breathing during the run...

 

[Sean]

comf numb - congrats on the new PR, especially in the heat!

gruecd - sorry about the 10k. Hopefully you can unwind and forget about life for a bit on the trails.

pigskin - cool idea for the kids. I could see my little ones (when they get a little older) getting pretty excited about something like that.

Ned - thanks for sharing and keep your head up. I can understand your frustration (i'm ultra competitive myself) but think of how far you have come with your running and don't let one tough day (with #### weather) break you down at all. Look forward to reading updates of you crushing it in the near future.

On my end - 3 miles yesterday in the pouring rain. Was a light drizzle when I started out and then the skies quickly opened up. Felt really good. 5.5 on tap for tonight and some speed work tomorrow. Trying to gear up for my first 10k in a few weeks. A bunch of my neighbors are runners (and good ones) so I'm hoping to not embarrass myself.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

a nice, easy 15-miler in near-90-degree heat

Say what?Ned -- I wouldn't get too bent out of shape over your half. Those are horrible racing conditions. You decided to go ahead and be aggressive, and it didn't work out. There's really no shame in that. There's also no shame in realizing at Mile 8 that you went out too fast and backing off, rather than "gutting it out" and ending up in the medical tent. You know what to do here -- find a fall HM and rip it up.

______________________

I've been sluggish and lethargic for about the last three weeks now. I've been working under the assumption that it's just the heat, but I have to admit that it's gotten on my nerves and undercut my confidence a little. Fortunately, we got a little bit of a cold snap last night, so I was able to do my 10 mile GA run in the mid-50s, and it was basically effortless. Even as I was finishing up, it felt like I hadn't done anything at all. It's nice to be reminded that my fitness is still there, even if it doesn't always feel that way when I'm running into headwinds on 85 degree days.

 

[goldenchild]

goldenchild - OK, course eval: You start with a big rectangle with three left turns. Line up on the left side at the start, but not too far - you could get bottled up at the first turn or two. As you go up Alma past the stadium, you'll be approaching mile 1, and that's your only real incline for the race. Be patient that first mile or that incline will seem like a mountain. You do a 1/2 mile out-and-back on Senter, and you can distract yourself watching runners going the other way. Now you're halfway done and ready for the interesting part of the race! That looks like a nice stretch for over a 1/2 mile running through the park. Keep it steady and don't think ahead ..just relax and run. You'll also be running slightly downslope the rest of the way. When you turn back onto Senter at the 2.5 mile point, it's 1-2-3 to the finish - (1)run that familiar stretch of Senter again, (2) enjoy the downhill on Alma, and then (3) finish with the loop into the stadium. Success!

Wow! This is great! Thanks for the write up! I'll be sure to adjust my effort on that initial incline accordingly (I hadn't even thought of the inclines/declines for the course). I did another 1.5 miler this morning. I started at 7:30am which is the same time that the actual race will start. I think I pushed myself a little harder than I would for the race (came in at 12:34), but it felt a lot better than when I did it last week.

I'm nervous, but super excited for Saturday.

 

[tri-man 47]

/Apollo 13/ "with all respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour" /Apollo 13/

Dover AFB Half Marathon

HR Splits:

173

176

177

180

183

181

181

180

179

177

174

176

177

180

31/194 OA

Ned, what I see is that you pushed your physical limits at a steady HR for the entire race. In those conditions with no shade, of course your mind will be screaming to stop. That's what it's supposed to do ...it tries to protect you from physical danger. And of course your pace would slide. But you persevered, and in fact, you used the HR data to do so! Consider: Your HR data told you exactly where you were at. No, it wasn't pretty. And no, you couldn't have gone faster if you tried. But you could argue that without the HR data, you would have listened to your mind (instead of your heart) and just quit. As it was, you kept pushing - at your limit - and got through the race ...and came in top 16% (percentage wise, where would you normally expect to finish, I wonder). Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Way to go, my friend!

 

[17seconds]

Ned - you know what? You need to have races like that to know your limits. Personally I haven't had that experience yet and I wonder whether I've been to conservative. I will need on of those to really see what I am capable of doing. Now you know what max performance and effort means!

 

[BassNBrew]

/Apollo 13/ "with all respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour" /Apollo 13/

Dover AFB Half Marathon

HR Splits:

173

176

177

180

183

181

181

180

179

177

174

176

177

180

31/194 OA

Ned, what I see is that you pushed your physical limits at a steady HR for the entire race. In those conditions with no shade, of course your mind will be screaming to stop. That's what it's supposed to do ...it tries to protect you from physical danger. And of course your pace would slide. But you persevered, and in fact, you used the HR data to do so! Consider: Your HR data told you exactly where you were at. No, it wasn't pretty. And no, you couldn't have gone faster if you tried. But you could argue that without the HR data, you would have listened to your mind (instead of your heart) and just quit. As it was, you kept pushing - at your limit - and got through the race ...and came in top 16% (percentage wise, where would you normally expect to finish, I wonder). Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Way to go, my friend!

Yeah...I agree. Don't know why he was so down. Looks like he used the hr data well and got max result given the conditions. The drift wasn't that horrible. Looks like almost perfect execution to me.

 

[BassNBrew]

Went out for an easy 10 in the mid afternoon heat today. Major fail. I was walking by mile 3 and 1.5 miles from home. HR was still ok but I felt a wee bit light headed and felt like puking. Over the next 30 minutes walking home the puking felt turned into gas followed by a major dump feeling. I made it home with no time to spare. Walked up with the front steps with the cheeks in full clench mode and it began sliding out while I was dropping my shorts. Afterwards I think the NWS upgraded the ozone warning to dangerously unhealthy.

 

[Ned]

/Apollo 13/ "with all respect, sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour" /Apollo 13/

Dover AFB Half Marathon

HR Splits:

173

176

177

180

183

181

181

180

179

177

174

176

177

180

31/194 OA

Ned, what I see is that you pushed your physical limits at a steady HR for the entire race. In those conditions with no shade, of course your mind will be screaming to stop. That's what it's supposed to do ...it tries to protect you from physical danger. And of course your pace would slide. But you persevered, and in fact, you used the HR data to do so! Consider: Your HR data told you exactly where you were at. No, it wasn't pretty. And no, you couldn't have gone faster if you tried. But you could argue that without the HR data, you would have listened to your mind (instead of your heart) and just quit. As it was, you kept pushing - at your limit - and got through the race ...and came in top 16% (percentage wise, where would you normally expect to finish, I wonder). Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Way to go, my friend!

Yeah...I agree. Don't know why he was so down. Looks like he used the hr data well and got max result given the conditions. The drift wasn't that horrible. Looks like almost perfect execution to me.

Appreciate all the comments. I'm my one worst critic and expect too much, but that feeling of giving in was a really ####ty feeling that I couldn't shake. It's not something I'm accustomed to even with all the HR following I do in training.Im moving on to training for the Philly marathon. I can't wait to hit the big mileage again. I'm 99% sure I'll be doing a modified 18/70. It'll be more of a 18/65 since I have almost no chance of adding a sixth day to the weekly schedule plus doubles. My wife would probably throw me out of the house.

 

[MAC_32]

Holy hell that was a hellacious sprint interval workout, up the ladder down the ladder

1/2 mile warmup

Jog 100m-Sprint 100m

Jog 200-Sprint 200

Jog 300-Sprint 300

Jog 400-Sprint 400

Jog 800-Sprint 800 (I don't remember most of the last lap)

Jog 400-Sprint 400 (cant believe I didn't vomit at the end)

Jog 300-Sprint 300 (I really don't remember much after this point)

Jog 200-Sprint 200

Jog 100-Sprint 100

4 miles total, took about exactly a half hour. I was hoping Friday would be my off day this week but it feels like tomorrow is going to be it right now!

I'll catch up with the rest of you guys in the morning, little one is being a terror.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I ran my first hard run since my marathon tonight. I decided to put on my heart rate monitor for the first time in over a month. My plan was to run the last 2 miles fast in preparation for my 5 miler with Tri-man in a couple weeks.

Mile / Pace / HR

1 / 7:30 / 140

2 / 7:16 / 155

3 / 7:26 / 156

4 / 7:21 / 158

5 / 7:18 / 158

6 / 7:14 / 159

7 / 6:33 / 170

8 / 7:00 / 167

Mile 7 took a lot out of me and I decided to slow that last mile. I haven't done speed work in a number of weeks so I think my body is not used to running much under 7:00. Temperature was probably in the mid 70s so that didn't help any. I think I'll try something similar in a few days but start the fast part of the run a little sooner.

 

[Trey]

I'm sure there might be some info buried in this thread but I've ignored it for 335 pages...

Got a lot of family and friends considering a half marathon at the end of September.

Does anyone here have a link to a training regimen that could get me from "lazy bum who could throw on shoes and do a 3 mile jaunt" to capable of running a half marathon in 12 weeks?? I've been out of the distance game since senior year of high school(~6 years at this point) so I'm not sure the best methods for tackling this.

Welcome! Lots of good plans out there and most attack this with about the same strategy. I'd recommend the Novice Higdon Program. If you find it too easy you can always bump up to the Novice 2 program.In all honestly your road to do this really isn't all the complicated. Build up in a reasonably slow way so as not to get injured and be consistent and get your runs in.

Thanks for that Higdon link. Dove right in last night and today (starting with his first Tuesday).. I like that it gets you back in the groove and slowly builds. I'm obviously not looking to be world beater here. Finishing 13.1 in 3 months is a victory in itself.

Will let you know how things progress. From what I've read, I just need to be careful not to ramp up the mileage too quickly.I can definitely handle that!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Swam 2,000 today after riding 30 miles yesterday and doing the Du (5K run/5K kayak) on Saturday. Got to back things down a bit this week as I have an Oly on Sunday. I haven't had the chance to OWS yet this year and the swim is in a river with a decent current and, of course, the last 300+ yards of the swim are in to the current. I did my Oly PR, 2:30, on the same course two years ago. Based on where I am on the bike, I'd be happy with something around 2:45.

Looking at the forecast I am going to bump up my "I'd be OK with" time to 2:50. My Oly WR (worst record) is 2:53 (even with a 50 minute 10K, horrible bike leg), temps are projected at mid 90 on Sunday. The run course has this nice shady area of about 1/3 of a mile, the rest is wide open sunny. Changing my mindset from race to long, supported, training day. I race the next weekend in a sprint where I've won my AG in back to back years and would rather go into that one healthy-ish.

 

[Sand]

Swam 2,000 today after riding 30 miles yesterday and doing the Du (5K run/5K kayak) on Saturday. Got to back things down a bit this week as I have an Oly on Sunday. I haven't had the chance to OWS yet this year and the swim is in a river with a decent current and, of course, the last 300+ yards of the swim are in to the current. I did my Oly PR, 2:30, on the same course two years ago. Based on where I am on the bike, I'd be happy with something around 2:45.

Looking at the forecast I am going to bump up my "I'd be OK with" time to 2:50. My Oly WR (worst record) is 2:53 (even with a 50 minute 10K, horrible bike leg), temps are projected at mid 90 on Sunday. The run course has this nice shady area of about 1/3 of a mile, the rest is wide open sunny. Changing my mindset from race to long, supported, training day. I race the next weekend in a sprint where I've won my AG in back to back years and would rather go into that one healthy-ish.

Cold water on the course, and as much as you can pour over yourself. BTW, doesn't the fact that 300yds of the swim is upstream mean that 1200 is downstream? (i.e is a HTFU deserved here? )

 

[2Young2BBald]

Swam 2,000 today after riding 30 miles yesterday and doing the Du (5K run/5K kayak) on Saturday. Got to back things down a bit this week as I have an Oly on Sunday. I haven't had the chance to OWS yet this year and the swim is in a river with a decent current and, of course, the last 300+ yards of the swim are in to the current. I did my Oly PR, 2:30, on the same course two years ago. Based on where I am on the bike, I'd be happy with something around 2:45.

Looking at the forecast I am going to bump up my "I'd be OK with" time to 2:50. My Oly WR (worst record) is 2:53 (even with a 50 minute 10K, horrible bike leg), temps are projected at mid 90 on Sunday. The run course has this nice shady area of about 1/3 of a mile, the rest is wide open sunny. Changing my mindset from race to long, supported, training day. I race the next weekend in a sprint where I've won my AG in back to back years and would rather go into that one healthy-ish.

Cold water on the course, and as much as you can pour over yourself. BTW, doesn't the fact that 300yds of the swim is upstream mean that 1200 is downstream? (i.e is a HTFU deserved here? )

Did I mention it was The DETROIT RIVER? And, no, there is an out leg in mild current for about 500 yards into a mild current, but the 300 blows. Its the bike that is going to kill me. I averaged almost 22 MPH two years ago. I barely got 20 MPH for the sprint last year (2 fewer laps) , coaching baseball really means I bike less. And, and, I am going to HTFU, but this run course is a mother. We'll see. No matter what, this is the best tri party in MI.

 

[Sean]

Finished up 5.5 tonight 8:37 /153. Felt nice and easy. Trying some speed work tomorrow (10x400).

 

[pigskinliquors]

goldenchild - OK, course eval: You start with a big rectangle with three left turns. Line up on the left side at the start, but not too far - you could get bottled up at the first turn or two. As you go up Alma past the stadium, you'll be approaching mile 1, and that's your only real incline for the race. Be patient that first mile or that incline will seem like a mountain. You do a 1/2 mile out-and-back on Senter, and you can distract yourself watching runners going the other way. Now you're halfway done and ready for the interesting part of the race! That looks like a nice stretch for over a 1/2 mile running through the park. Keep it steady and don't think ahead ..just relax and run. You'll also be running slightly downslope the rest of the way. When you turn back onto Senter at the 2.5 mile point, it's 1-2-3 to the finish - (1)run that familiar stretch of Senter again, (2) enjoy the downhill on Alma, and then (3) finish with the loop into the stadium. Success!

Wow! This is great! Thanks for the write up! I'll be sure to adjust my effort on that initial incline accordingly (I hadn't even thought of the inclines/declines for the course). I did another 1.5 miler this morning. I started at 7:30am which is the same time that the actual race will start. I think I pushed myself a little harder than I would for the race (came in at 12:34), but it felt a lot better than when I did it last week.

I'm nervous, but super excited for Saturday.

Awesome assistance Tri!

Yeah...I agree. Don't know why he was so down. Looks like he used the hr data well and got max result given the conditions. The drift wasn't that horrible. Looks like almost perfect execution to me.

I'll third the post! What is the best percentile you've finished a HM in? My guess is that you kicked some ###, due to a great effort on a ####ty day. Time is not the scorecard that is kept to determine a good vs. bad workout/race. It's how much you get out of it.

Holy hell that was a hellacious sprint interval workout, up the ladder down the ladder

1/2 mile warmup

Jog 100m-Sprint 100m

Jog 200-Sprint 200

Jog 300-Sprint 300

Jog 400-Sprint 400

Jog 800-Sprint 800 (I don't remember most of the last lap)

Jog 400-Sprint 400 (cant believe I didn't vomit at the end)

Jog 300-Sprint 300 (I really don't remember much after this point)

Jog 200-Sprint 200

Jog 100-Sprint 100

4 miles total, took about exactly a half hour. I was hoping Friday would be my off day this week but it feels like tomorrow is going to be it right now!

I'll catch up with the rest of you guys in the morning, little one is being a terror.

That looks like a freaking hard workout, though I'm wondering why your rests were as long as your intervals? I typically trained with the rest being half the distance of the sprint.

I ran my first hard run since my marathon tonight. I decided to put on my heart rate monitor for the first time in over a month. My plan was to run the last 2 miles fast in preparation for my 5 miler with Tri-man in a couple weeks.

Mile / Pace / HR

1 / 7:30 / 140

2 / 7:16 / 155

3 / 7:26 / 156

4 / 7:21 / 158

5 / 7:18 / 158

6 / 7:14 / 159

7 / 6:33 / 170

8 / 7:00 / 167

Mile 7 took a lot out of me and I decided to slow that last mile. I haven't done speed work in a number of weeks so I think my body is not used to running much under 7:00. Temperature was probably in the mid 70s so that didn't help any. I think I'll try something similar in a few days but start the fast part of the run a little sooner.

Great to see your HR going down after pushing it during mile 7. You had more in you for that last mile if you wanted it Are you cooling down after these types of efforts? If you are going to run two hard miles, one of them shouldn't be your last mile. Let your HR come down gradually with a cool down lap.

Finished up 5.5 tonight 8:37 /153. Felt nice and easy. Trying some speed work tomorrow (10x400).

Nice!_____________________

My update:

I'm currently getting GruedTM (= a verb meaning screwed out of getting in the workout/race you wanted) regarding getting a Cross Fit workout in. I did P90x Back and Biceps this morning. I PR'd on reps for 10 of 24 lifts, and went up a weight in 3 others = great to see after thinking I was plateauing! For the third evening in a row I had planned on doing Cross Fit but was again denied. Tonight it was canceled bc the heavens opened up, and we had an impressive thunder storm. Tomorrow I'm hoping the fourth try is a charm.

Today my daughters (age 7 & 10) each ran .6 miles, did .6 and 1.2 miles biking respectively and did 105 and 225 yards swimming respectfully. I LOVED it!

 

[gruecd]

GruedTM (= a verb meaning screwed out of getting in the workout/race you wanted)

I like it.

 

[jb1020]

I can sympathize with Grue right now, swamped at work and at home. I barely have a minute to even scan the thread. I did manage to get in a nice run this past weekend with a guy that ran a 3:40 marathon in Houston this past year. That was the first time I had actually ran with another dude...kinda enjoyable to chat.Bunch of new guys in here, I'm having trouble keeping up.

Ned, I wonder if the camping and hiking over the weekend also took its toll. Since you have a competitive personality, I think you will look back at this race as a positive learning and motivating experience in about a year. The only race I ever walked part of was Chicago 2010 and I now feel this was a turning point for me.

I love camping myself, but couldn't imagine doing it 2 nights in a row before a Half. Camping is just exhausting no matter how good you sleep.

Ned - you know what? You need to have races like that to know your limits. Personally I haven't had that experience yet and I wonder whether I've been to conservative. I will need on of those to really see what I am capable of doing. Now you know what max performance and effort means!

I've wondered this myself too. Despite a PR in my last half I still feel like I left a little gas in the tank. You'll smash your next one and completely forget about his one. Don't get all crazy....1:52 is a GREAT time.

 

[John Bender]

Knee support brace = helps my knee

Knee support brace = makes the rest of the my lower leg lose circulation

Still kicking out the tingles after the 30 min run this A.M.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Im moving on to training for the Philly marathon. I can't wait to hit the big mileage again. I'm 99% sure I'll be doing a modified 18/70. It'll be more of a 18/65 since I have almost no chance of adding a sixth day to the weekly schedule plus doubles. My wife would probably throw me out of the house.

Have you considered throwing in another half marathon along the way? I know the schedules don't call for it but I'm sure it will help your confidence -- particularly if you get a cool crisp fall morning.

 

[John Bender]

John - Outside of knee is most likely ITB. Here's some stretch and strengthening you can do to help.

Thanks bud. I think I complained about the same issue about this time last year and had the same FBG diagnosis. Will make sure to stretch accordingly.

Hope to see you here for the Philly marathon. Will be participating in at least the half with a gaggle of friends/family.

 

[MAC_32]

Holy hell that was a hellacious sprint interval workout, up the ladder down the ladder

1/2 mile warmup

Jog 100m-Sprint 100m

Jog 200-Sprint 200

Jog 300-Sprint 300

Jog 400-Sprint 400

Jog 800-Sprint 800 (I don't remember most of the last lap)

Jog 400-Sprint 400 (cant believe I didn't vomit at the end)

Jog 300-Sprint 300 (I really don't remember much after this point)

Jog 200-Sprint 200

Jog 100-Sprint 100

4 miles total, took about exactly a half hour. I was hoping Friday would be my off day this week but it feels like tomorrow is going to be it right now!

I'll catch up with the rest of you guys in the morning, little one is being a terror.

That looks like a freaking hard workout, though I'm wondering why your rests were as long as your intervals? I typically trained with the rest being half the distance of the sprint. _____________________

My update:

I'm currently getting GruedTM (= a verb meaning screwed out of getting in the workout/race you wanted) regarding getting a Cross Fit workout in. I did P90x Back and Biceps this morning. I PR'd on reps for 10 of 24 lifts, and went up a weight in 3 others = great to see after thinking I was plateauing! For the third evening in a row I had planned on doing Cross Fit but was again denied. Tonight it was canceled bc the heavens opened up, and we had an impressive thunder storm. Tomorrow I'm hoping the fourth try is a charm.

Today my daughters (age 7 & 10) each ran .6 miles, did .6 and 1.2 miles biking respectively and did 105 and 225 yards swimming respectfully. I LOVED it!

I'm building to shortening the jog interval portion, have one more of these before my race 7/1 so going to try to trim 100m off the jog portion of everything but the 100m sprint. I'll pick it back up again after the race too and keep shortening.Good seeing your habits are rubbing off on your girls, hope the same for my boys!

 

[beer 302]

How did you guys learn "pace"? I want to start some kinda training program but I struggle with pace. I go out pretty much the same on ever run, when I slow down it feels like I'm walking so naturally I speed up and end up running the same times for the same distances. I think years of running on a treadmill ruint me, become dependent on the machine to set your pace.

 

[tri-man 47]

GruedTM (= a verb meaning screwed out of getting in the workout/race you wanted)

I like it.

Me too! E.g., "Hotter than blazes, which GruedTM some of my workouts, but I'll still SandTM the start of my race and see what happens."Jux and MAC - whoa, nice work, guys. Jux, while I struggle to hit 6:40s next weekend, you can jog alongside and tell me about your Boston plans.

beer - It just takes some time. You can use your breathing to help you sort out your perceived effort (and time). If you run to music (and really, who doesn't now-a-days ), you could associate tempos of songs to certain paces. Or ...buy a Garmin and avoid any guess work.

 

[comfortably numb]

GruedTM (= a verb meaning screwed out of getting in the workout/race you wanted)

I like it.

beer - It just takes some time. You can use your breathing to help you sort out your perceived effort (and time). If you run to music (and really, who doesn't now-a-days ), you could associate tempos of songs to certain paces. Or ...buy a Garmin and avoid any guess work.

Yea, the Garmin has helped me a good deal.I am working on my pacing now, and looking at my splits after any run helps me at least see where i went too fast/too slow or what pace feels like XX while I am running.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Jux and MAC - whoa, nice work, guys. Jux, while I struggle to hit 6:40s next weekend, you can jog alongside and tell me about your Boston plans.

6:40s are about what I thought we'd run. I think that will be plenty challenging for me as I tire fairly quickly at that pace. Hopefully the race day excitement and adrenaline will carry me through.

 

[BassNBrew]

40 miler this morning. 20.9 mph average (road bike, aero wheels), 220 watts, 143 hr.

Weighed in 5 lbs lighter after the ride.

 

[pigskinliquors]

40 miler this morning. 20.9 mph average (road bike, aero wheels), 220 watts, 143 hr.

Weighed in 5 lbs lighter after the ride.

That's a great ride BnB. What aero's do you have?edited to add: Here's some bike porn on sale.

 

[Ned]

Im moving on to training for the Philly marathon. I can't wait to hit the big mileage again. I'm 99% sure I'll be doing a modified 18/70. It'll be more of a 18/65 since I have almost no chance of adding a sixth day to the weekly schedule plus doubles. My wife would probably throw me out of the house.

Have you considered throwing in another half marathon along the way? I know the schedules don't call for it but I'm sure it will help your confidence -- particularly if you get a cool crisp fall morning.

Right now the only thing I've got going is a 5K in a few weeks, then training for Philly until a 15K tune-up in early October. I'd love to hit another HM along the way, but will just play it by ear.Ran a 5mi recovery run for lunch. Legs are still a little tired, but it was pretty good considering. 9:53/135

 

[BassNBrew]

40 miler this morning. 20.9 mph average (road bike, aero wheels), 220 watts, 143 hr.

Weighed in 5 lbs lighter after the ride.

That's a great ride BnB. What aero's do you have?edited to add: Here's some bike porn on sale.

Flashpoint 60s are my nicier training wheels. Zipp 808 and sub 9 rear for racing (when I ever race again).

 

[gruecd]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.

It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

 

[tri-man 47]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

 

[17seconds]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

Nice. Does the hydration pack fit snugly? I tried using an old mtn bike Camelbak once and it bounced all over the place. I have the 4-btl Nathan belt and only holds enough liquid to last me about 14 miles, so looking for a better option.

 

[BassNBrew]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

Nice. Does the hydration pack fit snugly? I tried using an old mtn bike Camelbak once and it bounced all over the place. I have the 4-btl Nathan belt and only holds enough liquid to last me about 14 miles, so looking for a better option.

Try thishttp://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpage-SXTTWB.htmlThe triangular bottles rock. Picked mine up for $20.Problem I have with the camel backs is the slooshing. They'll fit snug though.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

Its addicting as hell.

 

[Ned]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

Its addicting as hell.

 

[pigskinliquors]

40 miler this morning. 20.9 mph average (road bike, aero wheels), 220 watts, 143 hr.

Weighed in 5 lbs lighter after the ride.

That's a great ride BnB. What aero's do you have?edited to add: Here's some bike porn on sale.

Flashpoint 60s are my nicier training wheels. Zipp 808 and sub 9 rear for racing (when I ever race again).

Those are two sweet wheel sets! I ride only my old Ksyrium SL's on my road bike. Put a small bend in the spoke last weekend, and am contemplating investing in a wheel set. I have Xero XR-1's on my tri-bike and those definitely need to be upgraded. I suffer from wheel envy

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.

It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

Its addicting as hell.

_________________

My update:

Did Ab ripper; ran .6 miles twice (once with each daughter) and spent a good hour throwing kids of all sizes in the pool prior to getting my ### kicked at tonight's cross-fit workout. They made sure they made up for missing the past two nights. We did four (#######g 4!)sets of:

run/sprint .5 miles

20 wall balls (20 lb. ball)

20 kettle bell swings

run/sprint .5 miles

20 weighted squats (I used 60 lbs)

20 pushups

run/sprint .5 miles

...rinse and repeat 4x.

I loved that it literally zapped every ounce of energy I had. 9 of us started it and only four of us finished. It was 95 and humid as hell which added to the fun. I finished my fourth set before the second place finisher (a good friend) finished his final set of squats. The other two (both darn fit dudes) were almost a full set behind me. Afterwards I ran one more loop (.6 miles) with my girls, and sat in our pool

 

[sho nuff]

That is one hell of a workout PSL.

Just got done with a 6 miler (4 tempo).

Was still warm out, but not as humid as it has been.

Lungs still a bit wheezy after the run which I don't like, but felt like I was breathing fine during the run.

 

[Ned]

With a jam packed work day ahead and wife working today, I was up and at'em at 5am this morning for an 8mi MLR. Legs were stiff, but I'm surprised at how well it went considering I'm still recovering from the HM. 65 degrees and cloudy made this a much easier run vs. running this at lunch with peak sun. It stings to wake up at 4, but man I love getting these early AM runs in. 9:20/139

 

[pmbrown_22]

Great work in here as usual.

Grue - You post makes me want to hit some trails. I have some aroun my house that I am dying to get on. I love to be out in the woods so I feel like I would do really well out there. Question for you or anyone for thta matter, Did you feel more energized by being on the trail as opposed to pounding the pavement? I know that even just walking on trails usually, I don't feel as tired as I do when I am on the road.

---------------

Wish I could post a great workout but all that I have been doing the last couple of days is packing boxes for the impending move. I am so tired of it and we are only about half done. We just seem to have stuff every where. I am just beat anymore.

Hopefully I can get out at lunch today as I am really in need of a run.

Have a great day all.

 

[beer 302]

Distance PR for me today, 8.93 miles. If I had looked I would have done an extra lap around the neighborhood to make it an even 9

Was working on pacing and it really allowed me to go extra distance today, it was slow as molasses but I feel pretty good just general soreness. I read something yesterday from a training website that made me kinda stop in my tracks.

Pacing of long Runs

Run all of the long ones at least 2 minutes slower than you could run that distance that day. The walk breaks will help you to slow the pace, but you must run slower as well. You get the same endurance from the long one if you run slowly as you would if you run fast. However, you'll recover much faster from a slow long run.

I know you guys have been telling me that all along but for some reason this kinda hit me over the head. Came from Jeff Galloway http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/long_run.html

 

[Ned]

Distance PR for me today, 8.93 miles. If I had looked I would have done an extra lap around the neighborhood to make it an even 9

Was working on pacing and it really allowed me to go extra distance today, it was slow as molasses but I feel pretty good just general soreness. I read something yesterday from a training website that made me kinda stop in my tracks.

Pacing of long Runs

Run all of the long ones at least 2 minutes slower than you could run that distance that day. The walk breaks will help you to slow the pace, but you must run slower as well. You get the same endurance from the long one if you run slowly as you would if you run fast. However, you'll recover much faster from a slow long run.

I know you guys have been telling me that all along but for some reason this kinda hit me over the head. Came from Jeff Galloway http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/long_run.html

Congrats on the distance PR! I disagree with that statement from Galloway. If you ran that 9 in too high of a HR zone (i.e. faster pace) you absolutely would not get the same endurance benefits as you would at a solid aerobic state (<75% max HR). This is a major mistake a lot of people make, myself included. It took me a good year to really get it (thanks to BnB constantly beating it into my head).

 

[gruecd]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say that I loved the trail run last night! Broke out the Brooks Cascadias and the Nathan HPL #020 hydration pack (both for the first time) and ran almost 18 miles at 9:17/mile, which I'm told is a pretty solid effort on that course. Ran the flats and the downhills and power hiked the steeper uphills. Felt strong pretty much the whole way.It's a 60-minute drive each way, so it's really only worth it if I'm gonna run at least 3 hours, but I plan on getting down there at least every other week for a long run. Next planned trip is Saturday, June 23. Already excited!

Nice. Does the hydration pack fit snugly? I tried using an old mtn bike Camelbak once and it bounced all over the place. I have the 4-btl Nathan belt and only holds enough liquid to last me about 14 miles, so looking for a better option.

Barely bounced at all. Seriously, I could hardly even tell that I was wearing it.

 

[gruecd]

Grue - You post makes me want to hit some trails. I have some aroun my house that I am dying to get on. I love to be out in the woods so I feel like I would do really well out there. Question for you or anyone for thta matter, Did you feel more energized by being on the trail as opposed to pounding the pavement? I know that even just walking on trails usually, I don't feel as tired as I do when I am on the road.

Definitely. I mean, I'm a little sore now, but I don't remember feeling that fresh at the end of any 18-mile training run on the road.

 

[pigskinliquors]

for you or anyone for thta matter, Did you feel more energized by being on the trail as opposed to pounding the pavement? Hopefully I can get out at lunch today as I am really in need of a run.

I always felt darn energized and euphoric after a good trail run. I miss trail runs more than any other and it's not even close. Moving truly sucks, but hopefully you'll be rewarded 10 fold once you settle in to your new place. Treat your workouts like brushing your teeth = you need to do them everyday to stay healthy (in this case your mental health needs it). beer302: Congrat's on the PR! Those runs SHOULD feel turtle like. I still highly recommend you go to Runner's World Smart Coach to download a training program. It will give you the speed that you should be training for every run. You still are likely running them too fast. Grue: I agree re: hydration packs. I found the sloshing to be only a minor bother that was worth it to have easy access to a lot of water (I have a 3 liter pack). ____________________________FWIW: I added up my short runs yesterday (none longer than .6 miles)and I actually ran 6.3 miles (4.5 during Cross Fit, and 1.8 with my daughters) yesterday My hip/groin is a little sore, but nearly as bad as I would have imagined. I have P90x Legs and Back on tap today, and it is going to be rough.